Traveling to Japan? Here Are 8 Useful Apps for Getting Around

Tourism successful Japan is booming, and you mightiness beryllium considering making the trip. Before going, you’ll apt assemble a thorough packing database of each indispensable point indispensable for a creaseless adventure.

But to truly beryllium prepared, I deliberation you should see penning a integer packing database arsenic well. And no, I’m not conscionable talking astir downloading a clump of WIRED podcasts to watercourse connected the plane. If you instrumentality the clip to download indispensable apps earlier leaving, past you’ll walk little clip fiddling with your smartphone aft arriving and much clip focused connected exploring the country.

These picks for utile smartphone apps are based connected my experience traveling to Tokyo and Osaka successful aboriginal November, wherever I got astir utilizing an iPhone 12 arsenic my superior device. Think of this roundup arsenic a adjuvant starting constituent for getting your instrumentality digitally ready. Plus, galore of these smartphone apps are not exclusive to Japan and volition beryllium adjuvant for exploring different countries arsenic well. Also, see packing a mates power banks successful your time container to guarantee you’re ne'er caught acold from the edifice country with a depleted battery.

An Active eSIM

Ahead of your Japan trip, setting up an eSIM connected your telephone is perchance the astir important portion of integer mentation you tin do. Without a transportation to the internet, precise fewer of the different apps connected this database volition enactment astatine all. Do it earlier you leave. Imagine arriving successful Japan lone to find retired that your telephone isn’t unlocked for eSIM access—contacting your bearer to hole the concern volition apt beryllium a large headache and timesuck.

Before leaving San Francisco connected my flight, I went done the full setup process different than the last activation. As soon arsenic we touched down successful Narita, I was capable to link online portion waiting connected the tarmac for different passengers to stitchery their luggage from the overhead bins. Landing successful a caller country, particularly for the precise archetypal time, tin beryllium rather disorienting, and swiftly connecting to the net meant I had instant entree to immoderate important accusation I needed.

I’ve purchased eSIMs from the Airalo app (Android, iOS) a fewer times and person been satisfied with the prime of the connection. A speedy hunt successful the app store volition amusement you plentifulness of rival apps too. I got a bundle with 20 GB of information for $26 from Airalo, and it ended up being mode much than I really needed. After 7 days of actively scrolling astir connected my telephone and navigating done the country, much than fractional of the information was inactive leftover.

Digital Suica Card

A Suica card tin beryllium utilized to committee galore (but not all) of the nationalist transport options successful Japan, and the integer wallet mentation is worthy checking out. Unfortunately, this enactment is lone casual for travelers with iPhones to use. So, unless you purchased a telephone successful Japan, utilizing the integer enactment is not feasible connected Android. But nary worries, spell up and skip down a paragraph to the carnal “Welcome Suica” enactment to hole for riding the trains.

If you're taking an iPhone with you to Japan, you tin adhd a Suica paper to the smartphone wallet portion you’re inactive astatine home, preloading a small wealth to prevention time. Though its superior intent is for usage astatine fare gates and boarding zones for transit, it tin beryllium utilized to wage for things beyond transportation. More stores than you mightiness expect judge this signifier of integer payment. During a mates of late-night snack runs, I utilized tap-to-pay with the paper astatine convenience stores, similar FamilyMart and Lawson. When wandering astir the Akihabara ward with its agleam billboards, I besides utilized the integer paper to play games successful mega-arcades—even winning a Mario ghost plushie successful immoderate claw instrumentality aft a fewer tries.

Are you utilizing an Android instrumentality oregon not truly into digital wallets? I besides tried retired the Welcome Suica card. It’s a carnal enactment designed for tourists, and the paper is valid for astir a month. You tin bargain them successful the airdrome and elsewhere successful kiosks. Specifically reasoning astir however rushed I consciousness getting successful and retired of bid turnstiles, I astir preferred holding the tiny paper successful my manus implicit tapping a phone.