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05 · Before you travel
Essential Apps for Japan
Get connectivity sorted first — nothing else works without it.
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Sort connectivity first. An eSIM gets you online the moment you land — nothing else works without it. Install it before you fly; it activates on arrival.
📶 5.1 · eSIM
Before buying, check your phone supports eSIM and is carrier-unlocked. Install before your trip and choose your plan — it activates in Japan.
| Feature | Airalo | Ubigi | Holafly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Budget & casual browsing | Frequent travelers & families | Heavy users who want unlimited |
| Data type | Tiered (1/5/20 GB) | Tiered, monthly & some unlimited | Unlimited plans |
| Hotspot / tethering | Yes | Yes | Limited or not allowed on most plans |
| Duration | Fixed (7/15/30 days) | Flexible — top up anytime, no Wi-Fi needed | Fixed (1–90 days) |
TILU Tip
Which one? Light user (maps & messaging) → Airalo. Frequent traveler/family who wants flexibility → Ubigi. Streaming / heavy use / want unlimited → Holafly (check hotspot limits first). Need a Japanese phone number for reservations or calls? Mobal offers physical SIMs and eSIMs, free worldwide delivery, and reliable SoftBank coverage.
🗺 5.2 · Navigation & Trains
| App | Best for | Key details |
|---|---|---|
| Google Maps | Everyday walking, local transit & finding places | Download offline maps before you go |
| Japan Travel by Navitime | Longer-distance, multi-train trip planning | Shows JR Pass-eligible routes, exact platforms & costs |
🚉 5.3 · IC Transit Cards (Suica / Pasmo) — your most-used tool
Prepaid tap-and-go cards for trains, buses, vending machines and convenience stores nationwide — no buying a ticket each ride.
| Your phone | What to do |
|---|---|
| iPhone | Add Suica or Pasmo directly to Apple Wallet — free, no physical card needed. Top up with your linked card or Apple Pay. Easiest option. |
| Android | Mobile support varies by model and often doesn't work on non-Japanese devices. Safer to buy a physical card on arrival. |
Buying a physical card: available at station counters and vending machines · ¥500 deposit (refunded when you return it) · cash only at vending machines · children's cards need ID (counter only).
TILU Tip
If a foreign card gets declined topping up: Android phones bought outside Japan generally can't use Mobile Suica (a hardware restriction), and foreign-card top-ups sometimes fail. A multi-currency travel card (Wise, Revolut) is a useful backup — and worth setting up anyway for everyday spending. How to buy & use Suica · How to use Pasmo.
💳 5.4 · Other ways to pay
| Method | Best for | Acceptance | Setup | Offline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suica / Pasmo | Trains, vending, convenience stores | Very high (urban) | Easy (iOS) / Hard (Android) | Yes |
| PayPay | Small shops, local restaurants, markets | Highest overall | Medium (phone setup) | No |
| Apple / Google Wallet (credit) | Hotels, department stores, major chains | High (global standard) | Easy | Yes |
TILU Tip
Set up one payment method before you arrive — but always keep a card or cash as backup, and bring your home credit card (some apps need it for setup). At ATMs/terminals, if asked to pay in your home currency or yen, always choose yen — the home-currency option ("Dynamic Currency Conversion") bakes in a poor rate.
🚕 5.5 · Ride-hailing & taxi
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Every app here dispatches licensed professional taxis only — private ride-share isn't legal in Japan, so prices feel like normal taxi fares.
| App | Best for | Key details |
|---|---|---|
| GO | Your primary choice by far | Works with foreign phone numbers & cards, no Japanese SIM needed |
| DiDi | Solid backup, strong in Osaka & Kyoto | Often runs promotional discounts |
| Uber | Works, but limited | A taxi-dispatch app here, not private-driver |
| S.RIDE | Fast dispatch in Tokyo | Needs a Japanese App Store/Play account — more a resident's app |
💱 5.6 · Money transfer & currency
| App | Best for | Key details |
|---|---|---|
| Wise | Everyday transfers & spending | Real exchange rate, low fees |
| Revolut | ATM withdrawals abroad | 0% foreign fee on many plans, but a 1% weekend markup — convert on weekdays; note ATM fees |
🗣 5.7 · Translation & language
| Feature | Papago | Google Translate | DeepL | Kuli Kuli |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Politeness & nuance | Signs & offline use | Long text & emails | Restaurant menus |
| Camera translation | Good (scan & crop) | Best (instant AR) | Limited | Best (dense menus) |
| Offline mode | Yes | Yes (robust) | No | No |
| Pricing | Free | Free | Free / Paid Pro | Free / Paid Pro |
🍜 5.8 · Food & dining
| App | Best for | Key details |
|---|---|---|
| Tabelog | Finding restaurants like a local | Highly-rated local gems (3.8+ is genuinely excellent) |
| HappyCow | Vegetarian / vegan travelers | Reliably solves plant-based dining |
| Uber Eats | Meal delivery | Fast food & convenience |
| TableCheck | Premium reservations | High-end sushi & fine dining |
🧰 Other useful apps
Safety & emergency: Safety Tips (JNTO official) — real-time earthquake, tsunami and typhoon alerts in English; download before arrival. NERV — fast, trusted disaster-prevention alerts.
Everyday convenience:
- MyMizu — free water-refill points
- Payke — scan a barcode for English product info
- Ecbo Cloak — book luggage storage in cafés/shops
- Flush — find nearby public toilets