How do you say "It's my first time here." in Japanese?

Name: One Short Line Makes Japanese Staff Slow Down and Walk You Through It. Say It Before You Panic.
Uploaded: 2026-08-04T02:02:20Z
Duration: 23 s
Description: Learn to say ここ、初めてなんです (koko, hajimete nan desu) — It's my first time here.. A 30-second Japanese lesson for travelers from Kōfuku.

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One Short Line Makes Japanese Staff Slow Down and Walk You Through It. Say It Before You Panic.

To say It's my first time here. in Japanese, say ここ、初めてなんです (koko, hajimete nan desu).

There is a ticket machine, a queue behind you, and eleven buttons in kanji. You do not need to explain any of that. You need one short line.

ここ、初めてなんです koko, hajimete nan desu It's my first time here.

Survival situation-rescue #learnjapanese #japantravel #japantips #survivaljapanese #japanesephrases

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In this video

ここ、初めてなんです。 koko, hajimete nan desu. It's my first time here.
すみません、初めてなんです。 sumimasen, hajimete nan desu. Excuse me, it's my first time.

Kanji in this phrase

初めて: はじめて
銭湯: せんとう

Why this phrase

「ここ、初めてなんです」 tells the staff you have never done this before, and Japanese service staff usually switch into slow, pointing, show you how mode. It is not an apology for your Japanese, it is a statement about the situation, which is why it works at a ramen ticket machine, a counter sushi bar, a sento or a standing bar. Say it before you are stuck, not after.