So you've mastered the ability to introduce yourself, and you have become familiar with Japanese names, including which comes first. Now how about some more personal information, namely, one's shusshin, or hometown.

You may meet people from all over Japan, depending on where you travel. Memorization of all forty-five prefectures is not necessary, but becoming familiar with the major islands might prevent future embarrassment.

Also, knowing what somebody is referring to — prefecture, city, island, town, or village — will help you get a picture of his or her background.

The major islands of Japan are Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyuushu, and Okinawa. When referring to a prefecture, the word ken is added to the place name. The word shi is used for cities; for towns and villages, machi and mura, respectively. Islands are called shima, but this word is usually prefaced with the particle ga following the island's name, as in Sado-ga-shima. This is mostly true when referring to the hundreds of small islands that dot the coasts of Japan.

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Notice the two different past-tense versions of the verb kuru (“to come”).

The first one is polite, the second more informal.