Japan is one of the most interesting and beautiful countries in the world. It has many unique cultures and traditions, which makes it an ideal destination for people who like to travel.
If you want to visit Japan, but do not know what to expect there, this article will help you. You will find out what are the best apps for traveling to Japan. We will discuss some of them in detail and explain why they are so useful when visiting this country.
Table of Contents
Best Apps For Traveling To Japan
Don’t understand Japanese, but still want to have a trip to Japan? Let me help you with this issue! It is always challenging to travel to a new place, especially if you do not understand the local language. However, don’t let that ruin your trip.
Japan is always one of the amazing destinations in Asia. Not only are there lots of interesting and spectacular places to visit, but Japan is also full of delicious cuisines, such as Sushi and Ramen. To help you plan your perfect trip to Japan, we’ve gathered all 10 useful apps for traveling in Japan. If you have not decided where to visit yet, GoWithGuide offers you private tours. This can give you some itinerary ideas in Japan.
- MAPS.Me
MAPS.Me is an interactive offline map, the function of which is relatively similar to Google Maps but does not require wifi or an internet. It’s very useful, especially when you have no internet connection. On top of that, more than 15 languages are available, such as Arabic, Czech, and German. You should download the map of Japan in advance so that you can use it offline at any time. You can also check your current location when you connect to the internet
The app is free to downland and use. However, if you wish to remove the in-app ads, you can also get the paid version. There are 3 subscription options, which are weekly, monthly, and yearly and each of them charges differently. Thus, please check the information before making your purchase.
Image courtesy of MAPS.ME
Available for: iOS and Android
Price: $39.99 for yearly guides subscription
Click here for more information.
- Planetyze
Planetyze is a great app for helping you find your next destination in Japan. It considerably helps you plan your trip to Japan because it offers you lots of information about tourist attractions around Japan, including must-try food and popular souvenirs that you should not miss. To give you some itinerary ideas, you can also look at Popular Itineraries, providing you sample tours in Japan, such as 1 day in Hiroshima. This really helps you save time when you are planning your trip. In addition to that, it offers you an opportunity to deeply learn about Japanese cultures by having a private tour guide service. Check out the website for further information.
Available for: iOS and Android
Price: Free
Click here for more information.
- Navitime
Navitime is a comprehensive train route operating in English. The app requires an internet connection, but now it features a WIFI spot searcher, which is helpful when you don’t want to pay for or cannot access the internet in Japan.
Image courtesy of appster.de
Available for: iOS and Android
Price: $33 for a yearly subscription.
Note: There are other subscription plans with different price, please check the official website.
Click here for more information.
- Imiwa
Imiwa is an offline Japanese dictionary app operating in many languages, such as English, Spanish, German, Korean and Russian. I highly recommend you get this app on your phone because you can download it for free and the meaning of the phrases and words are very accurate. Not only does it provide you many examples of Japanese sentences, but it also includes how to pronounce the Japanese words. You will definitely enjoy traveling in Japan with this app.
Image courtesy of Imiwa
Available for: iOS
Price: Free
Click here for more information.
Note that for those who are using Android or Blackberry, I recommended using ” Aedict”, a similarly English-Japanese dictionary. It also provides examples of Japanese sentences.
- Yomiwa
Have you ever been confused with Japanese products and questioned “what is this for” ? No worries. With this app, you will be able to understand Japanese signs, announcements, and labels. It is very useful and convenient, as you can simply take a picture of the announcements, let the app scan through all the text, and finally, the app will translate into English. It is very easy! Moreover, you can also search for the meaning of Kanji. Now, you can enjoy shopping without asking the same question!
Image courtesy of Yomiwa App
Available for: iOS and Android
Price: $8.99
Click here for more information.
- Line
If you are looking to make a new Japanese friend, don’t forget to have “Line” on your phone. Each country generally has different communication platforms, such as Whatsapp and Kakao. However, Line is very famous and well-known among the Japanese. Moreover, once you get this app, you can call your family or friends in your country without being charged for the oversea calls. It only requires an internet connection to make a call.
Image courtesy of Google Play
Available for: iOS and Android
Price: Free
Click here for more information.
- GuruNavi
Don’t know what to eat or which restaurant should you go to? GuruNavi can absolutely help you because the app will guide you to the restaurants according to your preferences. Not only does it show you the restaurants around you, but also you can filter some features of the restaurants, such as types of food and prices. Furthermore, it sometimes offers discount coupons and free drinks. Unfortunately, the app is only available in Japanese. It may be inconvenient for those who do not understand Japanese.
Image courtesy of japanmobiletech.com
Available for: iOS and Android
Price: Free
Click here for more information.
- NHK WORLD JAPAN
To catch up with the current news in Japan, NHK World Japan is one of the most reliable and useful apps for Japanese news. It also supports 17 languages, such as Thai, English, French, and Hindi. You can enjoy watching the latest news and other interesting programs and videos, for example, documentaries. Additionally, it features the notification of breaking news and natural disasters, such as earthquakes. Let’s get this app and start your trip to Japan!
Image courtesy of Wikimedia.org
Available for: iOS and Android
Price: Free
Click here for more information.
- Cymera
In Japan, Purikura, photo booths machines, is very popular among young Japanese. By using Purikura, they can enjoy taking pictures with their friends, decorating the photos, and later print them out. The most fun part is decoration since they can adjust the size of their eyes and skin tones, including adding some cute and funny stickers. You too can also enjoy this experience! With Cymera, you will be able to decorate and edit your pictures. There are also lots of features for you to try, such as filters and stickers. I recommended you to both try the actual Purikura machine and the app because you will definitely have a fun time with your friends by using both of them. If you are not sure how to use the Purikura, you can just ask your local tour guide.
Image courtesy of App Store
Available for: iOS and Android
Price: Free
Note that some features require additional charges, please check the further information
- JapanTaxi
Transportation may not always be the most convenient in Tokyo, as the trains do not run 24/7 and sometimes it can be difficult to hail a cab in less popular areas of the city. When public transportation becomes inconvenient or is not possible for you, make sure to try out JapanTaxi, a handy and user-friendly transportation app where you can reserve or call a taxi. JapanTaxi calculates the cost of the ride according to the distance and has several inclusive payment options (ApplePay, Docomo ‘d’ payment, debit or credit cards). The app is supported in English, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese. Be sure to have this app on your phone or take a look at our private car tours.
Image courtesy of Itunes App Store
Available for: iOS and Android
Price: Free
Don’t want to be glued to your phone during your stay in Japan?
Begin your exploration with a private guide or join a private tour group.
Using your phone all the time to navigate during your vacation in Japan can not only drain your energy, but it can also deter you from fully enjoying your stay. With a private guide or private tour group, you can eliminate the hassle and the risk of getting lost in any area. Moreover, you will be able to learn about Japanese traditions and culture because the guides are local and they are willing to share their cultures with you. Thus, I recommend GoWithGuide, a renowned tour marketplace with over 1,000 licensed professional tour guides, that can help you customize your itinerary and ensure that you have a convenient and unforgettable experience in Japan.
If you are interested in planning a hassle-free trip to Japan, check out all the different locations available for private tours on the GoWithGuide website and then feel free to send a message to us and we’ll connect you with the right guide that fits your needs. Let’s begin your trip to Japan now!
Recommended Blogs
Tour Guide in Tokyo: Pros and Cons to Hiring One
Travel to Japan: Alone or With a Group? Pros and Cons
Cherry Blossom 2020 Season in Japan: 5 Best Spots in Tokyo
Shinkansen Tickets, Prices, Speed & Travel Tips
Japan Tour Guide Marketplaces – Finding a Tour Guide in Japan
best apps for living in japan
Ten years ago, nobody had heard of it. Yet, exactly one decade ago this month, the smartphone was launched and changed all that.
Of course, there was Blackberry, Microsoft and Google, but when Apple announced it would enter the lucrative yet high-risk mobile phone market, established players like Nokia smirked. But 10 years later, Nokia is nowhere to be seen while Apple is about to release its eighth generation iPhone.
There’s no doubt these have become tools integral to our lives. And as smartphones become more ubiquitous, so do the applications users can put on them. However, an app’s relevance very much varies from place to place.
So, whether you’re just visiting Japan or a discerning smartphone user who has been here a while, here are five useful apps to make life in Japan run more smoothly.
- Go-to Restaurant Finder: Gurunavi
Google Play / iOS
Gurunavi has existed in one form or another since before even the first iPhone hit Japan. The website and application has built a reputation for itself as the country’s go-to app for restaurant reviews, recommendations and reservations.
Conveniently, it now a dedicated English iOS and Android app. With this, you can search restaurants and bars by genre, price range, location and review score. You can also make reservations directly through the app, as well. With several thousand venues available to search all across Japan, there are options to suit all tastes and budgets.
Bear in mind though, that an English language listing on Gurunavi does not necessarily mean that an English menu or English-speaking staff will be available at the restaurant. But — hey — this is Japan! Stumbling through the Japanese menu, ordering something different from what you expected, is undeniably part of the fun of dinner dates here.
- Be Prepared: NHK News and Disaster Updates
Google Play / iOS
Of course, we all hope that our time in Japan will be hazard free, but the reality is that it’s one of the most seismically unstable countries in the world. Earthquakes, landslides, flash floods and tsunamis are daily — albeit statistically unlikely — threats that we should be prepared for.
For those times when the worst does happen, an app such as NHK News and Disaster Updates is invaluable. It provides real-time updates and news on any tremors or other natural disasters in Japan as they happen. It will also send an alert to your phone in the event of an earthquake warning being issued. This is especially useful if you’re using a cell phone that you purchased outside Japan.
Almost all phones issued by Japanese carriers have a native earthquake warning app, but of course, phones from abroad do not. So this NHK app makes a very worthwhile substitute.
A couple of important notes: This app is dependent on having an active data connection. Remember that in times of disaster, internet access may be compromised. Also, being an NHK app, the news updates will be in Japanese only. However, these updates are typically accompanied by graphs and other visual data that are easy for English speakers to understand, too.
- Getting There: Japan Trains
Google Play
Japan Trains was one of the first Android apps I was introduced to when I came back to Japan in 2013 and got myself a new phone. Like most great apps, its beauty lies in its simplicity and ease of access.
Japan Trains is a comprehensive train schedule checker, with real-time updates, to help you plan your route to perfection. Operating completely in English, you type in your departure station, your destination and either your departure time or intended arrival time. The app will then present you with five or more different options, showing where you need to be and when, which platform you leave from and how much it will cost.
You can also optimize your search by price, speed, local or express train and a host of other specific options. There are some ads on the page, it’s a free app after all, but these are never intrusive and you don’t feel like you’re being spammed. As far as free apps go, for traveling around Japan, this is an excellent first choice.
- When Google Translate Doesn’t Cut it: Imiwa
iOS
One thing there is no shortage of on smart phones these days is language learning apps. However, sometimes we don’t want to dive into a full-on language lesson — sometimes we just need to quickly look up that elusive kanji compound that Google translate just can’t seem to get its head around.
Imiwa is a highly intuitive “one-stop-shop” for all your daily Japanese dictionary and translation needs. Its crisp, clear presentation also makes reading, and hopefully memorizing, the items you have looked up a lot easier.
Not only does the app offer translations and advice on different readings, but it also shows you how to write the characters correctly using the appropriate order, with sample sentences also added to back up understanding and encourage regular usage. One thing to be aware of with this app due to its size is that you need Wi-Fi to download it.
- Making New Friends: Line
Google Play / iOS
“Hey, can I get your phone number?”
Building up the courage to ask this question to a lovely lady or gent used to be the tricky part. But now, when you’re hitting it off, it’s far more likely you’ll go right to: “Hey, are you on Line?”
Line is one of those apps that make you sit up and go: “Oh, that’s so Japanese.” In essence, Line works the same way as WhatsApp, Viber and other free instant messengers, but with the addition of cutesy anime characters, literally thousands of emoji and the ability to integrate mobile gaming and other shared hobbies. You can even create shared photo albums after a great trip or take a poll in a group chat to see which night is best to meet up.
With Line, it’s also very easy to add friends. Simply tapping your phones together or scanning a QR code is all it takes. With hundreds of different sticker packs available, it can make online communication a breeze. That being said, having your date cancel by way of a sad Pikachu animation doesn’t really do anything to soften the blow.
Do you us any of these apps? Are there other platform-specific mobile applications you would recommend readers to make their life in Japan easier? Let us know in the comments below!
Conclusion
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