excuse me.

Sumimasen.　すみません

Pronunciation : soo-mii-mah-sen

From what I have read this is the most common phrase used for apologizing, saying excuse me. Apparently, this is a lot more prevalent in Japan than in the US. Shocking to think that another country may be better than us Americans at apologizing, taking responsibility for their actions, and not blaming others! Maybe there is a lesson to be learned here.

I expect that I will use this phrase many times a day in that I am not always great at being aware of my surroundings and frequently bump into things/people. Hopefully, with a little effort and a little time to adjust, I will get the hang of things! Until then, I will store this word as one of my most likely to be needed phrases upon arrival...