The Essential Smartphone Apps for Your Next Trip to Japan!

Getting Around the Language Barrier

Yomiwa

Yomiwa is one of the best all-purpose Japanese language/translation apps for travelers to utilize. With this app, users can translate written Japanese present in front of them via their camera. Text will be rewritten by the app into not only English but also a medley of other languages such as French, German, Chinese, Arabic, and Bulgarian. This will be especially useful for getting around and also at restaurants! We strongly suggest trying lesser-known restaurants that appeal more to locals that don't have English menus for a more intimate and authentic dining experience! A translation app as such will be ideal for such. 

This is also a great app for Japanese learners, as, when initially opened, the app prompts you as to whether or not you would like the app to be presented in Japanese kana characters or romaji (Japanese written in the English alphabet). It also has an extensive Japanese dictionary to use as well as a kanji-identification tool that allows users to draw kanji to search them up. The app is also usable offline without an internet connection. 

Google Translate

Google Translate has many similar functions to Yomiwa but isn't created specifically for Japanese, so accuracy may not be as reliable. However, Google Translate's accessibility and ease of use make it a popular choice that many visitors to Japan can rely on throughout their time in the country. Also like Yomiwa, the app can be used offline without an internet connection.

For those who know how to write Japanese, there is also a kanji writing input feature that is quite accurate. 

Getting around Japan

Google Maps

Used all around the world as a standard for navigation is, of course, Google Maps. Google Maps in Japan offers detailed information on departure and arrival times, as well as extensive information on different routes, including ones that incorporate transfers and multiple modes of travel, like bus and/or taxi. 

You may see more delays or differences in departure time in more rural parts of Japan, but in general, Google Maps is fairly accurate in this regard. 

Google Maps also provides insight on walking routes, biking routes, taxi commuting times, and even air travel. Additionally, there are commuting fare estimates, which are usually exact with train and bus routes. 

Jorudan

Known as Japan Transit Planner, Jorudan is one of the best alternative applications to download for navigating the train system in Japan.

Jorudan has a web and mobile version—both on Android and Apple iOS—on which you can search train, airline and highway bus schedules in Japan and compare prices. The app is available in 13 languages, including Japanese, French, English, Spanish and German. 

If you are traveling with a Japan Rail Pass, this app is made for you, as the free version includes a JR Pass option and allows results to be limited to trains covered by the JR Pass. 

Jorudan is downloadable on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store and is also available on the web.

• Check out the web version of Jordaun here.  

Navitime & Japan Travel

Navitime functions much like Google Maps but with a focus on travel within Japan. It includes routes for different modes of transportation, other location-based services, and even a feature where you can reserve and purchase tickets for certain transit options.

Also notable with Navitime is their subsidiary app, Japan Travel, which has the option to search routes that are compatible with the Japan Rail Pass. As the pass is a popular option with visitors, using such in conjunction with both Navitime and the Japan Travel application will be optimal. 

With this app, you can save routes and plan your itinerary with spots you've saved yourself in regards to your personal interests. There are also a number of personal recommendations the application offers.

Both applications have a premium, paid version; however, for most travelers, the free-to-use version will suffice. 

Apps for Getting Around Tokyo

If you have a jam-packed schedule visiting all of the exciting places in Tokyo, the Tokyo Metro app is your new best friend. 

Available in English, French, Spanish, German, and Japanese, this app will tell you how to get from point A to point B without following the complicated metro map. 

It can even use your current location to help you find the nearest station!

Flagging down a taxi in a busy, commercial area of a major city is no issue during anytime of the day or night; however, in more quiet or residential areas or the countryside, this may become more of a challenge. 

There are a number of apps available for travelers to call a taxi and also track the location of wandering taxis, but GO, DiDi, and S.Ride are two of the most prominent. These apps function much like applications such as Uber and Lyft out in the West and require an account to use. 

While attaching a credit or debit card is standard, there are also often options to just pay via cash upon being dropped off. 

Other useful apps

ChargeSPOT

With travelers and locals out and about throughout major cities in Japan, portable charging device rental services have greatly increased in number, and the most widely used app is ChargeSPOT. This app, or any other portable battery rental app, is a must-download for your trip to Japan, as it can come in clutch after a long day of exploration where there was no time or opportunity to recharge your phone. 

Rental machines for ChargeSPOT can be found in convenience stores, inside stations, stores, restaurants, and even at many karaoke locations all throughout Japan. Simply connect a credit or debit card to an account after you download the app and scan the QR code on one of the rental machines using the scanner.

Typically, you are charged per hour for the rental, and once you're done, you are able to return the device to any other ChargeSPOT location in the country. 

Uber Eats

Uber Eats has become a staple in Japan, especially in major cities. Uber Eats in Japan functions primarily like it does in any other country, with options for delivery and take-out. Use the app to get delicious, local food delivered if you're having a day or night in to relax, or use it to find interesting restaurants within your area. 

Many restaurants on Uber Eats in Japan are local establishments that are popular with people living within the area, so it can be a great and convenient way to indulge in the local cuisine!

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