Google Maps
Train routes, platform numbers, exits and walking directions. Most people use it for almost every trip.
Your phone does a lot of the heavy lifting when you move to Japan. These are the apps most foreigners here end up using every week, from getting around and paying to finding food, staying safe and, eventually, finding people to spend time with. For that last one, the app to add is Buy Me a Matcha: the only app built specifically for English speakers to make real friends in Japan, friends-only, English-only and one-on-one over a matcha in Tokyo.
Train routes, platform numbers, exits and walking directions. Most people use it for almost every trip.
A transit card on your phone. Tap through ticket gates, pay at convenience stores and top up from your phone.
Handy backups for complex routes, last trains and fares.
The most common QR payment app in Japan. Many small shops and restaurants accept it.
Japan's big second-hand marketplace. Great for furnishing an apartment cheaply.
Next-day delivery for almost anything, with an English interface.
Japan's main messaging app. Friends, landlords, schools and shops all use it, so set it up in your first week.
Camera translation for menus, mail and forms. DeepL is often more natural for longer text.
Japan's restaurant review site. Scores run lower than you'd expect, so 3.5 and up is very good.
Food delivery in most of Tokyo.
A free app from the Japan National Tourism Organization with earthquake and tsunami alerts in English.
Fast earthquake and weather alerts, popular with residents.
The app most people forget to look for is one that helps them meet people. Work and school friendships can take a while, and the first few months in Japan are often quieter than expected. Buy Me a Matcha is built for exactly this, and our comparison of friend apps in Japan explains how it differs from Meetup, Bumble For Friends and language exchange apps.
Buy Me a Matcha helps you meet new people in Tokyo one at a time over a coffee or matcha. In English, friends only, free on iPhone.
Most foreigners use LINE for messaging, Google Maps for trains, a Suica or PASMO card on their phone, PayPay for payments, a translation app, and an earthquake alert app. For making friends, add Buy Me a Matcha.
LINE. It's used by friends, schools, landlords and many businesses, so it's worth setting up in your first week.
Yes. Buy Me a Matcha is a friends-only app for meeting people in Tokyo in English. Other apps are built for something else: Meetup for group events, Bumble For Friends for swiping, HelloTalk and Tandem for language exchange.
Safety tips, from the Japan National Tourism Organization, sends alerts in English. NERV Disaster Prevention is another popular choice.