THIS PAGE
FROM LEFT:
JAL Explorer
app; and
Tokaido Sanyo
Shinkansen
reservation apphe cliché about getting lost in translation is one
thing. Simply getting lost is another. Tokyo has
always been notoriously difficult to get around,
from the confusing address system (not based
on street addresses) to a mind-boggling network
of train lines. Wifi hotspots, accessible data and
English-language apps have also typically been
few and far between. Short of a personal guide,
a good GPS system (and a stellar sense of direction) used
to be the only hope for foreigners to the city.
However, with the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic
Games on the horizon, and not forgetting the 2019
Rugby World Cup, Tokyo is seeing a swathe of tech
infrastructure and service industry upgrades that
promise to make the city more accessible and easier to
navigate for the growing number of foreign visitors.APP-ROPRIATE SOLUTIONS
Tokyo has one of the most efficient public transport
systemsintheworld–atraincompany’srecentapology
for a 20-second delay made headlines around the world- but the sheer size and complexity can be confusing
to say the least. This is especially true at major stations
like Shinjuku and Shibuya, where the crowds and vast
number of exits and platforms are overwhelming.
To combat this, the government has implemented
more tourist information offices dotted around the
city. One recent service has been the addition of non-
Japanese guidance staff at busy locations such as Tokyo
T
Station who can give directions and other information
in a variety of languages.
Service providers are also upping their app game to
helppeoplenavigateTokyoandbeyond.TheJapan
National Tourism Organization ( JNTO), for example,
recently launched the Japan Official Travel App (jnto.
go.jp/smartapp/eng ) available in Chinese (simplified
and traditional), English and Korean, offering a mix of
content such as travel articles with practical information
on how to get around, route searches for trains, maps,
and guides to manners and customs – quite a handy free
resource to have in your pocket.
Another new app that could be useful for anyone
aiming to get out of Tokyo is the Tokaido Sanyo
Shinkansen Reservation App (smart-ex.jp/en/lp/app).
With it, JR Central and JR West have teamed up to create
the first app in Japan that allows train bookings in English- in this case for the bullet train – and also allows you to
change bookings up to four minutes before departure.
It’s currently available for download in the US, Australia,
Hong Kong and Singapore, although a spokesperson for
JR says it will soon be rolled out in other countries and
similar English apps will hopefully be following to allow
bookings on a greater number of trains and lines.
GETTING CONNECTED
Of course, apps aren’t much good if you can’t access
them, and despite Japan’s high-tech image, it’s been
something of an oddity that wifi accessibility has long24
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 businesstraveller.com