5 Best Apps for Travel to Japan
Japan is my favorite country to travel. The culture is wonderful, the old temples are pristine and the food is delicious (oishi!). The country is very modern, arguably more so than North America given the vending machines with beer, the trains that are never late and the conveyor belt sushi restaurants. However the language and navigation can be a challenge for travelers. Tokyo alone has over 882 rail & subway stations. So we decided to look for the best apps that travelers can use while in Japan.
We started with food because of course we did, it’s Japan! The food (and Sake) is superb and one of the many highlights of traveling in Japan. Next we looked at the best train apps to navigate, the best apps to find Wi-Fi hotspots, and finally my two favorite apps for really diving into Japanese culture. So here is our ultimate list of the Best Apps for Travel to Japan.
Every traveler ever has gotten excited over the amazing food found in Japan. It’s so different and truly considered an art. At the top of the list is Sushi.
We know sushi but do we really KNOW sushi? Few people know of all the sushi options out there, new recipes are being tested all the time. So Sushipedia is here to help translate all the different sushi plates.
The app includes pictures of each type, the ingredients and allows you to search by raw, cooked, veggies and spicy. Most importantly, the app includes the Japanese word for each sushi in Hiragana so you can find it on the menu in the mom and pop restaurants all around Japan that don’t usually provide menus in English.
Sushipedia is for iOS only, so we have included some similar apps for Android below.
- Price: Free
For Android users, there is the Sushi Dictionary App. The app also features pictures of each type of sushi, the ingredients but goes a step further an includes both the Katagana writing of the sushi and the Kanji (Chinese characters) making it even easier to find them on the menu.
Having a picture is really useful since conveyor belt sushi restaurants in Japan have all the sushi just whzing by your table. But they don’t always provide menu and usually don’t have servers like you’d expect in a restaurant. These restaurants simply have chefs and you pick each plate off a conveyor belt. Tea is self-serve. This app is super useful for picky eaters, just FYI.
- Price: Free
- Alternatives: Japan Food Dictionary
Sakefan World is an iOS only App but android users can simply go on the website here.
All you need to know about sake, sake breweries, sake types, styles, brands and more. Sake everything!
Search by brand or region to find breweries in your area. They even include popular tourist sights and a map with each brewery pinned. I easily consider this an essential app for a thorough experience of Japanese culture.
Check out our experience touring the Gekkeikan Sake Museum in Fushimi outside of Kyoto.
Japan Official Travel App is an all in one super App for tourists. It’s the Official App of the Japan National Tourist Organization which means it’s essentially guaranteed to have accurate info and be ad free.
Of all the apps to download for Japan, this is probably the best. The Ichiban App (No. 1 App). You can use it to find free Wi-Fi, restaurants, shops, ATMs, hospitals and even hotels. There is a section for traveler tips that includes links to discount tickets, useful apps and embassy information.
The best feature is the navigation that works offline and includes both a map of Japan, the subway maps and line by line instructions to reach your destination. You can even filter by Japan Rail Pass routes to fully utilize your JR Pass. It’s the ultimate transportation app for Japan and a great sidekick to the usual Google Maps.
- Price: Free
- Alternatives: Navitime Japan (iOS)
Another great app I liked for transportation is the Rail Map App for Japan. The app allows you to download all the rail line maps for one country (Japan) for free. A second country requires a subscription at $2.49/month.
Not expensive, but honestly the 1 free country is enough for just japan. It includes the rail maps for each region, downloaded individually. It requires an internet connection to load the train times, but not the maps themselves which are super handy to have on hand in a pinch.
The map isn’t as detailed as Google Maps or other Transit Apps but the simplicity is quite nice. Just pick a station and the app will load the four best routes available using the rail network in Japan. Of course, the price is listed for each route for both payment in Cash and the awesome IC cards. I got a Hello Kitty card only available for tourists. You get discounts on the standard fare on JR lines.
- Price: 1st Country Free, then $2.49/month
Travel Japan Wi-Fi is an awesome app for finding Wi-Fi hotspots all over Japan. The app includes over 200,000 hotspots. Easily register with any social media account. The advantage of using this app is that each region’s Wi-Fi map can be downloaded for offline use. Osaka is 80 MB and downloads in a few minutes.
SIM Cards in Japan are a decent price, but given all the apps with offline features and Wi-Fi hotspots all around the main tourist destinations and nearly every 7-eleven, budget travelers can confidently get by without one.
Travel Japan Wi-Fi also includes a great list of tips, articles and a catalog of places of interest nearby.
- Price: Free
- Alternatives: Japan Connected-Wi-Fi
Japan Connected Wi-Fi is the app I used in Japan to connect with local Wi-Fi hotspots. This app includes over 170,000 Wi-Fi hotspots. I like this app because the pins are much easier to see on the map.
The one drawback is that the Wi-Fi maps are divided into smaller areas. So instead of downloading the map for all of Kanto (Tokyo), there are 10 sub regions to download. On the flip side the file size is smaller, Akihabara is only 2.5 MB which saves on storage space.
The app also includes a small inventory of offline travel guides and a list of recommended apps. I would also recommend picking up a Travel VPN to use while on Public Wi-Fi, especially if you need to do some online banking during your trip.
- Price: Free
- Alternatives: Travel Japan Wi-Fi
A trip to Japan isn’t complete without some Karaoke! Singing in Japan is simply the thing to do! The locals love Karaoke and go out in groups to private rooms, it’s not open mike style at a bar so don’t be shy. Walking around Tokyo, you can find a Karaoke bar on almost every corner! Solo travelers and backpackers can easily group up at their hostel and head out for a long night of Karaoke.
In Kyoto, all you can drink Karaoke from midnight to 6:00 am is as low as $20 per person! So getting some practice in before your trip will help you rock those power ballads and duets.
There are many Karaoke (Or KTV) Apps. Most of the big ones require a monthly payment but StarMaker is free with a great selection of songs. You can record your own cover videos and share them on your favorite social media. You can follow people on StarMaker and collab on a song together!
Starmaker has songs from some of my favorite Japanese musicians including Kenshi Yonezu, Yui and Daoko. They also have a popular Karaoke song from Okinawa called ‘Umi no koe‘
- Price: Free
- Alternatives: Karaoke App, Smule
imiwa? is the ultimate Japanese dictionary app. It’s not a translator like Google Translate but more of a traditional dictionary for the characters used in Japanese writing. Unfortunately, it’s only available on iOS devices. You can translate individual words, breaking them down into their respective Japanese characters. I use this app almost everyday, seriously a 10/10 app.
This app is mainly for those going a step further into learning Japanese. It even has a JLPT guide for levels N5 to N1. However it’s not very good for trying to learn the basic phrases and expressions. As a traveler, I always prefer an old fashion phrasebook like the Lonely Planet Japanese Phrasebook. For techies, try the TT Easy Translator, a portable device that includes 52 languages.
- Price: Free
- Alternatives: Midori
For Android users, a similar app to imiwa? is JED Japanese Dictionary. It’s really good for those learning Japanese.
For travelers without a SIM card, download the Japanese language package on Google Translate for offline use. However you’ll need to know how to write in Japanese if you want to translate from Japanese to English as the camera function doesn’t work so well offline.
Those with a good internet connection can try using the camera function on Google Translate or Camera Translator+ for iOS (Google Play).
- Price: Free
- Japanese Translator: Google Translate, Microsoft Translate, Camera Translator, Waygo
- Alternatives: Jisho Japanese Dictionary, Takoboto: Japanese Dictionary
Disclaimer: Japan Rail Pass is an affiliate partner of Tallypack Travel, we make a small commission on your purchase at no extra cost to you.
More Info on Japan
I love Japan, it’s my favorite country to travel, but actually being on the ground visiting the temples, restaurants and museums can be challenging, the culture and language are so different. So here are three useful articles to get you started on your journey to Japan.
