Translation guide
How to talk about the time a business, event, or activity ends for the day in Japanese.
The fixed time when a shop, restaurant, or facility closes for the day.
Standard term for the closing time of a store or restaurant. Used in signs, announcements, and conversation.
What time is closing time?
When closing time approaches, an in-store announcement is played.
More formal, often used in business contexts or official documents. Literally 'business end time'.
Closing time is 8 p.m.
Noun meaning 'closing of a store'. Often used in phrases like 閉店まで (until closing) or 閉店後 (after closing).
It's 30 minutes until closing time.
I rushed in just before closing time.
Casual, conversational way to ask or state when a place closes. Uses the verb 閉まる (to close, intransitive).
What time does this shop close?
The last time customers are allowed to enter or order, often before actual closing.
The scheduled finish time of a meeting, class, party, or other non-business event.
The legally mandated time when pubs must close, often with a sense of last drinks.
閉める (shimeru) is transitive and means 'to close (something)'. For a store closing, use the intransitive 閉まる (shimaru) or the noun 閉店 (heiten). Saying 店を閉める時間 implies someone is physically closing the shop, not the scheduled closing time.
To ask a staff member, you can say: すみません、何時までですか？ (Sumimasen, nanji made desu ka?) – 'Excuse me, until what time are you open?' This is more natural than directly asking for 'closing time'.
What time is closing time?
We arrived just before closing time.
Closing time is 10 p.m.
Last admission is 30 minutes before closing time.
Often used in izakaya or casual dining to indicate the kitchen is closing. Similar to 'last orders'.
Sorry, the kitchen is closed.
Last orders! Would you like another?