Can't get hot water?
 

Just arrived in Japan with the wife and 15mo old son. Puzzling occurence that I ran into while taking the JR rail from NRT to Kyoto. We typically can around infant formula dry powder and room temp water in a baby bottle while traveling and ask or buy some hot water to heat up the water before mix(as my son is not accustomed to room temp milk yet). However, at several coffee/food stands at the rail platform when I asked for some hot water, they said no and made a big X with their arms. At least one of them had a coffee machine with a hot water spigot.
Is this a cultural thing or maybe they really didn't have hot water to give? We ended up having to buy hot coffee to heat up the bottle from the outside.

Thanks.

Try asking for:

(phonetically):

Oh Yuu Dah Kay Kuu Dah Sigh

Literally: "please give me hot water only"

The Japanese refer to mizu (or water) as the cold version of the liquid. The hot version has a different name. Likely a misunderstanding. This should solve the problem at places that are willing to sell only water. Some may not have it on their prepared list of items to sell and at those there is the possibility that they will not be able to think outside of the box to provide it to you.

Good luck.

hull22, welcome to Japan.

Those coffee stands staff may be trained not to give hot water.
Outside the station, it will be okay.

You can print or show this :

赤ちゃんのミルクをつくりたいので、お湯をもらえませんか？:)
Would you please give us hot water for the baby's milk ?

Thanks! I'll try that.

I recall trying to get a paper or plastic bag from the kiosk vendors just outside Kanazawa station many years ago. I did my best to cadge one, but got a firm response: "No purchase, no bag."

I guess it's fair enough. They have to run a business. Their supplies of bags and water cost them money.

But there comes a time when such parsimony is counterproductive... I like to think that, after closing up shop, one of those merchants trod in the dog crap that I had been wanting to clear up with his precious bag.

On JR trains that has food vending carts, some tea is actually hot water plus tea bag. But it will not be free.