Hi there!
The google translate app is GREAT for traveling around Japan!
It’s one of the must-have apps for Japan travel!
There is the normal feature on the google translate app where you can copy and paste Japanese text into the app and it will give you an English translation.
So that can be helpful.
But when traveling around Japan, one of the best parts about the google translate is the camera feature!
If you only see Japanese and want to know what it says, use the camera feature to understand what it says!
Is google translate perfect for Japanese?
No.
Is google translate good for Japanese?
Yes, it’s good enough for travel around Japan to be helpful in many situations!
It can especially be helpful in reading menus in Japanese.
As long as the font of the Japanese text is not too artistic!
An example is below!
How to use the camera feature of the google translate app
- Open up the google translate app
- Go to “camera”
- Position your phone to take a picture of the text you want to translate
- And you can read the translation!
When you open up the google translate app, you will see there is the “camera.”
So all you do is click on that, and you can start translating Japanese text!
👆 When you open up the google translate app, you will see an area where you can add in text.
👇 The camera feature is at the bottom of the screen.
And now you can read Japanese!
👆 This “shrine” is at the observation deck of Kyoto Tower! Now you know what to do!
HAPPY READING THE TRANSLATION OF JAPANESE USING THE GOOGLE TRANSLATE CAMERA!
Here are ideas for 5 days in Kyoto!
- Day 1: Top tourist spots with one day Kyoto bus pass
- Day 2: Fushimi Inari Shrine hike through 1,000 torii gates
- Day 3: Philosopher's Path walk
- Day 4: Arashiyama and Sagano
- Day 5: Kurama Kibune Ohara with one day pass
PLUS Kyoto cherry blossom itinerary and Kyoto fall colors itinerary!
Traveling around Japan and can't read Japanese? No problem! Just use the camera on the google translate app!
Is a JR pass worth it?!
- Google maps can make it easy to figure out whether or not you should get a JR pass!
- In google maps, type in your departure and arrival city, and choose the transit icon. The route will come up, and so will the estimated cost at the bottom!
- Here is an example of a train route with cost on google maps.
- So do that for all of your long distance routes to figure out how much it might cost.
- Next, go here to see how much a JR pass costs.
- And compare!
- Not all forms of public transportation are JR, but long distance shinkansen bullet trains are, and that's where the most cost savings will come.
Best of Kyoto (and Japan!)
👇 Explore the best places to visit in Japan!
There are affiliate links on this page.