13 Japan Travel Apps Worth Downloading Before Your Trip
Which ones earn a spot on your phone, and which ones you can skip.
Which Apps Actually Belong on Your Phone in Japan?
A visitor lands at Haneda with a fully charged phone and a working eSIM, and the real test starts almost immediately: which train, which platform, which exit, and whether the restaurant three blocks away actually takes a reservation. None of that gets easier because the phone works. It gets easier because the right handful of apps are already installed.
A small collection of apps solves nearly all of it. Downloading a dozen more doesn't help, it just means scrolling past apps you'll open once and forget. Below is what's actually worth the phone space before you fly, organized by the problem each one solves, with a straight answer on what to skip.
What apps should I download before going to Japan? Install Google Maps and a translation app before you land, since both work from the airport onward. Add GO for taxis and either Smart EX or Welcome Suica Mobile for trains and IC card use. Consider Wise if your own card adds foreign transaction fees. Skip Eki-Net, it no longer works for overseas visitors.
See What to Skip →Download Before You Fly
The fast answer, before the full breakdown below
| Need | App | Download Before Japan? |
|---|---|---|
| Navigation | Google Maps | Yes |
| Translation | Google Translate | Yes |
| Trains & tickets | Smart EX | Yes, if riding Tokaido/Sanyo/Kyushu Shinkansen |
| IC card / transit | Welcome Suica Mobile | Recommended for iPhone users |
| Taxis | GO | Recommended |
| Money | Wise | Optional |
| Food | Tabelog | Optional |
| Emergencies | NERV Disaster Prevention | Recommended |
| Connectivity | Your eSIM of choice | Yes |
Translation
Google Translate for speed, DeepL for a second opinion
Google Translate does most of the work: point the camera at a menu or a sign and the translation overlays in real time, no photo, no wait. Download the Japanese language pack before you fly and text and camera translation both keep working without a data connection, useful on a train or anywhere your eSIM's coverage thins out.
DeepL is worth having as a second opinion, not a replacement. Its translations often read more naturally on longer passages, a dense multi-course menu or a handwritten note from a ryokan, but its camera feature captures a photo first and translates it afterward. It doesn't overlay text live the way Google's does, despite what a few older guides imply.
Google Translate
Download before you leave
- Live camera overlay translates signs and menus in real time
- Downloadable offline Japanese language pack for text and camera use without data
- Conversation mode works online on any phone; a separate offline Live Translate mode currently only works on Pixel 9/10/11 hardware
DeepL
Useful for certain trips
- Often reads more naturally than Google Translate on longer text, useful for a dense menu or an apology letter from a shrine
- Its camera feature captures a photo first and translates afterward, it does not overlay text live the way Google's does
- A second opinion, not a replacement for Google Translate's camera mode
Trains & Tickets
Route planning and ticket booking are two different jobs, don't confuse them
Google Maps and NAVITIME tell you which train to take. A completely different set of apps handles actually buying a reserved seat, and this is where most guides get tangled. Smart EX covers the Tokaido, Sanyo, and Kyushu Shinkansen, the corridor most first-time visitors ride between Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and Kyushu, and it's genuinely built for overseas visitors: no Japanese phone number, and it accepts most foreign cards. When a foreign card gets declined, it's usually a 3D Secure mismatch with the issuing bank, not a real payment problem. The Shinkansen booking guide compares Smart EX with the other official reservation systems.
For JR East routes, the equivalent is JR-EAST Train Reservation, not Eki-Net. Eki-Net is JR East's domestic booking platform, and a 2026 policy change restricted it to Japan residents only. Plenty of older articles still point tourists toward Eki-Net; that advice no longer works. And if you're traveling on a JR Pass, none of these booking apps apply to you at all: seat reservations for pass holders still have to happen in person at a staffed ticket counter (Midori-no-madoguchi), the same as before any of these apps existed.
Welcome Suica Mobile solves a different problem: getting an IC card onto your phone. It issues a virtual Suica straight into Apple Wallet on a compatible iPhone or Apple Watch, no deposit, no ticket machine line. There's no Android version yet, so Android users are still better off buying a physical Suica or Pasmo on arrival. The IC Cards in Japan guide explains which card to choose and where it works.
| App | Covers | Tourists? |
|---|---|---|
| Smart EX | Tokaido / Sanyo / Kyushu Shinkansen | Yes |
| Eki-Net | JR East domestic booking | No, residents only since a 2026 policy update |
| JR-EAST Train Reservation | JR East, JR Hokkaido, Hokuriku Shinkansen | Yes |
| Welcome Suica Mobile | Virtual Suica IC card | Yes, iPhone and Apple Watch only |
A note on Apple Wallet vs. Google Wallet for Suica
The iPhone path is straightforward: Welcome Suica Mobile or standard Apple Wallet both add Suica, PASMO, or ICOCA in a few taps. Android is a different story. Adding Suica to Google Wallet depends on FeliCa hardware, which most Android phones sold outside Japan simply don't have. That's not a settings problem you can fix, it's the phone itself. If you're traveling with a non-Japan-market Android phone, plan on a physical IC card instead.
Taxis
GO first, Uber only within its current footprint
You'll want a taxi app the first time you're standing in the rain with luggage, or trying to get back to a hotel after the last train. GO is the one to install: full English interface, and coverage across all 47 prefectures rather than a handful of major cities. Card acceptance is broader on paper than it is in practice, some travelers report foreign Visa or Mastercard declines despite GO's official support for both, and Apple Pay inside the app currently only works with JCB and Amex.
Uber works in Japan, just not the way it does at home. Japanese law doesn't allow the private-driver model, so Uber's app matches you with a licensed taxi through partner companies instead, taxi-metered pricing, professional drivers. Its coverage is materially narrower than GO's and largely concentrated around Tokyo at the moment, with a broader rollout expected there through a partnership with Tokyo Motor Group. Worth having if your trip is Tokyo-heavy, less useful once you head elsewhere.
GO
Download before you leave
- Full English interface, available across all 47 prefectures and 40-plus cities
- Card acceptance is broader on paper than in practice, some overseas Visa and Mastercard users report failures despite official support
- Apple Pay in-app currently only works with JCB and Amex
Uber
Useful for certain trips
- Matches you with a licensed taxi rather than a private driver, Japanese law doesn't allow the private-driver model most travelers know from home
- Coverage is materially narrower than GO, largely Tokyo-centric partnerships as of this writing, with a wider Tokyo rollout expected through a Tokyo Motor Group partnership
- Worth having installed if you're Tokyo-based, less useful once you leave the city
Money
Wise is a financial product with an app attached, not the other way around
Wise isn't really a travel app in the same sense as the others on this list, it's a multi-currency account and card, and the app is how you manage it: checking your balance, converting money to yen, freezing the card. It is worth considering if your usual card adds a foreign transaction fee. Wise has its own fees, a conversion fee when it converts money and an ATM fee once you pass a free monthly allowance, and both depend on the country your card is issued in.
Set it up before you fly. Cards issued in the US can only be activated in the US, and a physical card needs delivery time. Our guide to using Wise in Japan covers fees, ATMs and setup in detail.
Food & Restaurants
Tabelog for quality, Google Maps for logistics, TableCheck for booking
Tabelog and Google Maps solve different problems, and using only one leaves a gap. Google Maps is better for hours, location, and getting there. Tabelog is better for whether a place is actually good, because its scoring reflects local Japanese dining standards, not tourist sentiment. A 3.5 on Tabelog is roughly comparable to a 4.5 on Google, and a suspiciously high Google rating in a touristy neighborhood can sometimes be the tell that a restaurant is coasting on foot traffic rather than food. A rough rule that holds up well: a Tabelog score above 3.5 with 50 or more reviews is a safe bet.
For actually booking a table somewhere nicer, TableCheck fills a real gap. Thousands of restaurants, including higher-end and Michelin-starred venues, are bookable directly in English, no phone call required, which matters because many of Tokyo and Kyoto's best restaurants have historically been phone-reservation-only.
Weather & Emergencies
This category is about safety, not convenience
The Japan Meteorological Agency doesn't publish an English-language app, despite what a few "download the official JMA app" recommendations imply. Its English forecasts and warnings live on its website, worth bookmarking rather than searching for an app that doesn't exist.
For actual alerts, two apps do the job well and cover different needs. NERV Disaster Prevention connects directly to JMA's data feed and delivers earthquake, tsunami, and severe weather alerts in English about as fast as anything available, including estimated seismic intensity and P-wave/S-wave timing for earthquakes. Safety tips, published by Japan's Tourism Agency, is built specifically for visitors: evacuation flowcharts and Japanese phrases for asking for help during a disaster, in 15 languages. Installing both costs nothing and covers the gap the other one leaves.
None of the above works without a data connection. If you haven't sorted out an eSIM or SIM plan yet, our SIM cards & eSIM guide covers the options and how to set one up before you fly.
Japan Travel Apps You Probably Don't Need
Saving phone space, not criticizing the products
Eki-Net, if you're a tourist
Since 2026, Eki-Net is restricted to Japan residents. Use JR-EAST Train Reservation instead for JR East routes.
A dedicated eSIM provider app
Most eSIMs activate by scanning a QR code through your phone's built-in settings. A provider's own app is a convenience for managing data top-ups, not a requirement to get connected.
"The official JMA app"
It doesn't exist. The Japan Meteorological Agency's English-language service is a website, not an app. Bookmark it, and get your alerts from NERV or Safety tips instead.
Visit Japan Web, as an app
It's a website that issues a QR code for immigration and customs, not something you download. Using it is genuinely convenient, but there's nothing to install, and paper arrival forms still work fine if you skip it.
- •Eki-Net stopped working for overseas visitors under a 2026 JR East policy change, use JR-EAST Train Reservation instead
- •Google Wallet can't add Suica on most Android phones sold outside Japan, since it depends on FeliCa hardware most of them lack
- •DeepL's camera feature captures a photo and translates it afterward, it doesn't overlay translated text live like Google Translate's does
- •None of the shinkansen booking apps work for JR Pass holders, reservations still require a staffed ticket counter
- •Welcome Suica Mobile gives iPhone users an instant virtual Suica with no deposit and no ticket machine line
- •GO covers far more of the country than Uber, which remains largely Tokyo-centric
Before You Fly Checklist
- Install Google Maps and a translation app, and download the offline Japanese pack in Google Translate
- Create a Smart EX account if you'll ride the Tokaido, Sanyo, or Kyushu Shinkansen
- Set up Welcome Suica Mobile in Apple Wallet if you have a compatible iPhone; otherwise plan to buy a physical Suica or Pasmo on arrival
- Install GO and add a card, even if you don't expect to need a taxi
- Order a Wise card early if your regular card adds foreign transaction fees
- Install NERV Disaster Prevention and Safety tips for English-language alerts
- Confirm your eSIM or SIM plan is active and ready before you land
Common Questions About Japan Travel Apps
Other Planning Topics
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