This App for Japan Travelers Just Made Trip Planning Easier

Japan’s major cities are easy to get around…in theory. However, they can be hard to navigate for first-time travelers. It gets even harder when you’re planning to travel across the country, which often requires multiple forms of transportation. To solve this, an app from one of Japan’s largest map navigation companies says it’s added advanced trip planning features to make getting around a lot easier.

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Plan your trips with NAVITIME Japan Travel

NAVITIME JAPAN CO, LTD. owns the popular NAVITIME navigation app for iOS and Android. With 1.7 million monthly active users and a 4.4 star rating on the App Store, it’s one of Japan’s most popular ways to plan local travel.

The core NAVITIME app is meant for people living in Japan. However, NAVITIME also offers the Japan Travel app aimed at inbound travelers.

Using NAVITIME, you can perform a route search to find the fastest way to your destination. Even better, the NAVITIME app will show you preferred routes if you’re using a Japan Rail Pass or Tokyo Subway ticket. That’s extremely useful, as not all travelers understand which lines are available for various types of tickets or passes.

Using new AI (Machine Learning) features developed by NAVITIME, you can now use Japan Travel to plan a trip anywhere in Japan. Just input your destination and the number of nights you want to stay. Japan Travel can help you plan a trip between three and ten days.

NAVITIME isn’t owned by a train company. This means it has no issue showing you routes from multiple train line companies and transportation services.

In addition to trip planning features, Japan Travel will show you nearby useful locations. These include ATMs, currency exchanges, as well as car rentals and even 100 yen shops.

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The app also contains travel guides and suggested places to visit throughout Japan. This is similar to the recently unveiled Tokyo Metro app. However, unlike the Tokyo Metro app, NAVITIME couples this with a real-time navigation service. That makes the app a one-stop shop for all your Japan travel planning.

Getting the app, coverage areas, and languages

You can download NAVITIME Japan Travel from its respective app stores: for your device:

NAVITIME Japan Travel App – iOS
NAVITIME Japan Travel App – Android

Currently (September 2024), the Japan Travel app doesn’t cover all of Japan. You can use Japan Travel in Tokyo, Osaka, Aichi Prefecture (Nagoya), Fukuoka, and Hokkaido. In other words, the most popular tourist destinations.

The NAVITIME Japan Travel app is available in five languages: English, Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), Korean, and Thai. This makes it useful for the majority of Japanese tourists, who hail primarily from Korea, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, and the US.

In a press release for the app, NAVITIME says it plans to expand the coverage area and improve the app’s AI features for travel routing. It also plans to expand the number of days you can plan a trip, offer services for repeat travelers to Japan, and provide better insights into charming, “only in Japan” attractions and destinations.

The challenge in getting around Tokyo and Japan

Shinjuku Station — Even locals complain about how hard Shinjuku station is to navigate. (Picture: genki / PIXTA(ピクスタ))

Everyone praises how comprehensive Japan’s public transport is. However, first-time visitors often find themselves confused about how to get around.

One major sticking point is the train lines. Trains are run, not by a single company, but by a network of multiple companies. Many have their own dedicated gates at train stations. That can lead to some awkward and puzzling moments if you buzz yourself into the Tokyo Metro gate when you wanted to ride a JR East train.

The existence of multiple train companies and their organic growth over decades has also made it hard to get around the train stations themselves. Even locals often complain about how difficult it is to navigate Shinjuku and Shibuya Stations in Tokyo.

Other useful Japan travel apps

Japan taxi services — Picture: Fast&Slow / PIXTA(ピクスタ)

All of this makes the NAVITIME app very useful, especially compared to other competing apps that have come out recently.

Google Maps does a good job of providing basic directions. However, it doesn’t always give easy access to some of the features – like recommended travel spots, tourist-oriented services, and general cultural advice – that you might want to see as a tourist. In addition, Japan Travel can guide you to new, unknown (to you!) destinations in a way that Google Maps can’t.

Eager to grab a slice of Japan’s booming tourism market, other companies have announced various apps focused on inbound travelers. Frankly, some aren’t very useful:

The Welcome Suica app supposedly makes it easier to purchase an IC transport card. However, it’s already very easy to add one directly to your phone wallet.
The Tokyo Metro travel app is nice as a tourist guide but doesn’t contain any routing or trip planning features. (That’s because Tokyo Metro only covers a limited area and it doesn’t want to give its competitors any business.)

One of the most useful apps I’ve seen lately is the Go Taxi app. The company recently updated its previously Japan-specific service, enabling people to register with out-of-country phone numbers. The app also helps negotiate ride basics with drivers no matter what language you speak.

Currently, for first-time travelers to Japan, I think the NAVITIME Japan Travel and Go Taxi apps are two of the essential apps you’ll need on your trip. Combined with Google Maps for areas that Japan Travel doesn’t cover (like Izumo or Morioka), these apps will help you make the most of your time in Japan.

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