Japan is one of the most exciting countries in the world to visit. It’s a place that has so much to offer, from beautiful scenery and delicious food to rich culture and fascinating history.
If you’re planning a trip there, it can be hard to know where to start! There are so many options for things to do and places to see, and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all of the choices. But don’t worry—we’re here with some suggestions for apps that will help you plan your trip and make sure you get the most out of your trip!
We’ve put together this list of apps for travel in Japan because we know how important it is to have access to information when you’re traveling. And these apps will help make sure your time in Japan isn’t just fun, but also productive and stress-free!
Best Apps For Travel To Japan
Are you looking for the best apps for travel to Japan?
If that is a resounding yes, then you have definitely come to the right site!
Exploring a new place in Asian countries including Japan can be daunting or overwhelming at times due to differences in language, culture, lifestyle, and traditions.
Thanks to technological advancement, there are numerous apps for Japan travel created to improve your travel experience in this fascinating country without feeling left out and lost.
Here are the 16 best apps for Japan travel ranging from navigation, transportation, language, food, and others that you ought to download before you start exploring Japan.
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LIST OF 16 BEST APPS FOR JAPAN TRAVEL
Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO)
Google Maps
Maps.me
Hyperdia
Japan Navitime
Tokyo Subway Navigation
Jorudan
Ecbo Cloak
Takkun
Imiwa
Yomiwa
Travel Japan Wi-Fi
GuruNavi
Sushi Dictionary
Happy Cow
Yurekuru
16 BEST APPS FOR TRAVEL TO JAPAN
Let’s dive right into the 16 best apps for Japan travel:
JAPAN GUIDE
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Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO)
If you are looking to plan your itinerary in Japan, Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO) is the right place to get to.
Available in English, Chinese, and Korean languages, you can find the main highlights to visit around the country, filled with detailed information such as the history, operating hours, entrance fee, and so on.
Besides, you can also search for routes using the app—such as Japan Rail (JR), subways, taxis, and ferry services.
JNTO comes with the “Safety Assistance” feature too where users will be notified when there are natural disasters or other national-level emergencies.
These handy features make JNTO among the best apps for travel to Japan.
Download here: iOS | Android | Website
Price: Free
Planning To Get A Japan Rail (JR) Pass?
A JR pass offers a time-saving, convenient, wallet-friendly approach to international visitors (like you and I), especially when you are exploring at least 3 Japanese cities or planning a 3-week stay in the country.
BOOK YOUR JR PASS NOW!
BEST JAPAN TRAVEL APP: NAVIGATION
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Google Maps
Google Maps might be the most familiar best Japan travel app among all the apps listed in this article.
This user-friendly navigation travel app allows you to save the landmarks or places that you want to visit and retrieve them later when needed.
It also shows the shortest route from one place to another, with accurate train timing, travel duration, and estimated total fare.
If you are looking for nearby eateries or convenience stores, Google Maps show their operating hours, pictures, and even reviews.
However, Google Maps requires an internet connection to work and load.
So to have peace of mind of not getting lost among the tall skyscrapers or ancient temples during your visit to Japan, it is recommended to get yourself a local sim card or portable Wi-Fi router.
Download here: iOS | Android
Price: Free
Maps.me
Maps.me is the free, not-too-bad alternative to Google Maps where the app is still workable even when there is no internet connection.
To use Maps.me, you will have to first download the map of Japan. It will show you the places of interest that you can visit during your trip.
This app also offers travel guides to the users and you can search ATMs, restaurants, or cafes in the area.
Note: This free travel app is available in 15 languages, including English, German, and Arabic.
Download here: iOS | Android
Price: Free & Paid Subscription
BEST APPS FOR JAPAN: TRANSPORTATION
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Hyperdia
If you are asking for a local’s recommendation for the best Japan travel app for transportation, Hyperdia would probably top the list.
Available in English, Japanese, and Chinese, Hyperdia allows you to check for the accurate timings of train departure and arrival regardless of whether you are using a JR pass or getting the individual train tickets from one station to another.
Hyperdia’s result page will show the detailed breakdown of your search request, including:
The train’s name
The departure and arrival track number
Ticket fare
Travel duration
Number of train transfers
Total travel distance
You can also personalise your filters by opting out of Nozomi and Mizuho trains—the two trains that are not covered under JR pass; a handy feature that you will be thankful for after knowing Japan has more than a dozen train operators throughout the country.
Other than providing information about train services, Hyperdia offers car rental services, recommends hotels to book, and even nearby restaurants to visit.
Hyperdia by Voice app comes with an additional feature where you can speak to the phone for your search queries, like “Tokyo Station to Kyoto Station, first train”.
And yes, you can customise the search to include the trains that are covered under JR Pass with this.
One word—convenient!
However, this app version with voice software is only available to iPhone users (sorry Android users).
You will also need an internet connection to use Hyperdia, so make sure to get a local sim card or pocket Wi-Fi router to fully utilise the useful features that this Japan transportation app offers.
Download here: iOS | Android | Website
Price: Free & Paid Subscription
Japan Navitime
Japan Navitime is one of the best apps for travel to Japan for navigating around this culturally rich country.
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This useful transportation app offers detailed and comprehensive information about the country’s transportation system, map, train routes, and so much more.
Some of the searches that you can do using Japan Navitime are:
Navigation between two places in Japan
List of all public transportation modes (trains, taxis, ferries, and planes)
Free Wi-Fi spots
Train delays
Efficient route for JR pass holders
Recent saved routes to view offline
Besides, Japan Navitime also comes with travel guides and itineraries that you can refer to when you are in Japan.
Or you can create your travel plan by using the app itself.
It is worth noting that most Japan Navitime features require an internet connection to work so it is best to get a local sim card with data or a portable Wi-Fi router before your Japan touchdown.
Download here: iOS | Android
Price: Free & Paid Subscription
Tokyo Subway Navigation
As the app name suggests, the Tokyo Subway Navigation app shows the intensive subway map in Tokyo without the need to use an internet connection.
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You can search for the shortest route between the two stations or landmarks, ticket fare, and the travel duration.
If you are not sure of the station name, fret not—you can just key in the landmark and the app will show the nearest exit to get to the place.
Besides, this travel app also shows the subway stations offering free Wi-Fi connection to passengers.
Tokyo Subway Navigation app is exceptionally helpful particularly to international travellers, where the sight of Tokyo subway networks might be slightly overwhelming to first-time visitors.
It is worth remembering that JR Lines are not included in this app.
Download here: iOS | Android
Price: Free
Looking for unmissable things to do in Tokyo? Check out my detailed 4 Days Tokyo Itinerary to learn more!
Jorudan
Jorudan is a helpful transportation planning app that allows you to search for the train schedule and fare, including the reserved and non-reserved seats.
Besides, this app for Japan travel shows the travel duration between stations, vehicle numbers, platforms, and the shortest route to the input destination.
The one thing that I like about Jorudan is that you can also filter out the routes that are not covered by the JR pass.
Did I mention that Jorudan also shows the weather in the departure and destination areas? That is just so cool!
Download here: iOS | Android
Price: Free & Paid Subscription
Ecbo Cloak
Have you ever felt like ditching your luggage in a safe place to explore the city one more time before heading to the airport to bid farewell to the visiting country?
I feel it most of the time—especially when I need to check out of the hotel in the morning and I have a night flight out of the country on the last vacation day.
If you are also feeling that way, then you will have to download Ecbo Cloak into your mobile phone when you are in Japan!
Ecbo Cloak is an app that shows you the nearby luggage storage places.
You can also use the app to reserve a spot for your luggage and make payment online using a credit card—seamlessly convenient.
Generally, the storage is charged per day.
For most locations, you will be charged US$3 (300 yen) for small bags (45 cm long and under) and U$6 (600 yen) for larger bags.
If you plan to rent a storage space in a train station, the fee will be US$8 (800 yen) regardless of the luggage size.
Download here: iOS | Android
Price: Free
Takkun
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The next best app for Japan travel that you need to consider is Takkun.
Takkun is a popular online taxi app where you can order a taxi in Tokyo effortlessly.
To book a taxi using Takkun, you will have to input your location and name. You will be given a radio number (not the vehicle plate number) of the assigned taxi upon successful order.
Note: The radio number can be seen on the taxi’s windows and doors.
Once you are in the taxi, you flash the Takkun app to the driver and show the destination address that you are going to.
As for the taxi fare, you can pay it by cash or card.
Download here: iOS | Android
Price: Free
BEST APPS FOR TRAVEL IN JAPAN: LANGUAGE
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Imiwa
If you are looking for an offline multilingual Japanese dictionary that is similar to Google Translate, Imiwa is your best bet.
You can find the meaning of the words in English, Spanish, Russian, French, German—making it among the best apps for travel in Japan that you should not miss downloading.
Apart from that, Imiwa also offers sample sentences based on the search entry and teaches you the word pronunciation in Japanese.
So if you are looking forward to interacting with the locals using some simple Japanese words, you can definitely learn them using Imiwa.
However, this language app for Japan travel is only available for iOS users.
Download here: iOS
Price: Free
best apps for living in japan
Taking a trip to or within Japan any time soon? Are you looking for an app or two to help with navigating around Japan, assisting with language barriers, identifying touristy ideas, or just making life a little easier while you’re here? In this article you can find great apps for that.
Using Your Phone in Japan
If you are traveling to Japan, make sure you check with your phone service provider before you leave to make sure you understand the costs that may be associated with using your smartphone while in Japan. Depending on your service and plan type, using your phone may be quite expensive so be aware before you use any of these apps while traveling here.
Buying a SIM card in Japan
If you would like to purchase a Japanese SIM card for your mobile phone, there are several retailers which offer English support. Please refer to the link here about Japanese SIM cards and read #8 to see the list of the retailers.
Apps for Traveling in Japan
Japan Travel by NAVITIME
Japan Travel by NAVITIME is for iOS and for Android. This app will help you travel around Japan. The futures: Explore (Travel guides/articles), Route Search, Map – offline Spot Search, Plan. You can also go to the website to surf around. This is a must app for traveling in Japan.
Japan Travel Guide by Triposso
Japan Travel Guide by Triposo is for iOS and Android, it offers great offline travel guide resources as well as a detailed offline map that allows you to find your way when traveling through Japan. It also allows for booking hotel rooms directly within the app, though please note that you need to be connected to the Internet, either over WiFi or cellular data connection.
DiGJAPAN! – Traveler’s Guide
DiGJAPAN! is the other option for a free app and a great resource for iOS and Android both users, it provides offline maps and travel guides for people traveling in Japan. You can download it free at iTunes and get Sightseeing Information, Navigation function, Wi-Fi Hotspot Search, Basic Travel Information, and more. Offline functionality of the app will free you from scurrying to find internet connection.
Japan Transit Planner
If you need help getting around using public transportation in Japan, Japan Transit Planner is a great resource, this app is available for iOS and for Android. It provides searchable train routes and station timetables.
GuruNavi – Finding Restaurants in Japan
GuruNavi is the ultimate restaurant finder for Japan. The app in English is available for iOS and for Android both. You can also visit their website. It’s easy to search for restaurants based on your present location or any number of criteria, including cuisine type, price, reviews.
The Best App for Learning Japanese?
For Japanese dictionaries and learning Japanese language apps from beginners to advanced levels, we collected great apps for you. Please refer to the page below.
Conclusion
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