*This article offers tips for Japanese speakers taking on the challenge of communicating in English.

When artists and curators are planning exhibitions in Japan , they ask the local museum for a “zumen” of the exhibition space. The Japanese word zumen is generally translated into English as “blueprint” or “architectural plan,” but in the museum context it’s more common to use the term “floor plan.” If you ask, “Could you provide the floor plan of the exhibition room?” the museum will understand what you want.

When three-dimensional information is needed, expressions such as “3D drawings” and “renderings” are used. When the museum can provide it, CAD data and computer graphics data for the exhibition space are useful for getting an understanding of what the space will look like.