Missing These 12 Japan Apps? Big Mistake! — Transcript

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1. 0:00Yeah.
2. 0:01They got all this medicine, but
3. 0:03I can't read anything, so
4. 0:05>> [laughter]
5. 0:05>> I don't know what's what. And I got a
6. 0:07really bad headache.
7. 0:08>> Don't you have the Pay Ke app? All you
8. 0:10have to do is scan the barcode,
9. 0:12and it brings up [music] all the
10. 0:13information in English.
11. 0:16>> Pay Ke is a lifesaver. Use it at the
12. 0:18drugstore, groceries, and pretty much on
13. 0:20any product that has a barcode. Power
14. 0:23tips, Pay Ke also works offline on any
15. 0:26product that you've previously scanned.
16. 0:28You can also look at your history, and
17. 0:31they have coupons for a bunch of stores
18. 0:33including Don Quijote, Bic Camera, and
19. 0:35more. But, because there are endless
20. 0:38products, Pay Ke won't work on
21. 0:40everything. That's why you need the next
22. 0:43app, Google Translate. [music]
23. 0:45This is where it gets interesting.
24. 0:47You'll be translating things you've
25. 0:49never imagined. Menus, yes, but also
26. 0:52shampoo bottles, vending machines, and
27. 0:54at 2:00 a.m. in an Airbnb, a washing
28. 0:56machine that apparently has nine modes,
29. 0:59and
30. 1:00how do I turn this thing on? iPhone
31. 1:01users, Apple Translate does the same
32. 1:03thing. No extra app needed. Power tip,
33. 1:07for both apps, download the Japanese
34. 1:09language pack before you leave home. It
35. 1:11works offline, so you're covered even if
36. 1:14your connection drops.
37. 1:16Tabelog.
38. 1:17Your best option for finding restaurants
39. 1:19is Tabelog, what the locals use. And
40. 1:22because the locals use it, you'll be
41. 1:24competing with fewer tourists since most
42. 1:26are on Google Maps. The multilingual
43. 1:29Tabelog app lets you search by food
44. 1:31category, family-friendly, or if you're
45. 1:33looking for something really special,
46. 1:35choose Tabelog 100. The ratings might
47. 1:37surprise you. Anything over a 3.5 is
48. 1:41exceptional because Japanese can be
49. 1:43tough critics when it comes to ratings.
50. 1:45Also, note the hours of operation and
51. 1:48whether reservations are required. Power
52. 1:50tip, you might not want to use Tabelog
53. 1:53to make a reservation since they charge
54. 1:55a 440 yen fee for each guest. Instead,
55. 1:58consider using TableCheck, a separate
56. 2:00honorary mention app, or just contact
57. 2:03the restaurant directly to avoid those
58. 2:05fees. I use Tabelog to find hidden gems.
59. 2:08I'll search for "near me ramen" and I'll
60. 2:10also select Tabelog 100. Muta Nashi
61. 2:13Kuroki has a rating of 3.92. That's
62. 2:16crazy high and it's very nearby. I
63. 2:19definitely need to eat here, so let me
64. 2:21save that.
65. 2:22UBG
66. 2:24Now, here's what every single app in
67. 2:26this video has in common. They all need
68. 2:29a reliable internet connection when
69. 2:31you're on the move in Japan. That's why
70. 2:33I recommend UBG, the sponsor of this
71. 2:35video. I've been a UBG user for a few
72. 2:38years now and they are my go-to eSIM
73. 2:40provider for Japan and beyond. UBG,
74. 2:44owned by NTT, the parent company of NTT
75. 2:47Docomo, has the largest network coverage
76. 2:49in Japan. And UBG also leverages the
77. 2:52KDDI network to give you even more
78. 2:55coverage. I'm continuously testing UBG
79. 2:58throughout Japan, including a recent
80. 3:00trip to Okinawa. From subtropical
81. 3:03rainforest to remote island beaches, it
82. 3:05just worked. With the UBG app, buy and
83. 3:08install your eSIM before you leave home.
84. 3:11Once you land in Japan, it automatically
85. 3:14connects to the local network. Power
86. 3:16tip: in the app, you can toggle between
87. 3:18home IP and Japan IP. Home mode keeps
88. 3:21your streaming and banking working
89. 3:22normally.
90. 3:23Japan mode means local sites load
91. 3:25without issues. Zero lag either way. UBG
92. 3:28has a plan for every type of traveler
93. 3:31and they have a special offer for our
94. 3:33viewers. Scan this QR code or use coupon
95. 3:36code kenchoquest at checkout and save
96. 3:3810% off your first order. Thank you,
97. 3:41UBG.
98. 3:42ChargeSpot. Akasha, how much battery do
99. 3:44you have left?
100. 3:45>> 3%
101. 3:47>> 3%? It's a good thing ChargeSpot's
102. 3:49everywhere, including this laundromat.
103. 3:52ChargeSpot is a game-changer. Most
104. 3:55travelers no longer need to carry a
105. 3:56power bank, especially with the stricter
106. 3:59airline rules. ChargeSpot is a portable
107. 4:01power bank rental service with thousands
108. 4:03of locations across Japan. To find the
109. 4:06nearest location, just open the app and
110. 4:09look at how many are near me in my area
111. 4:12alone. Almost every convenience store,
112. 4:14many restaurants, hotels, even in this
113. 4:17laundromat has some available. Just scan
114. 4:19the code and pay in the app. It comes
115. 4:22with built-in USB-C, lightning, and
116. 4:24micro USB cables. Power tip, you don't
117. 4:27need to return it to the same location.
118. 4:29Return it to any ChargeSpot location
119. 4:32across Japan. It starts at 165 yen for
120. 4:3530 minutes. For 24 hours, it's only 640
121. 4:38yen. And you can see in the app how long
122. 4:40you've had it and the current charge.
123. 4:43Go taxi.
124. 4:45Once you're outside of Tokyo, near Mount
125. 4:47Fuji, in Niseko, or smaller cities, the
126. 4:50Go taxi app has saved us more times than
127. 4:53I can count. You can install the Go app
128. 4:55and set it up using your home country
129. 4:57phone number. With Go, you don't need to
130. 5:00worry about speaking Japanese to the
131. 5:01driver. The only thing the driver may
132. 5:04ask you for is the confirmation number
133. 5:07shown right here in the app. Just show
134. 5:09your phone. This confirms that you have
135. 5:12the right driver. And power tip, you can
136. 5:15reserve a taxi to the airport right from
137. 5:17the app. Also, depending on the
138. 5:18location, you might be able to book Go
139. 5:21Premium, where the driver shows up in a
140. 5:24luxury van. Perfect for our family of
141. 5:26five or a large group. Or, you can even
142. 5:29book up to three taxis at once.
143. 5:327-Eleven multi copy. You never know when
144. 5:35you'll need to make a copy, scan, fax,
145. 5:37or even need passport photos. When we
146. 5:40needed photos for my son's new passport,
147. 5:43we first went to a photo booth. Fail. He
148. 5:46was too short. Then, a photo center.
149. 5:48Fail. The color was just off. Finally,
150. 5:52multi copy. Not only was it the cheapest
151. 5:55option, it printed the best quality
152. 5:57photo accepted by the US passport
153. 5:59service in Tokyo. The multi copy app in
154. 6:03English changed everything. Not only is
155. 6:05it easy to use, but 7-Elevens are
156. 6:08everywhere. So even in the middle of
157. 6:10night, you can go and print. Power tip,
158. 6:13no USB sticks needed. Just have your
159. 6:16file on your phone, transfer to the
160. 6:17multi copy app, and then send it to the
161. 6:19machine via QR code. And a few seconds
162. 6:21later, done. Boarding passes, travel
163. 6:24documents, passport photos, anything you
164. 6:26need on paper.
165. 6:27>> [music]
166. 6:27>> Digital IC card.
167. 6:29An IC card, digital or physical, lets
168. 6:32you ride public transportation in Japan
169. 6:34without having to calculate the fare
170. 6:36each time. Just tap and go. You also get
171. 6:40the added benefit of being able to use
172. 6:42your IC card to pay for items at
173. 6:44convenience stores, restaurants,
174. 6:46lockers, and more. If you have an iPhone
175. 6:498 or higher, you can add a digital IC
176. 6:51card to your Apple wallet. The main
177. 6:53benefit, you can charge it directly from
178. 6:55your credit card. No machines at the
179. 6:57station, and no cash needed. And you
180. 6:59have a full record of all your
181. 7:01transactions. From the Apple wallet,
182. 7:03click on plus, transit card. Under
183. 7:06Japan, you can choose between four IC
184. 7:08cards. I'll choose Suica, but they all
185. 7:11work the same across Japan, so take your
186. 7:14pick. And for payment method, I use my
187. 7:16Visa. If you have an issue using Visa,
188. 7:19please try a MasterCard like Apple Card
189. 7:21or Amex. Power tip, if your iPhone
190. 7:24battery hits zero, your IC card still
191. 7:26works even with a dead screen. Apple
192. 7:29reserves just enough power for one more
193. 7:32tap. Just don't fully power it off
194. 7:34manually. Sorry Android users, I see
195. 7:37you. A physical IC card works exactly
196. 7:40the same on the train. You just can't
197. 7:42charge it from your phone.
198. 7:43Card reader.
199. 7:45If you have a physical IC card, then
200. 7:48having a card reader app is a must. With
201. 7:50it, you can easily check the balance of
202. 7:53your IC card and top up ahead of time,
203. 7:56so you won't get stuck at the train
204. 7:58gate. Power tip, I use this every
205. 8:00morning to check the balance on my
206. 8:02children's IC cards before we head out.
207. 8:05One check saves you from a very
208. 8:07stressful moment at a busy station.
209. 8:10Smart EX.
210. 8:11If you plan to ride the Shinkansen from
211. 8:13Tokyo West to Kyoto, Osaka, or all the
212. 8:16way to Kyushu, you need the Smart EX
213. 8:18app. With Smart EX, you are buying
214. 8:20directly from the JR companies.
215. 8:22Reserved, non-reserved, even green car
216. 8:25tickets right from the app. You can even
217. 8:28choose to ride ticketless. Power tip,
218. 8:30buy a Hayatoku discounted ticket. The
219. 8:33earlier you book, up to 21 days in
220. 8:35advance, the more you save. Same seat,
221. 8:38same train, just less money. You can
222. 8:40even book a seat with an oversized area.
223. 8:43But if you need this, book these far in
224. 8:45advance since these seats sell out fast.
225. 8:48And because you can link your IC card
226. 8:49directly to Smart EX, you just tap and
227. 8:52board with your IC card. No ticket
228. 8:54needed. To learn more about Smart EX and
229. 8:56how to ride ticketless, check out our
230. 8:58complete guide. It's linked in the
231. 8:59description.
232. 9:01Klook.
233. 9:02Klook is where we buy most of our
234. 9:04attraction tickets. Disney Sea, TeamLab,
235. 9:06Universal Studios. Popular venues sell
236. 9:09out weeks in advance. And booking on
237. 9:11Klook just works, unlike many Japanese
238. 9:13websites. Everything lives in one app,
239. 9:16so there's no digging through emails at
240. 9:18the gate. Power tip, you can no longer
241. 9:20buy tickets at the gate for both Tokyo
242. 9:22Disney and Universal Studios. And they
243. 9:25often sell out in advance. So, booking
244. 9:27these on Klook is easy. And Klook is
245. 9:29also where we buy Shinkansen tickets
246. 9:32when we can't use Smart EX. Ecbo Cloak.
247. 9:35If you plan to make day trips, then you
248. 9:37might want to store your luggage instead
249. 9:40of dragging them with you. And while
250. 9:42there are a coin lockers, they aren't
251. 9:44always available or convenient. Ecbo
252. 9:47Cloak is a luggage storage sharing
253. 9:49service available throughout Japan.
254. 9:52Local shops, cafes, convenience stores,
255. 9:55they're everywhere. Prices range from
256. 9:57500 yen for a bag up to 800 yen for a
257. 10:00suitcase. If the location is at a
258. 10:02station, the prices might be a little
259. 10:04higher. And you can pay right in the
260. 10:06app. Power tip, note the hours of
261. 10:09operation. You don't want to show up
262. 10:11only to find out they're closed and you
263. 10:13can't get your luggage till the next
264. 10:15day. NHK World.
265. 10:17And finally, NHK World app. Japan has
266. 10:21earthquakes all the time. We just had an
267. 10:23upper five the other day. We sheltered
268. 10:25under the dining table as our
269. 10:27accommodation shook for quite a while.
270. 10:30Here you can see the focus was in
271. 10:32Ibaraki Prefecture, just north of Tokyo.
272. 10:35No tsunami threat. NHK World is Japan's
273. 10:38national broadcaster. Real alerts
274. 10:40available in 11 languages. Power tip,
275. 10:43the key is the settings. Click the
276. 10:44ellipsis in the top left, push
277. 10:46notification settings, set earthquake to
278. 10:48lower five and above, and enable tsunami
279. 10:51and Japan weather emergency warning.
280. 10:53This might be the most important app.
281. 10:55So, download and set up all of these
282. 10:58apps before you leave home. Some like
283. 11:00Google Translate work offline once
284. 11:02you've grabbed the language pack, but
285. 11:05you want everything ready before you
286. 11:06arrive in Japan. Now that you got the
287. 11:08apps sorted, the next question most
288. 11:10people get wrong is when to use their IC
289. 11:13card versus their credit card. That
290. 11:15video is right here. See you in the next
291. 11:17one.