Apps to Download Before Your Japan Trip: Maps, Trains, Translation, Taxis, Disaster Alerts and IC Cards, and Which Ones Need a Japanese Number

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A few apps make a first trip to Japan much easier: one to find the right train, one to read a menu, one to call a taxi when you're tired, and one that warns you about earthquakes in your own language. The catch is that some of them need a code sent to your phone by text message, and one popular payment app is for residents of Japan only. This guide lists the apps worth installing, says honestly what each one needs, and shows what to set up at home on Wi-Fi.

Everything here is checked against the official pages of the organizations and companies behind each app (October 2026). App features change, so check the store listing before you rely on one.

First: data and your phone number

Most of these apps need the internet. Jorudan's App Store listing says Japan Transit Planner needs a connection, and NICT says the same for VoiceTra. Sort out data before anything else; our guide to eSIM or pocket Wi-Fi compares the options.

The second thing is your phone number. GO, the taxi app, sends a code by text message (SMS) when you sign up, and its support page says devices with data-only SIM cards can't receive SMS. Many travel eSIMs are data-only, so the simplest plan is to install and register at home, while your usual SIM is still in your phone.

Maps and train directions

Google Maps is the map most visitors already have. One limit matters in Japan: Google's help page says that when you're offline, transit, bicycling and walking directions are unavailable. A downloaded offline map still helps you see where you are, but for "which train, which platform" you need data.

Japan Transit Planner by Jorudan is, in its App Store listing's words, the multilingual version of "Norikae Annai", which the listing calls the most downloaded route-search app in Japan. You enter two stations and it shows routes, transfers, fares and travel times. It can switch between IC card and ticket fares, and search routes with the Japan Rail Pass in mind. It's free to download in English and 12 other languages, and the listing says a paid plan is needed to use all features.

Before your first ride, read trains and buses in Japan, and for long trips, the Japan Rail Pass and Shinkansen tickets.

Translation

Google Translate lets you download languages so you can translate without an internet connection, and Google suggests doing it on Wi-Fi. Download Japanese before you fly. After that, you may also be able to translate a menu or sign with the camera; our guide to eating out with a translation app shows how.

VoiceTra is a speech translation app built on technology from Japan's National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT). NICT says it translates between 33 languages and is free to download; it needs the internet, and data charges are yours.

Taxis: GO

A taxi app helps at night, in the rain, or when you can't say your hotel's address in Japanese. GO describes itself as the most widely used taxi app in Japan, available in all 47 prefectures, and its website has English, Korean and Chinese pages. Its English page says international credit cards and Apple Pay are accepted.

• To register, you enter a mobile number that can receive SMS, including the country code, then a 4-digit code.
• If the text doesn't arrive, GO's support page offers another route: register with a verified email address, then take photos of your passport and yourself.
• The app shows the car's number, so you can find your taxi and pay in the app at the end of the ride.

Earthquakes, tsunamis and storms: Safety tips and NHK WORLD-JAPAN

Japan has earthquakes and typhoons. Safety tips, on JNTO's site, pushes alerts about earthquake early warnings, tsunami warnings and other weather warnings in Japan, in 15 languages including English, Korean and Traditional Chinese. It also has an evacuation flowchart and helpful phrases for asking people nearby. JNTO's page on staying safe also lists the NHK WORLD-JAPAN app and website for news after a big disaster.

Save one number with the apps: the Japan Visitor Hotline, 050-3816-2787 (from a non-Japanese phone: +81-50-3816-2787), open 24 hours in English, Chinese, Korean and Japanese for illness, disasters and other emergencies. For what to do in the moment, see what to do in an earthquake and traveling in typhoon season.

IC cards on your phone

An IC card (a tap-to-ride travel card) saves you buying a ticket for every train and bus. On an iPhone, JR East's free Welcome Suica Mobile app issues a Suica on the phone with a "secret keyword", no membership needed. Top-ups go through the credit card in Apple Pay, the balance expires 180 days after issue, and the App Store listing says refunds aren't available, so spend what's left before you fly home. It's for iPhone only. You can also add a Suica to Apple Wallet; see Suica on iPhone.

On Android, the simplest choice is a physical card: JNTO says special IC cards for visitors, such as Welcome Suica and TOURIST PASMO, are available without a deposit. See cash, cards or IC card.

PayPay: honest answer

You'll see the PayPay code at many shop counters. PayPay's own terms say its service is for residents of Japan and non-residents can't use it, so it isn't an app to install for a trip. What you may be able to use is your home wallet: PayPay said on June 29, 2026 that shops accepting PayPay now take 35 overseas payment services from 17 countries and regions, including Kakao Pay, NAVER Pay and Toss (South Korea), JKO PAY and other wallets (Taiwan), and AlipayHK and Octopus (Hong Kong). Check in your own app whether it works in Japan, and carry a card and some cash too.

Most of these apps need data in Japan. One option is Airalo's Japan eSIM (affiliate link); its page says you can install it in advance and connect when you arrive. Check first that your phone supports eSIM and is unlocked. You'll buy directly on the partner site.

Set these up tonight on your home Wi-Fi, and the trip itself starts with fewer questions. For the rest of the list, from medicines to chargers, see the Japan trip checklist.

Last reviewed: October 23, 2026. App features, languages and rules change. Please check each app's official page and store listing before you travel.