Hi y’all! I’m an incoming JET and curious to know everyone’s favorite apps to use during your time in Japan. Anything like train ticket booking/schedule, food ordering/finding, Japanese learning/translation, etc!
I mean I guess this is a given but I use Google earth to check my surroundings and see what point of interests there are. I found a really cool shrine near my place in Hiroshima that way!
Another app that comes in clutch ever now and again is Google translate(I know it has it’s issues) but I find taking a picture of texts and choosing what sections I want translated convenient as heck!
I use an app called HelloTalk to practice my Japanese with Japanese people wanting to learn English. It’s a language exchange app and I’ve found it really fun and have even forged some friendships here and there.
* Google Maps: excellent for the trains and busses, gives you all the information you could possibly need down to the exit and train cars you should be using. There are many other apps for navigating the public transport that I tried, but I always just went back to Google Maps due to ease of use * Google Translate: not only good for typing in words, but the live translate camera is awesome for signs, photo translate is good for documents, kanji can be written and translated, live speech translation good for bars, etc. etc. etc. * LINE: everyone uses this app for communication, it is best to setup your account asap * HelloTalk: it can be used for everything from basic language practice to a pseudo dating app. I know more than a couple people who met their partners on it. Just don’t expect most people to be there for dating and be respectful. * [japan-guide.com](https://japan-guide.com): not a app, but a fantastic website I almost always had open on my phone when travelling. It has many of the most popular things to see in any prefecture or town, some food to try, and quick side trips you could do. It’s a great tool for thinking of trip plans on a high level before you start getting into specifics. * AllTrails: good for finding some hiking spots and some basic details on trails. Not as fleshed out as it is in the US, but still more useful than Google Maps for this specific thing. * Instagram: if you don’t have one yet, make it soon and fill it with some pictures of home. It is very popular in Japan and one of the first things people would ask me for along with LINE. * Japanese Study Apps: there are a few out there with dedicated forums debating the best. Try a few and stick with the one you like most. * Audio Journal of some kind: you will see and hear a lot of things you want to remember, it is much easier to take quick audio notes than trying to write/type them down. This is especially useful for Japanese phrases and locations IMO.
If you actually want to learn Japanese I suggest using a dictionary app instead of google translate when you can, since it’ll give you a more comprehensive list of the different meanings of a word you look up. Beside from that, If you want more accurate translations, I recommend using DeepL, instead of google translate. Google translation can be useful though, particularly with Google Lens, since it lets you scan and translate the text on signs/papers, which means you don’t need to find a bunch of kanji to put into the translation app yourself.
Jmty : it’s the Japanese Craigslist essentially.
FamilyMart app.
Ponta/Rakuten/Docomo card apps. Get those points for free money.
PayPay.
If you search for the international association for your prefecture/city/etc, you can find free or cheap Japanese language classes. As with most things, ESID, but I find that studying in person is much better than using a language app.
PayPay! Contactless bank cards haven’t quite caught on here, and you can link PayPay to your bank account directly and pay with a QR code. I get paid into my JP Bank account which doesn’t have an easy to apply for debit card, and I’m not keen on getting a credit card so having a way to pay without having to withdraw cash all the time is pretty clutch. There are a million ways to pay for things in Japan (you can see the amount of logos on every till) but PayPay seems to be one of the most ubiquitous, and you can earn points by using it too.
The DiDi or GO app might be useful if you live in a place that isn’t too inaka. Lets you order a taxi to your current location. More expensive than just getting a cab normally but it can come in handy sometimes.
Tabelog is an app a lot of Japanese people I know use to find good restaurants. I still usually use google maps though since its in Japanese.
Tabelog is an app a lot of Japanese people I know use to find good restaurants. I still usually use google maps though since it’s in Japanese.
Tabelog is an app a lot of Japanese people I know use to find good restaurants. I still usually use google maps though since it’s in Japanese.
Your local JR app,
Wise,
d払い
Coke ON is a good app if you get a lot of things out of vending machines. You can collect stamps and then get free drink tickets.
NordVPN
For keeping in touch with family I suggest WhatsApp! It’s easy to use for your older family members as well!
Also, PayPay is great! A lot of places even in my inaka town accept it!
LINE + another app to make sure you can video call friends/family with just data (Discord, Whatsapp, Messenger, whatever), your ward/city’s app if they have one, your area’s IC card app (and load your IC card on your phone), point card apps, Tabelog, a good VPN…
No one’s mentioned it as far as I can tell, but an app for earthquake information. There are a few NERV is quite popular as it will give you the weather or Yurekuru Call (which is my preferred earthquake app) or NHK world which will give you the news as well as any severe weather warnings/earthquake/flood info in English.
Points apps can be a bit of a faff, but I downloaded the T-point app as it works with Maruetsu supermarket and Family Mart, both of which I live close to.
Find the point app that’s used at your local supermarket and use that.
I saved enough points over the past year to treat myself to a nice new pair of trainers for my birthday! I might make that an annual thing.
Navitime and PayPay
If you are looking for a straight Japanes to English and vice versa translation app, the one I always use as it is renowned for its accuracy (especially with Japanese) is Papago. It is not only good from translating signs, information etc, but also for whole pages of text. You can either translate in live time, by taking a picture, or by speech and typing in text (much like Google Translate but WAY more accurate). The cool thing is if you take a picture of Japanese/English text with the app, if you hold your finger on the screen the text will translate back to its original language and then you just take your finger off the screen for it to go back, so you can go back and forth to see which parts of the text translate to what. You can also translate the text on photos, pictures, or screenshots, saved on your phone as well which makes it useful.
Wise was really useful for me! I can send money to my home country from Japan and vice versa for like 500 yen, compared to the 7,000 my bank would want to charge me. It’s pretty fast and convenient.
demaecan is pretty good too! it delivers to my area where ubereats doesn’t!
I would recommend suica too, you can get the app and add it to your phone’s wallet to pay for trains/buses and at some stores like convenience stores.
Yurekuru Call for earthquake/tsunami information
NHK World for emergency info and new updates in English
-NERV or PREP for earthquake/severe weather alerts -駅すぱあと(Ekispert) for train trip planning -Midori (paid) for dictionary/translating -CarlifeSquare If there’s a cosmos gas station around and you drive. You can save ¥3/l when you fill up. -ヤマト輸送(Yamatoyusou) for tracking your Amazon orders. You can link your account and get tracking easily. -iKnow (subscription) for studying Japanese. Lots of vocabulary that you can customize so you don’t waste your time doing stuff you already know like wanikani does.
If you want to travel using the shinkansen, use the SmartX app. It lets you link your IC card to a shinkansen ticket so you don’t have to buy one at the machines or in person at the ticket office. Helpful when transfering from local lines too because you can just tap on and off. I use it a lot and it saves me time!
18 comments
I mean I guess this is a given but I use Google earth to check my surroundings and see what point of interests there are. I found a really cool shrine near my place in Hiroshima that way!
Another app that comes in clutch ever now and again is Google translate(I know it has it’s issues) but I find taking a picture of texts and choosing what sections I want translated convenient as heck!
I use an app called HelloTalk to practice my Japanese with Japanese people wanting to learn English. It’s a language exchange app and I’ve found it really fun and have even forged some friendships here and there.
* Google Maps: excellent for the trains and busses, gives you all the information you could possibly need down to the exit and train cars you should be using. There are many other apps for navigating the public transport that I tried, but I always just went back to Google Maps due to ease of use
* Google Translate: not only good for typing in words, but the live translate camera is awesome for signs, photo translate is good for documents, kanji can be written and translated, live speech translation good for bars, etc. etc. etc.
* LINE: everyone uses this app for communication, it is best to setup your account asap
* HelloTalk: it can be used for everything from basic language practice to a pseudo dating app. I know more than a couple people who met their partners on it. Just don’t expect most people to be there for dating and be respectful.
* [japan-guide.com](https://japan-guide.com): not a app, but a fantastic website I almost always had open on my phone when travelling. It has many of the most popular things to see in any prefecture or town, some food to try, and quick side trips you could do. It’s a great tool for thinking of trip plans on a high level before you start getting into specifics.
* AllTrails: good for finding some hiking spots and some basic details on trails. Not as fleshed out as it is in the US, but still more useful than Google Maps for this specific thing.
* Instagram: if you don’t have one yet, make it soon and fill it with some pictures of home. It is very popular in Japan and one of the first things people would ask me for along with LINE.
* Japanese Study Apps: there are a few out there with dedicated forums debating the best. Try a few and stick with the one you like most.
* Audio Journal of some kind: you will see and hear a lot of things you want to remember, it is much easier to take quick audio notes than trying to write/type them down. This is especially useful for Japanese phrases and locations IMO.
If you actually want to learn Japanese I suggest using a dictionary app instead of google translate when you can, since it’ll give you a more comprehensive list of the different meanings of a word you look up. Beside from that, If you want more accurate translations, I recommend using DeepL, instead of google translate. Google translation can be useful though, particularly with Google Lens, since it lets you scan and translate the text on signs/papers, which means you don’t need to find a bunch of kanji to put into the translation app yourself.
Jmty : it’s the Japanese Craigslist essentially.
FamilyMart app.
Ponta/Rakuten/Docomo card apps. Get those points for free money.
PayPay.
If you search for the international association for your prefecture/city/etc, you can find free or cheap Japanese language classes. As with most things, ESID, but I find that studying in person is much better than using a language app.
PayPay! Contactless bank cards haven’t quite caught on here, and you can link PayPay to your bank account directly and pay with a QR code. I get paid into my JP Bank account which doesn’t have an easy to apply for debit card, and I’m not keen on getting a credit card so having a way to pay without having to withdraw cash all the time is pretty clutch. There are a million ways to pay for things in Japan (you can see the amount of logos on every till) but PayPay seems to be one of the most ubiquitous, and you can earn points by using it too.
The DiDi or GO app might be useful if you live in a place that isn’t too inaka. Lets you order a taxi to your current location. More expensive than just getting a cab normally but it can come in handy sometimes.
Tabelog is an app a lot of Japanese people I know use to find good restaurants. I still usually use google maps though since its in Japanese.
Tabelog is an app a lot of Japanese people I know use to find good restaurants. I still usually use google maps though since it’s in Japanese.
Tabelog is an app a lot of Japanese people I know use to find good restaurants. I still usually use google maps though since it’s in Japanese.
Your local JR app,
Wise,
d払い
Coke ON is a good app if you get a lot of things out of vending machines. You can collect stamps and then get free drink tickets.
NordVPN
For keeping in touch with family I suggest WhatsApp! It’s easy to use for your older family members as well!
Also, PayPay is great! A lot of places even in my inaka town accept it!
LINE + another app to make sure you can video call friends/family with just data (Discord, Whatsapp, Messenger, whatever), your ward/city’s app if they have one, your area’s IC card app (and load your IC card on your phone), point card apps, Tabelog, a good VPN…
No one’s mentioned it as far as I can tell, but an app for earthquake information. There are a few NERV is quite popular as it will give you the weather or Yurekuru Call (which is my preferred earthquake app) or NHK world which will give you the news as well as any severe weather warnings/earthquake/flood info in English.
Points apps can be a bit of a faff, but I downloaded the T-point app as it works with Maruetsu supermarket and Family Mart, both of which I live close to.
Find the point app that’s used at your local supermarket and use that.
I saved enough points over the past year to treat myself to a nice new pair of trainers for my birthday! I might make that an annual thing.
Navitime and PayPay
If you are looking for a straight Japanes to English and vice versa translation app, the one I always use as it is renowned for its accuracy (especially with Japanese) is Papago. It is not only good from translating signs, information etc, but also for whole pages of text. You can either translate in live time, by taking a picture, or by speech and typing in text (much like Google Translate but WAY more accurate). The cool thing is if you take a picture of Japanese/English text with the app, if you hold your finger on the screen the text will translate back to its original language and then you just take your finger off the screen for it to go back, so you can go back and forth to see which parts of the text translate to what. You can also translate the text on photos, pictures, or screenshots, saved on your phone as well which makes it useful.
Wise was really useful for me! I can send money to my home country from Japan and vice versa for like 500 yen, compared to the 7,000 my bank would want to charge me. It’s pretty fast and convenient.
demaecan is pretty good too! it delivers to my area where ubereats doesn’t!
I would recommend suica too, you can get the app and add it to your phone’s wallet to pay for trains/buses and at some stores like convenience stores.
Yurekuru Call for earthquake/tsunami information
NHK World for emergency info and new updates in English
-NERV or PREP for earthquake/severe weather alerts
-駅すぱあと(Ekispert) for train trip planning
-Midori (paid) for dictionary/translating
-CarlifeSquare If there’s a cosmos gas station around and you drive. You can save ¥3/l when you fill up.
-ヤマト輸送(Yamatoyusou) for tracking your Amazon orders. You can link your account and get tracking easily.
-iKnow (subscription) for studying Japanese. Lots of vocabulary that you can customize so you don’t waste your time doing stuff you already know like wanikani does.
If you want to travel using the shinkansen, use the SmartX app. It lets you link your IC card to a shinkansen ticket so you don’t have to buy one at the machines or in person at the ticket office. Helpful when transfering from local lines too because you can just tap on and off. I use it a lot and it saves me time!