The Crowd Won't Move for You. One Little Word Makes It Split.
To say excuse me, could I get through? in Japanese, say すみません、ちょっと通してください (sumimasen, chotto tōshite kudasai).
Rush hour in Shinjuku, a wall of people between you and the stairs, and shoving is the one thing you really can't do here.
In this video
- すみません、ちょっと通してください。 sumimasen, chotto tōshite kudasai. Excuse me, could I get through?
- すみません、降ります。 sumimasen, orimasu. Excuse me, I'm getting off.
Kanji in this phrase
- 通して
- とおして
Why this phrase
In Japan you don't shoulder through a crowd, you announce yourself. すみません opens the gap and ちょっと通してください is the actual ask. Staying silent doesn't read as shy here, it reads as rude, which is why nobody moves for you.
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