Using Your iPhone While Traveling in Japan
Unless you have an international data plan, it's best not to use your iPhone in Japan to call your home country or browse the web.
Unless you have an international data plan it's best not to use your iPhone in Japan to call your home country or to browse the web.
On the other hand, the iPhone 3G is extremely useful for geolocation functions combined with a map downloaded to your iPhone (rather than Google Maps, which uses the web to download maps...).
For this you simply need to purchase a map of Tokyo and Kyoto, at a reasonable cost (between €0.79 and €4) :
- Maps offline Tokyo street Map , Tokyo CityMap, iMaps Tokyo. Tokyo Maps Offline.
- Maps Offline Kyoto, Kyoto Travel
Make sure to get the map in English and above all with geolocation functionality included... And activate your iPhone's GPS to locate yourself on the map.
This way you'll have an approximate view of your location which will serve you well.
Note that this isn't enough on its own, and you'll also need a proper physical map for a neighborhood-by-neighborhood view with must-see places.
Frequently asked questions
Without an international data plan, it's strongly discouraged to use your iPhone's mobile data in Japan due to very high roaming charges. However, GPS works without an internet connection, allowing you to use offline map applications downloaded before departure.
Several applications allow you to navigate without an internet connection in Tokyo and Kyoto: Maps.me (free), Google Maps with offline zone downloads, or specialized applications like Navitime Japan. Be sure to download the maps before you leave your country.
To use your iPhone's GPS in Japan without consuming mobile data, enable Airplane Mode and then reactivate only GPS in your settings. Your position will be calculated via GPS satellites without using the mobile network or Wi-Fi.
Each solution has its advantages: a Japan eSIM is convenient as it activates before departure with no shipping fees; a pocket Wi-Fi allows you to connect multiple devices simultaneously; your home country's international plan is the simplest solution but often the most expensive.
