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Home » Asia

The Best Travel Apps for Japan

Created On: January 6, 2016  |  Updated: March 29, 2025  |   15 Comments

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links from which we may make commission from. As always, we only recommend places and products we love! In addition, we try our best to keep our articles up-to-date with current prices, locations, and hours of operation however we always recommend double-checking when planning a trip as these items can change frequently.

Table of Contents show
1 The Best Travel Apps for Japan to Download Right Now!
2 Google Maps
3 Welcome Suica or Suica
4 Smart-Ex
5 TripAdvisor
6 Gurunavi
7 Google Translate
8 Imiwa
9 Klook
10 GO Taxi or DiDi
11 NHK News
12 LINE

The Best Travel Apps for Japan to Download Right Now!

With today’s technology, international travel has never been easier! When traveling to a destination that you’ve never visited before, having a few travel apps can decrease stress and increase productivity. After countless trips to Japan, these are a few of the best Japan travel apps that we’ve found most useful!


Google Maps

If you’re only going to download ONE of these travel apps for Japan, let it be Google Maps. It’s by far the app that we’ve used the most while in Japan. Google Maps allows you to be very efficient in how you travel from place to place, regardless of your method. I love how this app allows you to change your method of travel (walking, driving, public transit, etc.) and gives you both a map and turn-by-turn instructions.

Another great feature of Google Maps is its ability to calculate your fare on public transit (i.e. trains, subways, streetcars, etc.) so you’re able to purchase the correct ticket or more efficiently tap in on your IC card and don’t have to worry about correcting your balance at your destination.

The last thing we love about Google Maps is that we were able to save all of the places we wanted to visit by flagging or favoriting locations. You can also find many other neat things in the area by clicking on different places and seeing photos/reviews.

READ MORE: Important Things to Know Before Traveling to Japan


Welcome Suica or Suica

Suice IC card for Japan (penguin logo on the side)
Physical Suica IC Card

Okay, wait, I was wrong. In addition to Google Maps, you’ll also want to download either the Welcome Suica or regular Suica app. First of all, Suica is one of Japan’s IC cards used for transportation, such as trains and buses. But you can also use it to pay for items at convenience stores (konbini), vending machines, coin lockers, and even some restaurants and shops. Welcome Suica was recently introduced as an app for tourists and is in English. The validity of the digital card is 28 days. The regular Suica app is in Japanese however, you can add the card to your Apple Wallet or Google Wallet by adding it as a transit card.


Smart-Ex

Hands holding train tickets fanned out.

On the Smart-Ex app, you can book shinkansen tickets and reserve seats. You can also link them to your Suica card by putting in your Suica Card number to make it easier to use when traveling by shinkansen! Make sure you sign up before you travel to Japan so you have an account ready to go when making reservations. You also get some discounts when booking your tickets in advance on the app or website!


TripAdvisor

We have used TripAdvisor many times when researching and planning our trips. While it is good to reference printed literature when planning your trip, TripAdvisor is amazing because information about attractions, hotels, and restaurants is typically updated frequently, and it is free to use!

TripAdvisor utilizes reviews and information given by travelers and professional sources to give you information about the best locations to visit, stay, and eat to get the most out of your trip. You can also create lists to save everything in one place.

One of the best aspects of TripAdvisor is its map and current location searches that allow you to search areas of interest near you. It was especially helpful on the evenings when we had changed our itinerary and needed a quick place to eat nearby.

While it is nice to visit “hot spots” in each city, we also enjoy trying new locations that haven’t been reviewed and sharing these new places with other adventurous travelers.


Gurunavi

Yakiniku at Kotora in Sendai, Japan. From the front left to right: Cucumber kimchi, cabbage kimchi, and a plate of thinly sliced beef. Centered is a small, round grill plate with steam rising off of it.

We found this delicious yakiniku restaurant in Sendai, thanks to Gurunavi.

Gurunavi is the Yelp of Japan except it focuses on restaurants that are local favorites, versus the feedback of tourists (like TripAdvisor is in Japan). You can search by location or special features and find detailed information about the restaurant you choose to look at, including hours, address, how to get to the restaurant, real-time information, menus, and photos, and even make online reservations when available. The app is available in Japanese, but if you go on the website, you can translate it easily to English!

READ MORE: Things to Know About Driving in Japan


Google Translate

Google has developed some great apps that allow people to travel and communicate like never before! If you aren’t familiar with it, Google Translate is an amazing app that allows you to translate simultaneously between two different languages. Hands down, this is one of the most useful travel apps for Japan.

The basic function is to type in the desired phrase or word, and the app generates the corresponding text in the desired language. However, this app goes above and beyond with its extensive interface. An example is using the microphone to seamlessly translate spoken words into text and verbal replies.  

Another feature of this app, which is still a work in progress, is the written translation. You can take a picture of text (i.e. a menu or attraction pamphlet) and have it translated into your desired language. It isn’t always 100% accurate, but it is getting better and better.


Imiwa

As we’ve said before, Google Translate is an awesome app that works well MOST of the time, but there are times when it doesn’t translate correctly or it just doesn’t cut it. That’s where Imiwa comes in. Imiwa is a Japanese dictionary of words or phrases that you can look up, or you can type our kanji characters to help figure out what a word is in Japanese if Google Translate is not translating correctly.

READ MORE: A Complete Packing List For Japan


Klook

If you are planning to book tickets in advance to certain attractions in Japan, Klook is a great option to streamline ticket purchases. Once you have an account set up you can simply show your mobile voucher/ticket. You also get discounts with the more bookings you make on Klook which makes it a cost-effective way to visit attractions in Japan too!


GO Taxi or DiDi

Where Uber is not available, GO Taxi, or DiDi will most likely be the best alternative! It’s a program available only in Japan where you can call a taxi, make a future reservation for a taxi, find out your fare, and pay for it instantly by connecting your card. However, it’s important to note that some taxis still only accept cash, so make sure you have some on hand before calling a taxi!


NHK News

NHK News is the largest news broadcaster in Japan. Downloading their app will alert you to local news near you (you might even find a cool event!), but it’s also a great app for your safety. NHK News offers live updates on natural disasters like earthquakes, typhoons, or more. It is also available in several languages!


LINE

In the United States, we use WhatsApp or GroupMe but in Japan, Line is the popular messenger. The reason we love LINE is that we can communicate with family and friends in Japan but it also can be a money-saving app too! Many stores and restaurants in Japan have QR codes that you can scan and sign-up for coupons or discounts to their store on LINE. But, hey, if you make a few friends while in Japan, you could ask for their LINE information too!


We consider these to be the best Japan travel apps for planning and enjoying your trip to Japan! Whether it be to get around, search for something to do, or aid in communicating, we highly recommend all of these travel apps for Japan to help make your trip easier and stress-free!

posted in: Asia, Japan

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    Comments & Reviews

  1. nomadicfoot says

    November 6, 2016

    This kind of tips always help a lot for first time traveler and this what a travel blogger must share with their followers. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • loganpage says

      November 7, 2016

      Thanks nomadicfoot! I hope they were able to help you plan your next trip in someway. That is, if you aren’t already using them!

      Reply
  2. Cora says

    November 7, 2016

    I might have to purchase the linguistic app. I struggle sometimes with ttranslations. Thx for tips

    Reply
    • loganpage says

      November 7, 2016

      No problem Cora! Be sure to check out Google Translate as well since that is a free app! Now that they have the photo text feature it’s extremely handy.

      Reply
  3. Ana says

    November 7, 2016

    My dream is to visit Japan one day.
    This article only made me start planning realistically when I can actually make that trip.
    It was super informative and showed all the pros and cons to each app.
    Now im much more confident about my choice of app when I visit.

    Hope you visit me and Israel some day too,
    Then Ill show you cool apps to use here
    Ana
    ourholytestament.com

    Reply
    • loganpage says

      November 7, 2016

      Ana, I hope you’re able to make it too! It’s a fascinating and unique country. If you need any trip planning advice be sure to let us know. We’d love to visit Israel, is that where you’re from? Kallsy’s sister and my brother both visited a few years ago during a time of tension but they still talk about the remarkable experiences they had there. Maybe when we come you can be our guide!

      Reply
  4. Colleen says

    November 7, 2016

    Maps.ME is seriously my favorite app ever. It’s gotten me through some stressful “lost” situations in the US and abroad. Thanks for sharing these! I’d love to go to Japan in 2017 so I’ll bookmark this post for later! Thanks Logan and Kallsy!

    Reply
    • loganpage says

      November 7, 2016

      Glad to know it’s just as useful in other countries too! We hadn’t heard about it until we went to Japan. I’m jealous that you’re going so soon! We’ll be there again in 2018. Thank you Colleen!

      Reply
  5. Hang Around The World says

    November 7, 2016

    We have never been to Japan so far but it’s on our travel list. We have some of these apps and they helped us several times. Now we have to download the others 🙂

    Reply
    • loganpage says

      November 7, 2016

      I hope you’re able to make it to there soon. Glad to hear that some of these apps are already useful to you! 🙂

      Reply
  6. Mr Mike says

    November 7, 2016

    Google translate and google maps are LIFESAVERS! Thanks for sharing these. My favorite app is Google Maps because you can download the maps offline!

    Reply
    • loganpage says

      November 9, 2016

      Agreed Mr. Mike! Google has a plethora of amazing resources!

      Reply
  7. jezzikafos13 says

    November 10, 2016

    Do you get an international SIM card when you travel? I would be afraid of hidden fees etc when using apps that depend on data or even wifi. When I got back from Thailand, I had accumulated over $400 in fees by using third party apps even while on wifi with data turned off. Otherwise, this is a good guide, as long as people are smart about it! 🙂

    Reply
    • loganpage says

      November 18, 2016

      We usually rent a portable wifi device that gives us access to plenty of data or unlimited. We thankfully didn’t have any “hidden fees” on our cell phone bills when we came back! $400 though, that’s a serious buzz kill! Sorry that happened to you! What were you using for wifi?

      Reply

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