Every app you need before boarding that plane. Pre-download, pre-configure, and arrive ready to conquer Tokyo's night.
Download these apps before departure. Weak hotel Wi-Fi at midnight is not the time to discover you're missing an essential tool. Get offline maps, register accounts, and enable camera translation now.
Best overall navigation for English speakers. Real-time transit info, English names for stations and restaurants. Download offline maps of central Tokyo before landing.
Improved significantly for Japan coverage as of 2025. Good transit integration with English support. Native on iOS, seamless with Apple ecosystem.
Japan's #1 transit app. Hyperdetailed rail info, minute-by-minute schedules, platform numbers. Covers every train line including midnight express trains.
Locals' favorite for train timing. Faster, more intuitive than Navitime for most users. Excellent for finding the fastest route between neighborhoods at odd hours.
Contactless IC card in Apple Wallet or Google Pay. Works on all trains, buses, and konbini vending machines. Single tap: instant transit payment.
Japan's #1 restaurant review site. Ratings are trustworthy (3.5+ is excellent). Photos from real customers show actual portions and ambiance at any hour.
English reviews prevalent. See recent visit timestamps. Integration with Maps means you can navigate directly to kitchen. Filtering by rating works well.
Good for reservations. English version decent. Coupons and deals baked in. Best for izakaya and nicer restaurants where advance booking helps.
Aggressive coupon deals. "¥500 off if you book via app" is common. Huge restaurant database. Good for yakiniku and izakaya specifically.
Restaurant reservations in English. Works for nicer establishments. Fewer venues than Gurunavi but excellent for English-speaking reservations.
Japan's WhatsApp. Everyone uses it. Texting, calling, video, groups. Most efficient way to coordinate with travelers and local friends. Stickers culture is real.
Camera mode translates real-time. Point at menu, sign, or poster—instant English. Offline Japanese language pack mandatory. Voice translation works too.
Superior translation quality for longer text. Better nuance than Google for Japanese→English. No camera mode but text input is natural and contextual.
Naver's translation app. Good for casual conversation translation. Less formal than DeepL. Voice mode functional. Growing in Tokyo usage.
Japan's most popular mobile payment. QR code scanning everywhere—restaurants, konbini, vending. Register with credit card at home. Ubiquitous by 2026.
Best exchange rates for currency conversion. Multi-currency account. Debit card works in ATMs. Way better than airport exchange or bank fees.
Delivery to hotel even same-day in central Tokyo. Register with hotel address. Buy chargers, adapters, forgotten items without leaving your room.
Japan's flea market app. Vintage finds, collectibles, used goods. Locals sell constantly. Tangential to travel but great for authentic shopping experience.
Best hotel selection for Tokyo. Free cancellation common. Compare prices across platforms. English interface seamless. Book well in advance for peak season.
Japanese booking with ryokan specialty. Great for onsen hotels outside Tokyo. English version works. Often cheaper than Booking for Japanese-specific properties.
Activities, tours, attraction tickets. teamLab, Robot Restaurant, karaoke packages. Skip-the-line tickets for museums. Works seamlessly in English.
Official government tourist information. Reliable hours, official venue info. Maps of shrines, temples, museums. Less user-friendly but information is canonical.
Points and promotions. Find nearest store. Pre-order food or concert tickets. Loyalty rewards. Major chain presence makes this worth the download.
Manage your Suica card. Check balance, recharge, view history. Seamless wallet integration. Essential for tracking spending and ensuring you don't run out mid-trip.
Auto-connects to free public Wi-Fi networks. Covers convenience stores, stations, cafes. Useful backup when hotel Wi-Fi is spotty. One-time registration.
Government emergency alerts. Earthquake notifications, tsunami warnings, weather alerts. Push notifications in English. No travel to Japan is complete without this.
Download Google Maps offline regions for central Tokyo, Shibuya, and Shinjuku before landing. Weak hotel Wi-Fi and weak phone signals at 3AM mean you'll absolutely need offline data. Every major area stays in your phone permanently.
Google Translate's camera mode translates signs, menus, and text in real-time. Download the Japanese language pack at home. Point your phone at kanji menu items—3 seconds later you know what you're eating. Changes the entire experience.
On Tabelog, 3.5 stars or higher is legitimately excellent. Japanese reviews are honest—they don't inflate ratings. 3.0 means okay, 3.5+ means exceptional. This scale is different from Western review sites.
Create Tabelog, LINE, PayPay, Booking.com, Wise accounts before departure. Most require email verification. Registering at the airport on sketchy Wi-Fi wastes precious travel time. Done correctly at home, every app is instant on arrival.
Use Google Maps + Navitime. Google is for walking/general. Navitime is for precise train connections and timing. They complement each other. Install both. At 2AM trying to catch the last train, Navitime's precision will save you from being stranded.
Add your Suica to Apple Wallet on day 1. Load ¥10,000. This single card works on every train, every bus, every konbini vending machine, many taxis. Tap and go. Never fumble for coins at 3AM.
Always verify late-night hours before going somewhere. Google Maps hours can be outdated. Check Tabelog and Navitime for "24 hours" verification. Nothing worse than arriving at a ramen shop at 4AM only to find they close at 3:30.
Most Japanese people communicate only through LINE. No SMS, no calls. Create account, exchange with locals and travelers. Group chats for coordinating meetups, sharing intel, midnight adventures become exponentially easier.
7-Elevens have 24h ATMs that accept foreign cards. No fees like airport exchange. Get cash at convenience stores instead of exchanging at Narita. Suica + PayPay covers 90% of purchases, but small vendor stalls still need cash.