Changing Weekend Plans Because of a Typhoon — JLPT N3 Japanese Conversation
The situation
Yattan (ヤッタン) and Mochi (モチ) are old friends messaging each other on Friday night about their planned Saturday trip to Enoshima.
ねえ、明日の天気見た？なんか雨が降りそうなんだけど。
ねえ、あしたの てんき みた？なんか あめが ふりそうなんだけど。
Hey, did you see tomorrow's weather? It kind of looks like it's going to rain.
見た見た。台風が近づいてるみたい。江ノ島、無理かもしれないね。
みた みた。たいふうが ちかづいてる みたい。えのしま、むりかもしれないね。
Yeah, I saw. Looks like a typhoon is getting closer. Enoshima might be a no-go, huh.
えー、楽しみにしてたのに。台風が来たら、電車も止まっちゃうよね。
えー、たのしみに してたのに。たいふうが きたら、でんしゃも とまっちゃうよね。
Aw, and I was really looking forward to it. If the typhoon comes, the trains will stop too, right.
うん。計画運休っていって、前もって電車を止めるんだよ。帰れなくなるかも。
うん。けいかくうんきゅうって いって、まえもって でんしゃを とめるんだよ。かえれなくなるかも。
Yeah. There's this thing called a planned suspension — they stop the trains in advance. We might not be able to get home.
それは困るなあ。気象庁も警報を出すかもしれないし。
それは こまるなあ。きしょうちょうも けいほうを だすかもしれないし。
That would be a problem. And the Meteorological Agency might issue a warning, too.
だよね。無理して行って、危ない目にあったら最悪だし。
だよね。むりして いって、あぶない めに あったら さいあくだし。
Right? If we push it and end up in danger, that'd be the worst.
じゃあ、今回はやめとこうか。来週に延期するっていうのはどう？
じゃあ、こんかいは やめとこうか。らいしゅうに えんきするっていうのは どう？
Then let's skip it this time. How about we postpone to next week?
いいね。そうしよう。じゃあ、江ノ島は延期することになったってことで！
いいね。そう しよう。じゃあ、えのしまは えんきする ことに なったってことで！
Sounds good. Let's do that. So — it's officially decided, Enoshima is postponed!
Key expressions
- 〜そう（雨が降りそう） — "It looks like it'll rain." Attach そう to the verb stem (降り + そう) to report a guess from what you can see or sense right now. It's softer and more immediate than saying 雨が降る outright.
- 〜かもしれない（中止になるかもしれない） — "It might be cancelled." This expresses genuine possibility — maybe yes, maybe no. In casual speech it's often clipped to just かも, as Mochi does with 帰れなくなるかも. See 〜かもしれない (might, maybe).
- 〜たら（台風が来たら） — "If/when the typhoon comes…" The たら conditional sets up a hypothetical situation and then its consequence (…電車も止まっちゃう). It's the most flexible "if" in everyday Japanese. See The 〜たら conditional.
- 〜ことになる（延期することになった） — "It's been decided that we'll postpone." Unlike 〜ことにする (a decision you make), 〜ことになる frames the outcome as something that simply came to be — perfect for announcing a settled plan. See 〜ことになる (it's been decided).
About typhoons in Japan
Japan's typhoon season peaks in August and September, when several storms a year can track over Honshu. When a big one approaches, rail companies now announce a 計画運休 (けいかくうんきゅう, "planned suspension") a day ahead, deliberately halting trains before conditions turn dangerous — so "the trains might stop" is a very real reason to cancel plans. The 気象庁 (きしょうちょう, Japan Meteorological Agency) issues graded alerts: a 注意報 (ちゅういほう, advisory) for caution and a stronger 警報 (けいほう, warning) when serious danger is likely. The one phrase worth memorizing: 「台風が来るので、家にいます」 ("A typhoon is coming, so I'll stay home").
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between 〜そう and 〜かもしれない?
〜そう is a guess based on direct evidence you can sense right now (the sky looks dark → 雨が降りそう). 〜かもしれない states an abstract possibility that may or may not happen (中止になるかもしれない), with no requirement that you're observing anything. You'll often hear both in one weather conversation.
Is 〜たら the only way to say 'if' in Japanese?
No — Japanese has と, ば, なら, and たら. 〜たら is the most versatile and the most common in casual speech, and it works for both 'if' and 'when' (台風が来たら = 'if/when the typhoon comes'). N3 learners can lean on たら for most everyday conditionals.
Why 延期することになった and not 延期することにした?
〜ことにした means you personally decided (I decided to postpone). 〜ことになった presents the postponement as the settled result — as if it worked out that way — which sounds more natural for a mutual plan or an announcement, even when the two friends actually agreed on it together.