Best Japanese Translator AP

[donaldsc]

We are going to be in Japan on a cruise and I have loaded 3 translation aps on my phone to make my life easier.  They are SayHi, Google Translate and Translator.  I have no idea if any of them are any good and which is better as I don't read or understand Japanese.  Are any of them asny good and which will be best.  Are thee any others that I should look it.

 

DON

[BruceMuzz]

In Japan, many of us use a translation device called Pocketalk.

It is a bit pricey, but incredibly accurate and very easy to use.

You can rent one when you visit Japan.

[Kitekat]

6 hours ago, BruceMuzz said:

In Japan, many of us use a translation device called Pocketalk.

It is a bit pricey, but incredibly accurate and very easy to use.

You can rent one when you visit Japan.

This is very interesting - where can we pick one up and for those of us who are on B2B and not flying out, how would we be able to return it. Oh, and how much is 'pricey', please?

[BruceMuzz]

Pocket talk devices cost about US$300-400.

I believe you can rent them from most Japanese Airports for about US$75.

Googlel is your friend.

[Kitekat]

2 hours ago, BruceMuzz said:

Pocket talk devices cost about US$300-400.

I believe you can rent them from most Japanese Airports for about US$75.

Googlel is your friend.

Thank you for this info but as we are leaving Japan by ship, we won't be able to return one. Google is definitely going to be our friend...

[Milhouse]

I've only used google translate.  I think its good enough to get by but it's not perfect.  

When trying to communicate something from English to Japanese, if you can limit it to a few words, I find it fairly accurate at least to get the idea across.  However, it seems to struggle with longer phrases or sentences.  

Going from Japanese to English I've used the real time image/camera translation. Again, pretty good, not perfect but I think enough to get a general understanding.  

[ARandomTraveler]

We were in Japan for about 3 weeks in august and Google Translate worked just fine. 
 

Download the Japanese dictionary before you leave home in case you don't have good wifi when you're out-and-about in Japan. 
 

Google translate also allows you to read the kanji on the labels of food and on signage, and since many things are very efficient and automated in Japan, you can often get by without really having to talk or communicate with words. 

[JomCruise]

While I have tried a few other translation apps in the past, I always find myself returning to Google Translate. Even though it may not be perfect, it gets the job done effectively for basic translation needs. Its accessibility across different devices is also very convenient. As long as you download the languages you need beforehand, Google Translate can be used anywhere, even without an internet or data connection. For quick, simple translations when traveling, its free, offline functionality makes it a reliable option that I continue to use time and again.

[micruiser2002]

I have been using Google translate at home while I am planning my trip and it seems to work very well with Japanese language.  I love the picture scanning feature.

[ARandomTraveler]

4 hours ago, micruiser2002 said:

I have been using Google translate at home while I am planning my trip and it seems to work very well with Japanese language.  I love the picture scanning feature.

That was super handy! There were so many foods and snacks at the store, and signage that we couldn't read otherwise, it was probably the #1 use for us.