How do you say "Is it unreserved or reserved seating?" in Japanese?

Name: Sitting in the Wrong Shinkansen Seat? This One Question Fixes It
Uploaded: 2026-07-12T01:07:28Z
Duration: 51 s
Description: Learn to say 自由席ですか、指定席ですか？ (jiyūseki desu ka, shiteiseki desu ka?) — Is it unreserved or reserved seating?. A 30-second Japanese lesson for travelers from Kōfuku.

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Sitting in the Wrong Shinkansen Seat? This One Question Fixes It

To say Is it unreserved or reserved seating? in Japanese, say 自由席ですか、指定席ですか？ (jiyūseki desu ka, shiteiseki desu ka?).

You find a comfy bullet-train seat, sit down, and someone shows up with a ticket for it.

自由席ですか、指定席ですか？ jiyūseki desu ka, shiteiseki desu ka? Is it unreserved or reserved seating?

Beginner Mini-Lesson #learnjapanese #japantravel #shinkansen #japanesephrases #japanforbeginners

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In this video

自由席ですか、指定席ですか？ jiyūseki desu ka, shiteiseki desu ka? Is it unreserved or reserved seating?
この席は自由席ですか？ kono seki wa jiyūseki desu ka? Is this seat unreserved?
自由席はどの車両ですか？ jiyūseki wa dono sharyō desu ka? Which car is the unreserved seating?

Why this phrase

One of the most-repeated Shinkansen mistakes: sitting in a reserved car with an unreserved ticket. Teaches the two words that decode any ticket and the question that avoids the awkward move. Photogenic, aspirational travel moment.