Install These MUST-HAVE Japan Travel Apps, Thank Me Later!

After years of traveling Japan we've compiled  the best apps that you should install for your   trip. GO Taxi. This app is our go-to solution for  hassle-free transportation. GO is like Uber except   it's cheaper and it dominates in Japan. Also no  tipping is required. Uber doesn't really exist   in Japan because the government makes it really  hard for ride sharing companies to operate but no   problem there are a few taxi apps in Japan and the  best is GO. When using the go app you are hiring   a taxi. It works just like other ride sharing  apps it's easy to set up use and pay by credit   card. But note the app may not let you complete  the full registration until you're actually in   Japan. So keep that in mind. One of the benefits  of the GO App is once the driver accepts the job   you won't need to explain to the driver where  you're going. This is huge because you won't   need to know any Japanese and in Japan addresses  are super complicated. So often the taxi drivers   won't know the location of where you want to go  even if you show them Google Maps they may not   trust it. So again with the app it makes it really  easy. With GO when the driver shows up they're   going to ask you for a confirmation number so if  they start speaking to you in Japanese they're   probably asking for that, so just show them that  number on the app and you'll be all set. So far   every driver we've had has been excellent and  there's a good chance your driver will speak a   little bit of English. But why use a taxi when  public transportation in Japan is so good? Let   me give you a couple of examples. Recently we  were in the tiny town of Niseko, Hokkaido and   when we got off at Niseko station with a few  other tourists there was no taxi or any other   type of Transportation around. So luckily we had  the GO app almost instantly a driver accepted the   job and we were off to our hotel. Another example  is we were heading to Tokyo station. If you're not   familiar with Tokyo Station it is a huge crazy  busy place and if you're going to be taking the   shinkansen to places like Kyoto or Osaka chances  are you're going to be using Tokyo Station. In   our case we didn't want to use the local trains  to get to Tokyo station because we had a lot of   luggage. So to make our lives easier we just use  the GO app our driver showed up quickly to our   hotel and it was a smooth stress-free Free ride.  Can't beat that. Digital IC Card. An IC card in   Japan is an easy way to pay for transportation on  trains, buses, subways simply by tapping your card   on the reader. With an IC card you don't need to  waste time trying to figure out the cost of a trip   or having to worry about paying by cash and just  simply top it up at machines when you're running   low. If you have an iPhone 8 or higher then you  can get a digital IC card. If you have an Android,   sorry but currently only Android phones  purchased in Japan are capable of having a   digital IC card hopefully that'll change soon  to install the app click on the Wallet App,   then Transit and under Japan you'll see SUICA,  Pasmo or ICOCA card. Based on our experience   all of these cards work equally well across Japan  and this is whether you have the digital IC card   or the physical IC card. The digital IC card is a  great option because the physical IC cards are in   short supply. In early March of 2024 I went to  the ticketing office at Tokyo Station and they   told me that the regular cards were out of supply  and did not know when they would be back in stock.   So again this is a good reason to get a digital IC  card if you have an iPhone. Another benefit of the   digital IC card is that they are easy to top up  you can pay directly from your Apple Wallet. We   recommend using the Apple Card since topping up  is not considered a cash advance. If you're not   using an Apple Card then please check with your  credit card to be sure that you won't be charged   any additional fees. You can also charge a  Digital IC card with cash at the charging   stations at the train stations and even at some  convenience in stores like 7-Eleven. The digital   IC card also shows your balance and a list of all  your transactions so you'll always know how much   money you have left on your card and where have  you spent it. But don't worry if you cannot get a   digital IC card. You can still get a welcome SUICA  or a Pasmo passport at the airport when you arrive   in Tokyo. If you are arriving in Osaka you can  get an ICOCA Card which happens to be the card   that I use most frequently. Again all of these  cards work really well throughout Japan. Japan   Train Card Balance. If you don't have a digital IC  card then having the train balance app is great to   have. This is a simple app that's available for  both iPhone and Android and all you got to do is   scan your card and it will show you your balance  as well as a list of all your transactions. This   is great so you know your balance and you won't  show up to the gate without any money on it. And   you can also store multiple cards on this device.  NHK World. Receive Japanese government emergency   alerts including J-alerts in English. I highly  recommend this app because NHK is the only public   broadcaster in Japan and having these alerts  can protect you in an emergency just make sure   you have the notifications turned on. Here's how  you do that. Click on the icon in the top left.   Select notification settings, under earthquake  the default is five lower and above. I recommend   leaving this setting this will notify you of  any significant earthquake that has happened   in Japan. To give you a sense of the scale,  the large earthquake that happened in Ishikawa   prefecture on the 1st of January 2024 measured a  7.6 on the Richter scale and on the Japan scale   under earthquake was a 7 intensity. So again five  lower and above is a good choice. Leave tsunami   warning on. Under Breaking News you will receive  a mixture of news not necessarily emergency so if   you don't want this on you can turn it off. Google  Maps. You probably already have this installed. It   is the best navigation system for using in Japan  especially if you're riding trains. It's easy,   intuitive, and usually correct. Google translate.  Download the Japanese language pack so you will   have translations available even when you're  offline, and use Google Lens to translate   restaurant menus, know ingredients lists, and  how to use an AC control. Currency converter.   A currency converter will help you accurately  calculate and understand the value of an item   in Yen compared to your home currency. On iPhone I  use the My Currency Converter app and on Android I   use the XE Currency Converter app. They're both  really good. Japan Travel. If you're going to   purchase a pass such as the Whole Japan Rail Pass  or some other Regional Pass then the Japan Travel   app by Navitime is a good choice. It will help you  determine which routes are included with your pass   so you don't make a mistake. Enter your starting  and ending location and under tourist choose your   pass. It will show you whether or not a route is  included with your pass. ECBO Cloak. If you need   to store your luggage from 1 to up to 30 days  then ECBO Cloak app is a great choice. It will   help you find a storage location near you and with  the app you can pay by credit card. If you want   to learn more about storage options in Japan we  have a whole series about traveling in Japan with   luggage. Link will be in the description below.  Klook. Our favorite way to purchase attraction   tickets and keep them all organized in one  place. And they also sell train tickets such as   shinkansen bullet trains. With these apps you'll  have less to worry about and have more time to   enjoy your trip. But none of these apps are going  to do you any good unless you have an internet   connection. I've tested a bunch of internet  plans in Japan over the years so next watch   our video on the best pocket Wi-Fi or the best  eSIMs .t Thanks! We'll see you in the next one!

Channel: Kensho Quest

Views: 156,269

Keywords: japan travel apps, best apps for japan, best transportation apps, best taxi app japan, must have apps for japan, japan travel, japan trip, travel japan, japan travel guide

Id: tszILBo0vr0

Length: 6min 53sec (413 seconds)

Published: Sun Mar 24 2024