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By Mike Burnett
BBC Sport Online
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The World Cup is almost upon us and those carefully laid plans to learn some Japanese have come to nought.
But do not worry - your last chance saloon has arrived as BBC Sport Online offers a succinct guide to lingo for those travelling to the Land of the Rising Sun.
Click on one of the topics below or scroll down the page for our poignant pointers.
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Six of the best
"Kawaii!"
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Learn the following six words and you might actually fool somebody that you are a well-travelled, cultured football fan - well, for five seconds anyway.
Domo arigato - Thank you very much
(doe-moe ari-ga-toe)
Politeness goes a long way, especially when you are surrounded by hieroglyphics wherever you go.
Just say "arigato" if you do not want to go over the top and, if super casual is your style, say "domo".
Dozo - This way please/ after you
(doe-zo)
Might not seem so handy, but in the busy streets of Japan's big cities, you will be using it all the time - gesturing to some-else to go ahead of you or being led somewhere by an official.
Kawaii - Cute
(ka-wa-ee)
Yes, in the land where cartoon characters with grotesquely large eyes rule supreme, the word kawaii is indispensable.
Cute clothes, cute face, cute car - it works with everything. You will hear it everywhere, so get used to it.
kakko ii - Cool
(ka-ko-ee)
Of course, when it comes to coolness, Japan has few equals.
Like kawaii, it can be pretty much used anywhere - "Ah, Zidane, kakko ii!"
Kudasai - Can you please give me
(koo-da-sie)
A lifesaver in a bar, restaurant or shop - just say what you want and add "kudasai" on the end.
E.g. "Beer kudasai" or "hamburger kudasai"
Sumimasen- Excuse me/ I'm sorry
(soo-mee-ma-sen)
The most versatile word there is - from grabbing a waiter's attention through to apologising for nudging into someone - fantastic!
Vowel trouble?
Sing it to me: Ka-ra-o-ke!
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Japanese is all about vowels - they even put them in places you do not expect: E.g. Drink - dorinku.
So here is how to pronounce those vowels properly;
"a" - as in ask,
"i" - as in igloo,
"u" - as in push,
"e" - as in egg,
"o" - as in lot
Remember that Japanese do not tend to stress random syllables like us - so instead of "kaRAte", "karaOKE" and "SUmo", all the syllables have more or less equal weight.
Now try saying the same words in Japanese: Ka-ra-te, ka-ra-o-ke and su-mo. That's better!
Ls and Rs
Light or right?
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It is always important to remember that most Japanese find it difficult to differentiate between the L and R sound.
Many locals will be dying to try out their "Engrish" on you at the first available opportunity, so be prepared.
Who can forget the story of the foreigner, cycling in through the streets of Tokyo, who was confronted by a policeman shouting "right!"
The law-abiding cyclist, keen to obey the instruction, turned down the next available right only to smack straight into an oncoming car.
The policeman was, of course, pointing out the traffic "light", which had turned red.
Sometimes Japanese people have problems with B and V too - so watch out for words such as "bideo" or "borantia" - get it?
First impressions
"Hajimemashite. Bush desu."
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No doubt, you will be keen to dispel fears of hooliganism by making friends with the locals, so introductions are vital.
Ohayo gozaimasu - Good morning
Konnichiwa - Good afternoon
Konbanwa - Good evening
Hajimemashite. Mike desu - Pleased to meet you. I'm Mike
O-genki desu ka? - How are you?
Genki desu - I'm fine
Sayonara - Goodbye
Football chants
"England ike, ike, ike!"
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Hopefully, using your rudimentary language skills, you will have managed to find your way to a football stadium, so here is the vital vocab for cheering on your team.
Ike, ike, ike! - Here we go, here we go, here we go
Saa ikoo ze! - Come on!
Gambare! - Do your best!
Pai o zenbu tabeta hito wa dare desu ka? - Who's been eating all the pies?
Other useful words
"kanpai!"
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Byooin - Hospital
Deguchi - Exit
Eigo o hanasemasu ka? - Do you speak English?
Ikura desu ka? - How much is it?
Kanpai! - Cheers!
Otearai - Toilet
Tasukete! - Help!
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