Japan Transport Apps: The 7 Best Apps to Help You Get Around Japan

Japan's public transport is famously efficient, but working out which train to catch can be surprisingly complicated. Tokyo alone has multiple railway operators, enormous stations and train services that don't always stop at every platform. 

If you're visiting Japan for the first time, Google Maps will probably handle most of your everyday journeys. But there are a few other apps worth knowing about, particularly if you're planning to book Shinkansen tickets, travel with a JR Pass or use taxis. Here's which ones I'd recommend downloading. 

Best Japan Transport Apps at a Glance

You don't need every app on this list. For most visitors, Google Maps handles everyday navigation, while a transport card and a train-booking app cover much of the rest.

Image sourced from Unsplash.

Google Maps: Best Overall Japan Transport App

If there’s just one app that you need for navigating Japan’s transport, you probably already have it installed on your phone: Google Maps. It has accurate train routes, bus services and walking directions all in one place, making it a breeze to see how you can reach your destination. 

Let's say you're staying in Shinjuku and want to visit Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa. Enter the temple into Google Maps, select public transport, and up pop all possible train routes, journey times, transfers you need to make and how far the walk is from the final station to the temple. 

In Japan, Google Maps also does a stellar job of recommending which station exit you should take. It’s very useful; stations like Shinjuku and Tokyo have numerous exits, and choosing the wrong one can leave you on the opposite side of an enormous station complex.

Japan Travel by NAVITIME: Best for Planning Train Journeys

Japan Travel by NAVITIME is one of the most useful alternatives to Google Maps, particularly if you're planning to travel between several Japanese cities. Developed specifically for people visiting Japan, the app combines transport planning with travel information, station searches and itinerary tools. The biggest difference to GOogle Maps is that this app gives you a lot more information and control over train routes. 

Why NAVITIME Is Worth Downloading

The app provides several features that are particularly useful for international visitors:

• JR Pass route searches: Find journeys that prioritise services covered by the Japan Rail Pass.
• Train and bus connections: Plan journeys involving multiple transport operators.
• Rail pass planning: Search for routes that make use of certain regional or city transport passes.
• Travel itineraries: Organise destinations and estimate the time needed to travel between them.
• Nearby facilities: Locate stations, ATMs and Wi-Fi spots, including certain offline searches.

NAVITIME is particularly useful if you're travelling with a Japan Rail Pass. Simply select the pass you're using, and the app will help you find trains and routes covered by it. This saves you having to work out which services are included and which might cost extra.

Trip.com: Best for Booking Japan Train Tickets

Google Maps and NAVITIME can help you work out which train to catch, but you'll still need to purchase a ticket for longer journeys. Trip.com lets you search and book Japanese train tickets, including popular bullet train routes between Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. 

For Australians, one of the advantages is being able to search for train tickets with prices displayed in AUD, rather than working everything out in Japanese yen. You can also use supported international payment methods and keep your train bookings alongside flights and hotels in the same app.

Why Use Trip.com for Japan's Trains?

Trip.com is particularly useful if you're visiting several cities and want to organise your transport bookings before leaving Australia.

You can use it to:

• Search available Shinkansen departures and fares.
• Book eligible Japanese train services.
• Select available seating options.
• Access your train booking details through the Trip.com app.
• Manage train reservations alongside flights, hotels and other travel bookings.

Trip.com also offers selected Japanese bus tickets, including some airport and regional services. However, its coverage doesn't extend to every highway bus route in Japan.

SmartEX: Best Official App for Booking Shinkansen Tickets

SmartEX is an official online reservation service for three of Japan's major high-speed rail lines: the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen. These cover many of the most popular routes like Tokyo to Kyoto, Tokyo to Shin-Osaka, Osaka to Hiroshima and services towards Hakata and Kagoshima-Chuo.

Unlike Google Maps or Jorudan, SmartEX is designed for purchasing tickets rather than simply planning journeys. If you link your Suica or another compatible IC card to a SmartEX reservation, you can tap the card at the Shinkansen gate to access your booked journey.

Trip.com vs SmartEX: Which Is Better?

The biggest difference is which trains you can book. SmartEX only covers the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen lines, including popular journeys between Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Hiroshima.

Trip.com covers a wider range of Japanese rail services, including selected Shinkansen routes outside the SmartEX network, such as Tokyo to Kanazawa, as well as some limited-express and airport trains.

Suica: Best for Paying for Public Transport

Unlike tapping your bank card on public transport in Sydney or Melbourne, you generally can't rely on an Australian Visa or Mastercard to pay directly for Japanese metro trains or local buses. Suica, PASMO and ICOCA are rechargeable transport cards that let you tap on and off trains and buses across much of Japan. They're also accepted at many convenience stores, vending machines and other businesses.

Although they're associated with different regions, these cards are largely interchangeable across Japan's major compatible transport networks. For Australian travellers, the easiest setup depends on which phone you use.

Using Suica on an iPhone

If you have a compatible iPhone, you can add a digital Suica card directly through Apple Wallet.

1. Open Apple Wallet and tap the + symbol.
2. Select Travel Card.
3. Search for Suica.
4. Follow the instructions to create and top up your card.
5. Use your iPhone at compatible ticket gates.

You can also add PASMO or ICOCA. You don't need to download the separate Japanese-language Suica app just to create a standard digital Suica in Apple Wallet.

What About Android Phones?

For Australians using Android, things are a little different. Most Android phones purchased outside Japan don't support the technology needed to use Mobile Suica, even if they have NFC. Unless you know your phone is compatible, a physical Suica, PASMO or ICOCA card is the more reliable option, so you’ll have to pick one up and load it with some money after you arrive. 

Uber and GO Taxi: Best Apps for Taxis in Japan

Japan's trains are excellent, but there are times when a taxi makes more sense. Maybe you've stayed out a little too late at a karaoke bar in Shinjuku, you're dragging several suitcases through Osaka, or your accommodation is nowhere near a train station. Better to just pay a bit more to get to your hotel. 

For Australians, Uber is the easiest place to start, particularly if you already have the app installed. It works exactly the same as it does in Australia, except that in Japan, Uber often connects you with licensed taxis rather than the private drivers you're used to with UberX in Australia. 

GO Taxi and DiDi

Uber isn't your only option for booking taxis in Japan. Two other apps worth knowing about are GO Taxi and DiDi. GO Taxi is Japan's major taxi-booking platform, with an extensive network of licensed taxi operators. It works just like Uber, and is useful to have so you can compare prices and get coverage outside the biggest cities. 

DiDi also operates a taxi-booking service in Japan, although availability varies by location.

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