Wi-fi rentals

Getting a portable wi-fi pocket for internet while you travel in Japan is highly recommended, because free wi-fi is not always available in public places and it's really convenient to have a connection when you need to check the map at the last minute or a train schedule or an address that is NOT in Japanese.

We ordered our wi-fi pocket with Ivideo (one of the cheapest on the market) and we were very happy with it. You can pick it up in all major airports (they have two counters in Tokyo and Osaka) or they can deliver it at your hotel for the day when you arrive. When you're done with it, you can drop it off in a mailbox in a pre-paid envelope before heading to the airport.

These are other companies that offers similar packages.

- Google maps has so far the best deal for directions and timetables. It's amazing to see how precise it can be when you need schedules for example with multiple train or metro changes, most of the times precise at the minutes! They even tell you which part of the cart you should be exit or the platform on if you want to get faster to the next connection. That's what we used and it's hard to beat!

- Hyperdia is the Japanese equivalent of Google maps and recommended by many

- Google translate has for the same reason the best language tools to communicate live with Japanese: you just need to record what they're saying (or you want to say with them) in the original language and it automatically translates it for you.

This website includes some other app, depending on what you're searching for.