Asking Someone to Take Your Photo at the Great Buddha of Kamakura — JLPT N5 Japanese Conversation
The situation
Yattan (ヤッタン) walks up to a friendly passerby (通りの人) near the Great Buddha and asks them to take a photo.
すみません、写真を撮ってもらえますか。
すみません、しゃしんを とってもらえますか。
Excuse me, could you take a photo for me?
いいですよ。大仏と一緒ですね。
いいですよ。だいぶつと いっしょですね。
Sure. Together with the Great Buddha, right?
はい。このボタンを押してください。
はい。この ぼたんを おしてください。
Yes. Please press this button.
わかりました。じゃあ、撮りますよ。はい、チーズ！
わかりました。じゃあ、とりますよ。はい、ちーず！
Got it. Okay, I'll take it now. Say cheese!
すみません、もう一枚お願いできますか。
すみません、もう いちまい おねがいできますか。
Sorry, could I ask for one more?
もちろん。もう少し右に行ってくれませんか。
もちろん。もう すこし みぎに いってくれませんか。
Of course. Could you move a little to the right?
これでいいですか。
これで いいですか。
Is this okay?
ばっちりです。はい、撮れました。
ばっちりです。はい、とれました。
Perfect. There, got it.
ありがとうございます！
ありがとうございます！
Thank you so much!
Key expressions
- 写真を撮ってもらえますか — "Could you take a photo (for me)?" The pattern 〜てもらえますか turns a plain action into a soft, polite favor — the go-to way to ask a stranger for help. See 〜てくれる and asking favors for how もらう and くれる build these requests.
- このボタンを押してください — "Please press this button." A textbook て-form + ください instruction; use it any time you hand someone your phone or camera. See 〜てください and requests.
- もう一枚 — "One more (shot)." もう = "more/another," and 〜枚 (まい) is the counter for flat things, including photos. もう一枚 is the exact phrase for "take one more."
- 〜てくれませんか — "Won't you ~ (for me)?" In 「右に行ってくれませんか」 the passerby uses the negative-question form, which sounds even gentler than 〜てください.
About the Great Buddha of Kamakura
The Great Buddha (鎌倉大仏) sits in the grounds of Kōtoku-in (高徳院), a temple in Kamakura, and has stood in the open air since a tsunami washed away its wooden hall in the 15th century. This bronze Amida Buddha is over 11 meters tall, and for a small fee you can actually step inside the hollow statue to see how it was cast. Most visitors arrive on the charming Enoden (江ノ電) line, which rattles between Kamakura and the seaside. When you want your own photo with it, the one phrase to remember is 「写真を撮ってもらえますか」 ("Could you take a photo for me?").
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between 〜てください and 〜てもらえますか?
〜てください is a direct (if polite) instruction, best when it's clearly the other person's role to help — like a station attendant, or once someone has already agreed. 〜てもらえますか is softer and more tentative, so it's the nicer choice for asking a stranger a favor, such as taking your photo.
How do I say 'one more photo'?
もう一枚 (もう いちまい). もう means 'more/another,' and photos are counted with 〜枚 (まい), the counter for thin, flat things. You can soften the request with もう一枚お願いできますか ('could I ask for one more?').
Can I really go inside the Great Buddha?
Yes. For a small extra fee you can enter the hollow interior of the bronze statue at Kōtoku-in and see the casting seams from within — a short but memorable look at how the Buddha was made.