When Google Maps Isn’t Enough For Japan Trip Planning
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10 Comments
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Thanks, Andrew. This is helpful!
When I travel I don’t use Google Maps. I am interested in cycling, or maybe walking, so I use Pocket Earth. Anyway I am not going to a resort but to a campground. I have been forced to rent a car on Yakushima and Okinawa honto, but now that I have been there, I feel comfortable using a bicycle. Kamakura is good for cycling as is Yokohama. The train lines appear on Pocket Earth and I also have a Yokohama map book that I got at a Japanese book store. A lot of people like Google this and that, but I guess I am fine without it. My favorite hot spots are hardware stores and bicycle shops. Although in Okinawa the Gangala Cave Cafe is pretty chill.
Never use Google Maps if you want to walk or ride a bike. No matter where you are in the world, it’s completely useless for that.
5:19
😂😂😂😂 how very dare they
So far ive been maonly using the japan guide website to try to map out our itinerary, checking the bus and local train routes they have listed
Google maps worked fine for me when I was navigating busses and rural trains in 2019. With very limited Japanese we got around, the bus times were correct, the train times were correct. The routes were effective. E.G. Sendai to Geibeki Gorge takes you off the beaten path and the trains weren't around to go back. Google maps found us the right bus stop to get out to the main line station.
I'm very happy the algorithm recommended this video, thank you for creating it!
Next time, actually LOOK at the map, instead of just following the written directions.
It also helps to let the destination be the origin and the origin be the destination when trying to find the route BETWEEN two places.
This SHOULD all be common sense.
Sure, check the local websites if they have that info.
However, Google Maps actually receives route information from Japanese transit providers. This is why sometimes you won't see prices, and sometimes you won't see the bus number, only the route name. Google Maps also works very well in Japan for walking. But if it's a new route for you on a critical trip, and you have the time to verify, then by all means do that. But Google Maps is 8 million times better than Apple Maps in Japan and there's a reason the locals use it the most. Yahoo Transit is decent for more complex train routing and Navitime is decent but expensive for the same level of features you get from Google for free.
Last year I found there were some occasions where googlemaps didn't work properly for me with buses. I was in more rural areas, and while googlemaps knew about the bus routes and times, it often got the specific stops wrong. For example, one time I was sitting at the bus stop just outside JR Kojima station in Okayama, yet googlemaps was telling me to walk approx half a mile to another stop to get the bus. I knew that was wrong and sent feedback to google while waiting for the bus. Checking googlemaps today, it now correctly identifies that the bus leaves from the bus stop at the train station, although I've no idea if that's been corrected because I sent feedback or for some other reason (maybe they got an updated timetable/route map).
Reiterating what was said in the video, in addition to googlemaps check the access page of the place you're visiting and/or check the bus company homepage. One other option I found particularly helpful is to visit a Tourist Information centre (if one is nearby), as they usually have bus timetables (often in English) and can advise on best routes. They can also advise as to whether you should buy a ticket in advance, whether you can use IC cards, and for popular routes how early you should be at the bus stop to ensure you can get a seat. Most of the Tourist Information centres I've visited have had someone who spoke English, but even at the other ones I've always found it easy to get information on where I want to go.
Just to confirm though, I find googlemaps to be an absolutely indispensable tool both for planning and also when I'm in Japan. It gets things correct more than 99% of the time – you just need to use some common sense if something doesn't look right. Also if you can, double check (especially in rural areas) bus routes, and if google suggests the route involves walking, potentially use street view to see if it's all uphill so you can decide if that's the best route for you !