12 Apps You NEED in Japan (#7 saves your trip)

📖 4 min read

The 12 apps you need for Japan (and how to configure them)

Fatal error: Install apps when arriving without internet. Install them BEFORE flying with home WiFi.

Transportation — The ones that save your day

1. Japan Transit (NAVITIME) The official Japanese transportation app. It tells you exactly which train to take, on which platform, what time it leaves and how much it costs.

• iOS | Android
• Settings: Open the app → Settings → Language → English. Enter your departure and destination station. It shows you the fastest route and the exact price.

2. Google Maps It works perfect in Japan. Trains appear in real time.

• Trick: Save the places you want to visit in "Lists" on Google Maps. That way you don't have to look for them every time.

3. Japan Taxi (GO) The Uber of Japan. Taxis are expensive but useful at night when the train is not running.

• Average price: 1,000-3,000 yen for an urban trip (€7-20)
• Tip: In Japan the driver opens the door automatically. Don't try to open it yourself.

Food — Where to eat cheap and well

4. Tabelog The Japanese TripAdvisor but much better. Locals eat here, not tourists.

• tabelog.com
• Trick: Search for restaurants with a score higher than 3.5. Those of 4+ are exceptional.

5. Gurunavi Another restaurant app. It has a translation in English and filters by type of food.

• Useful for: Finding ramen, sushi, or izakayas near your hotel.

6. Happy Cow For vegetarians and vegans. Japan is difficult for special diets without this app.

Translation — Without this you don't order food

7. Google Translate DOWNLOAD the Japanese offline translation package BEFORE you fly. Without internet it doesn't work.

• How to: Open the app → Download language → Japanese → Download
• Camera trick: Point the camera at the menu and translate in real time. It works impressively well.

8. DeepL Better than Google Translate for complex phrases. It has offline mode.

• Useful for: Understanding hotel contracts, instructions, song lyrics.

Accommodation and reservations

9. Booking.com Reservation with free cancellation. In Japan, 子供 (kodomo = children) hotels have different rules.

• Tip: Japanese hotels are smaller than European ones. A "double" room is literally double: two separate beds.

10. Agoda Sometimes it has better prices than Booking for Japanese hotels.

Money and payments

11. Wise The best card for Japan. Change 0.35%, without commissions. You can have yen in the app and pay as a local.

• Settings: Open Wise → Add currency → JPY → Deposit euros → When paying in Japan, use the yen in your account.

12. Suica/PASMO (Apple Wallet) If you have an iPhone, you can load a virtual Suica into your Apple Wallet. It is used for trains, buses, vending machines and even to pay in convenience stores.

• How to activate it: Apple Wallet → Add card → Transportation → Suica → Charge with Apple Pay
• Minimum: 500 yen (€3.30)

Step-by-step setup: What you need to do TODAY

Step 1: Download apps offline (10 minutes)

1. Open Google Maps → Search Tokyo → Tap “Download”
2. Open Google Translate → Download Japanese package
3. Open DeepL → Activate offline mode

Step 2: Set up your Suica (5 minutes)

1. Open Apple Wallet
2. Tap "+"
3. Select "Transport"
4. Search for "Suica"
5. Load with 2,000 yen (€13)

Step 3: Install NAVITIME (3 minutes)

1. Download the app
2. Set language to English
3. Try searching for a route: Shinjuku → Shibuya (should cost 200 yen / €1.30)

Errors I see over and over again

• ❌ Install apps upon arrival → You don't have internet to download
• ❌ Don't try the apps before you go → They work differently than you expect
• ❌ Rely only on Google Maps → NAVITIME is more accurate for trains
• ❌ Do not configure Suica → You waste time buying tickets at machines

Final checklist

• ☐ Google Maps with Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka downloaded offline
• ☐ Google Translate with Japanese offline
• ☐ NAVITIME installed and tested
• ☐ Suica/PASMO activated in Apple Wallet
• ☐ Wise set with some yen
• ☐ Tabelog installed for restaurants