Are you having second thoughts about going to Japan on your next vacation because you do not know a lick of Japanese? Does imagining yourself asking for directions to the train station or ordering a bowl of ramen at a restaurant using only gestures or the three Japanese words you managed to learn before you left give you anxiety? To have a fun and memorable trip to Japan, it is not necessary to master the Japanese language. Many people who do not know the language from across the world have already been and managed to survive and have a blast.
To make things less stressful and worrying for you before flying out, you can look up what available language translation apps you can download to your smartphone to help you get by while exploring the country. Below are some of the most useful Japanese language tools and apps that can make your trip a bit easier:
Google Translate
Google Translate supports a long list of languages, including Japanese, and offers a variety of functions that are easy to use. It can translate Japanese texts to English (or other languages) and vice versa in different ways:
- You type the characters, words, or phrases into the input field. The translation is then displayed in the output field.
- You take a photo of the Japanese text, and use your finger to select and highlight specific words or sentences in the photo that you want to translate.
- You point your smartphone camera at a Japanese text, and get a live translation of it.
With these features, the Google Translate app is especially useful when ordering at restaurants with menus in Japanese. Even though you can just look at the pictures and plastic food displays to decide whether you want a particular food or not, you can utilize the app to get a good translation and avoid asking for something that you might not really want. It can also help you read signs when you are out on the streets, train stations, temples and shrines, malls and department stores, and other tourist attractions.
Download links: iOs (free) | Android (free)
imiwa?
Imiwa? Is an offline Japanese dictionary that has more than several thousands of Japanese words and foreign language translations in store, available for iOS users. It includes more than 170,000 English translations, over 94,000 German translations, around 15,000 French translations, and at least 7,000 Russian translations.
To look up words, you simply input the romaji, kana, or kanji characters, and then get the translation that you need. It is perfect for tourists who have zero or very little Japanese knowledge. Moreover, because it is accessible even if you are not connected to the web, it allows you to search for words even if you do not have a wi-fi SIM card or if you are in an area with weak or no internet connection.
Download link: iOS (free)
Akebi
Akebi is another Japanese dictionary that boasts of a huge database comprised of over 320,000 sample phrases and sentences, 200,000 words, and more than 6,000 kanji. Once you download it, you can enjoy free and unlimited access to its catalogue wherever and whenever, as it is fully available even without internet access.
Its built-in Japanese keyboard lets you input words or phrases you want to translate right away, so you do not have to tinker with your phone’s keyboard settings. It also has handwriting recognition, stroke order, and kanji test features if you plan to venture beyond the basics of the Japanese language after your trip.
Download link: Android (free)
Learn Japanese
Learn Japanese is an easy-to-use Japanese phrasebook app that contains a thousand commonly used, essential Japanese words and phrases when visiting Japan.
Its collection is divided into 21 different categories, such as greetings, general conversation, numbers, time and date, directions and places, and transportation, to allow quick and convenient search.
Even better, it offers audio files for each entry to teach you the correct pronunciation of words and phrases, as demonstrated by native Japanese speakers.
It also lets you mark and save phrases that you expect to come in handy the most to your favourites. It is accessible even without internet connection, and provides free access to the first 200 words and phrases (the rest can be unlocked if you upgrade).
Download link: iOS (free)
Obenkyo
Obenkyo is a good app to have to start learning hiragana, katakana, and kanji. It helps you memorize Japanese characters efficiently, so that you can recognize and read simple Japanese texts without having to whip your smartphone out every single time you encounter Japanese signs while touring Japan.
With katakana and hiragana flashcards, kanji stroke animation and drawing games, quizzes, and other features, remembering as many Japanese characters as you can before you head out to your much-anticipated vacation should not be that much of a problem.
Download link: Android (free)
Yomiwa
Yomiwa is a versatile app that offers a variety of functions that should help make you less anxious of your lack of Japanese language knowledge and skills.
Its dictionary contains thousands of entries that should be able to help you look up translations for words and phrases you can use when asking for directions, ordering at restaurants, greeting and meeting people, and shopping.
With its real-time camera translation ability, you can point your smartphone’s camera at a restaurant menu, a brochure, or a sign to get a live translation of any Japanese text. It also enables the upload of photos from your camera roll that you need translated.
Available for free and accessible offline, it also has a practice drawing kanji feature for those that want to take their Japanese learning to another level.
Download links: iOS (free) | Android (free)
