Recommendations on useful apps for travel in Japan?

[ShaolinX]

Hello guys, thought I'd ask a few of the Japanese based MR posters for their advice/counsel and recommendations on apps that would be of use in Japan, particularly train schedule apps and location based map apps? I'll be travelling later next month to Japan for a little while and it would be good to have some reference handy. I do realize that bringing over a factory unlocked A1428 model (the Canadian, or AT&T version) will limit me and I'll have to cut down a micro-sim from b-mobile or similar source, but I'm alright with that.

Cheers guys, thanks very much for any suggestions ahead of time -- was having trouble finding a good JR app, for instance. 本当にありがとうございます。

 

[sagar4995]

TripAdvisor? for hotels, restaurants, etc... not sure ull get bus routes n all. it was useful when i travelled to Bali. Otherwise, i'd recommend buying a lonely planet book. those series have everything in them! enjoy!

 

[esanker]

Actually there is a problem using b-mobile data sims on iOS6 (http://www.japanmobiletech.com/2012/09/ios-6-issues-with-data-only-sims.html).

Use google maps website. They just announced bus support in Japan (http://www.japanmobiletech.com/2012/09/google-maps-adds-bus-support-in-japan.html).

If you have a Japanese iTunes account and can understand Japanese, you can get Mapfan. It is a fully offline map of Japan. It offers only car and walking directions.

For train schedules, if you are going to stay in Tokyo only get Tokyo Metro or trains.jp. Otherwise, get 乗換案内　app by Jorudan. It is available in Japanese only but their website app http://www.jorudan.co.jp/english/norikae/ is in English.

Hope that helps. Good luck, bro. Have fun

 

[TheAppleFairy]

Actually there is a problem using b-mobile data sims on iOS6 (http://www.japanmobiletech.com/2012/09/ios-6-issues-with-data-only-sims.html).

Use google maps website. They just announced bus support in Japan (http://www.japanmobiletech.com/2012/09/google-maps-adds-bus-support-in-japan.html).

If you have a Japanese iTunes account and can understand Japanese, you can get Mapfan. It is a fully offline map of Japan. It offers only car and walking directions.

For train schedules, if you are going to stay in Tokyo only get Tokyo Metro or trains.jp. Otherwise, get 乗換案内　app by Jorudan. It is available in Japanese only but their website app http://www.jorudan.co.jp/english/norikae/ is in English.

Hope that helps. Good luck, bro. Have fun

I am checking out MapFan now, I used gogo navigator the last time I was driving in Japan a few years ago. I found it hard to find Navigation apps that didn't use data, it worked really good, but you have to enter addresses and POI in Japanese, not a huge deal for me since my wife is Japanese, but I did all the driving.