New App Guides Visitors Through Narita Airport's Terminals

Above, Narita Airport Terminal One Arrival Lobby. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Japan's main gateway into the country is Narita International Airport in Chiba Prefecture.

TRBusiness reported that the airport has a new smartphone app that will guide visitors "seamlessly" through the airport's terminals.

They wrote:

Toyko’s Narita International Airport Corporation (NAA) has released a new mobile app to guide passengers seamlessly through its terminals. 

NAA claims the airport is the first in Japan to utilise ‘precise indoor navigation from any location to a boarding gate or other destination’. 

NariNavi enables travellers to track their current location using a smartphone to lead them efficiently to the boarding gate, restaurants or shops.

To read more, go here. 

New NHK World App Provides Disaster Alerts In English

Above, if Godzilla attacks, the NHK World app will alert you in English. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A new free app from NHK World will provide disaster alerts in English for those who are visiting Japan or don't understand Japanese.

News On Japan reported:

Tourists and residents in Japan who don't speak Japanese no longer need to be concerned about missing out on earthquake and tsunami alerts. 

Thanks to a new feature added on Feb. 1 to an app offered by NHK World, an English news channel provided by the public broadcaster, travelers or residents who don't speak Japanese will be able to receive emergency warnings on their smartphones in English. 

They will have the choice of turning on notifications for earthquake and tsunami warnings as well as breaking news alerts. The breaking news alerts will include J-Alert warnings and updates on weather-related incidents, such as volcanic eruptions and typhoons.

Unless things have changed, American smartphones have been pretty much useless in Japan.

To read more, go here.

Use A Smartphone For Free In Kanagawa

Above, the Great Buddha of Kamakura. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Japan has always manages to come up with ideas that will attract tourists and they've done it again.

Japan Today reported:

Tokyo - While Tokyo undoubtedly deserves a spot on any Japanese travel itinerary, you’re really doing yourself a disservice if you skip Kanagawa Prefecture, the capital’s neighbor to the south. Within Kanagawa you’ll find the temples and Great Buddha statue of the coastal town of Kamakura, plus the stunning Mt. Fuji views and hot springs of onsen resort Hakone. There’s also Yokohama, Japan’s second-largest city, which boasts not one but two ramen museums, a gorgeous harbor district, and annual Pikachu parades. 

And as of February, there’s yet another reason to include Kanagawa in your Japan travel plans. If you’re a visitor from overseas, the prefecture will give you a smartphone to use, free of charge, to help you better enjoy your time there.

To read more, go here. 

Track Yosemite Bears On Your Smartphone!

Above, a black bear at Yellowstone Bear World in Rexburg, Idaho. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Travelers, conservationists, wildlife enthusiasts and ordinary people can now track select bears in Yosemite National Park.

According to the Mercury News:

FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — Wildlife enthusiasts around the world can now follow the daily journey of Yosemite National Park’s black bears from their laptops and smartphones, tracking the iconic animals as they lope up steep canyons and cross vast distances in search of food and mates. 

Park rangers on Monday unveiled keepbearswild.org, which shows where select bears fitted with GPS collars are heading. The tracking tool, which pings the bears’ steps from satellites, has already revealed surprises, wildlife biologists say.

Above, a food storage container at Yosemite's North Pines Campground. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Yosemite National Park has a sizable population of black bears. I saw one last year as I was driving on Tioga Pass Road. Unfortunately, it was a bear cub that was hit by a car. I camped at North Pines Campground in Yosemite Valley last year and each campsite has a bear-proof food storage container for campers,

To read more, go here.

New App To Show Pre-Bomb Hiroshima Images

Above, the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall before it became the Atomic Bomb Dome.

A new smartphone app is being introduced that will show visitors to Hiroshima what the city looked like before and after the atomic bombing in August 1945.

According to the Mainichi Shimbun:

HIROSHIMA -- City authorities here are planning to release a smartphone app with which tourists can view pictures of the Atomic Bomb Dome and other landmark buildings from before and after the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima, it has been announced. 

The move is part of the city of Hiroshima's initiative to promote "Peace Tourism" among foreign travelers, as their numbers are expected to rise following then U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to Hiroshima in May last year. The city is planning to bring the smartphone app into operation by Aug. 6 -- the 72nd anniversary of the atomic bombing of the city.

Above, the Atomic Bomb Dome in August 2004. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To read more, go here.

Japan Tour Guide (JTG) Matching Service

Above, the Kinkaku-ji "Golden Pavilion" in Kyoto. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Japan seems to constantly come up with new and innovative ideas to assist foreign visitors.

The latest is a smartphone guide matching service.

According Japan Today:

TOKYO —International Cross-Cultural Exchange (ICCE) has launched its guide matching service, “Japan Tour Guide (JTG),” on smartphones. 

For this guide service, the guest (tourist) fills out a request form for a guide. Guides then may then view the requests of the guests and apply to a candidate for a guide. The guest selects a guide from among those who applied for candidacy to form a match. Once a match is confirmed, a private chat between the guest and the guide is opened so that they may discuss further details with each other.

To read more, go here. 

It Was Probably Better During The Stone Age

How many of you have phone numbers memorized? How many of you carry a personal phone book (the "little black book")?

If your Smartphone's or flip phone's (if it still works) battery should go dead, and you are a few miles away from home and you need to let your ride know that you're ready to be picked up, do you have that person's phone number memorized to call? Do you have the phone number written down somewhere in your pocket or purse?

I would hazard a guess that the answer is "probably not".

People in this Age of Cell Phones are at a disadvantage if they face similar problems as the scenario above.

When I was in my teens, 20s and 30s (back in the Stone Age), we didn't rely upon a cell phone with programmed phone numbers. If we needed to call someone, we either memorized the phone number or carried a "little black book". People then didn't have to rely upon a cell phone with charged batteries. All they had to do was to find a pay phone or use someone else's land line phone.

This is one of the consequences of relying upon technology. If you haven't memorized the phone number or carry a "little black book" to call to be picked up and your phone's battery has gone dead, what would you do?

You're S.O.L.

SIM Card Vending Machines At Narita International Airport

Above, Narita Airport's Terminal 1 arrival lobby. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

For those foreign visitors to Japan who want (or need) cell phone service can now obtain SIM cards and smartphones in vending machines to be installed in Narita International Airport's Terminals 1 and 2.

According to the Japan Times:

Japan’s main gateway, Narita International Airport, is set to get SIM card vending machines targeting an increasing number of inbound tourists starting next Friday, NTT Communications Corp. said. 

The cards, aptly named Prepaid SIM for Japan, can be purchased along with smartphones, mobile routers and smartphone accessories at the vending machines, the Tokyo-based telecommunications firm said.

To read more, go here.

Wireless LAN For Foreign Tourists

Above, a crowd gathers at Shibuya Crossing near the Hachiko Exit of Shibuya Station. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Japanese government is planning to provide access to wireless LAN services beginning in 2016 for foreign visitors.

The plan is to have a new app that is easy to access at sightseeing spots, department stores, cafes and other places throughout Japan.

According to The Japan News (Yomiuri Shimbun):

To make it easier for foreign tourists to access free public wireless LAN services, the government has decided to develop a new app in cooperation with the private sector by the end of fiscal 2016. 

With the application, users will be able to connect their smartphones and other terminals with public wireless networks after only one authentication procedure, such as entering an e-mail address, which will make it easier for foreign visitors to use the Internet in Japan.

To read more, go here. 

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Revamps Website

Above, a view of Tokyo from Mori Tower in Roppongi Hills. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has revamped their foreign visitor website.

According to Japan Today:

TOKYO —With an eye toward attracting more foreign visitors to Tokyo in preparation for the 2020 Olympics, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government has revamped its website (foreign language versions).

The foreign-language websites are:

English http://www.metro.tokyo.jp/ENGLISH/
Chinese http://www.metro.tokyo.jp/CHINESE/
Korean http://www.metro.tokyo.jp/KOREAN/

They are compatible with smartphone and tablet devices.

To read more, go here.

New App To Call For A Taxi In Tokyo

Above, a Nihon Kotsu taxi in Roppongi. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

One just has to love technology.

Now, there's a new app available to call for a taxi cab in Tokyo with smartphones.

According to Jiji Press:

Tokyo, Jan. 6 (Jiji Press)--Free messaging application provider Line Corp. said Tuesday it has launched a service that enables users to call taxis in Tokyo's 23 wards plus suburban cities of Mitaka and Musashino through a free smartphone app in collaboration with major taxi company Nihon Kotsu Co.

The new service uses some 3,340 taxis owned by Nihon Kotsu.

Free W-Fi Is Trialed For Tourists

Foreign visitors to Japan will be able to access free Wi-Fi in Japan with their tablets and smartphones according to The Japan Times.

They wrote:

Wire and Wireless Co. on Friday will begin trials of a free Wi-Fi service targeting foreign tourists, the company said Thursday. 

The major Wi-Fi provider, also known as Wi2, has produced an app for smartphones and tablets that lets people connect to hot spots and receive sightseeing information and sales promotions. 

The Travel Japan Wi-Fi app runs on both the Android and iOS operating systems. 

Downloading the app and registering opens up access to some of the company’s 240,000 hot spots nationwide, including at Starbucks outlets and on the Airport Limousine Bus.

The trial will run through June 2015 with the full roll-out eyed for July.

To read more, go here.

Docomo Introduces Jspeak Translation App For Foreign Visitors

Above, the NTT Docomo Yoyogi Building from Harajuku, Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Japan's NTT Docomo has come up with an ingenious device application for Android 4.0 to 4.4 smartphones or tablets.

It is called Jspeak.

According to Japan Today:

TOKYO —NTT Docomo, a personalized mobile solutions provider for smarter living, has launched its Jspeak face-to-face mobile translation service for smartphones and tablets, targeting travelers from abroad. 

Jspeak is modelled on Docomo’s Hanashite Honyaku, the mobile-based automatic translation service now offered exclusively to Docomo subscribers in Japan. Jspeak will enable Japanese and non-Japanese speakers to enjoy face-to-face conversations simply by speaking into a smartphone or tablet to get a translation as screen text and voice readout. Ten languages - Chinese, English, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish and Thai - can be translated into Japanese and vice versa.

Two plans will be offered. One for $.99 for one week and one for $2.99 for one month's service.

To read more, go here.

Japan Tourism Agency Launches English App For Earthquake and Tsunami Warnings

The Japan Tourism Agency has introduced a new app for smartphone that will help foreign visitors should a major earthquake and tsunami stricke.

According to an article in The Japan Times:

As part of efforts to help foreign tourists during their stay in the country, the Japan Tourism Agency has produced an English-language smartphone app called “Safety Tips” which provides users with real-time earthquake and tsunami warnings. 

The agency came up with the idea of creating the app after government surveys of foreigners traveling around the country at the time of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami found that many experienced hardships and confusion, said Rumiko Nishihira, an official at JTA’s Receiving Foreign Tourists Division.

To read the full article, go here. 

Japan's SoftBank To Unveil Smartphone For Seniors

For those of us "geezers" who are age 60 and over, there's good news coming from SoftBank in regards to a new senior-friendly smartphone that's to be available next month.

According to The Japan Times:

SoftBank Corp. announced Tuesday that the company will release its new smartphone in late November and that its easy-to-use design will be particularly convenient for the elderly. 

The Simple Smaho 2, developed in cooperation with Sharp Corp., is the company’s second smartphone designed for senior users. 

In addition to a bigger 4.5-inch high-definition touch panel display and three-day battery life, the new model features a pre-installed version of the popular Line social networking app, which SoftBank claims answers senior consumers’ demand for occasional communications with relatives and friends. 

At its unveiling, a SoftBank project manager said seniors may emerge as a strong component of Japan’s smartphone market, as now only 16 percent of cellphone users in their 60s or older own one, according to the company’s recent research.

To read more, go here. 

New TSA Rules May Make Traveling Even More Miserable

Above, be prepared to power up your smartphone or laptop at the TSA checkpoint. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Recently, it has been reported that intelligence intercepted messages that are suggesting an "al Qaeda master bomber" has found a way to conceal explosives in portable electronic devices (such as cell phones and laptop computers) that can evade detection through conventional security screening.

Condé Nast's The Daily Traveler has an article stating that the TSA, in response to this news, will make our international travels a bit more miserable.

They wrote:

If you’re contemplating an international trip this summer, you’ve probably heard that the TSA is cracking down on dead devices—everything from smartphones to laptops—to prevent terrorists from turning a hollowed-out gadget into a bomb. So be prepared to power up your device at security if you’re boarding a transatlantic flight bound for the U.S., or risk having to surrender it if you want to make the flight. But what happens if your smartphone or laptop battery simply died before you got a chance to charge up? Does it land in the trash bin along with those oversized Gatorades and toothpaste tubes?

Personally, my laptops are fairly new and the batteries are in great shape, so powering up at the TSA checkpoint would not present a problem for me. But this may slow down the process quite a bit if most everyone in line ahead of you has smartphones and/or laptops that have to be powered up for inspection.

It appears that international flights across the Pacific to Asia (and back) may not be affected, but I wouldn't count on that.

To read the full article, go here.

Stop Using Smartphones On Train Platforms, Japan's Railway Companies Ask

Above, a gathering place near the Hachiko statue at Shibuya Station is the place
 to fiddle with your smart phones, not on train platforms.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Japanese railway companies are asking people to refrain from using smartphone while on train station platforms.

According to Japan Daily Press:

Due to the increasing number of people falling on the train tracks while using smartphones, some railway companies are asking passengers to refrain from using the devices while on the train platforms. A fifth-grade boy fell onto the tracks at the JR Yotsuya Station in Tokyo on Monday and suffered minor injuries. The Metropolitan Police Department said the boy was not paying attention because he was focused on his mobile phone.

I noticed how Japanese people have their noses buried in their cell phones, particularly on trains.  On my last trip to Japan, I saw one girl twice (same girl, but on two different days) at a train station with one hand diddling with her phone and the other picking and pulling her hair's split ends.

There has been many a time I felt like telling someone to "put down the freaking phone!"  (In the U.S. as well as in Japan).

To read more, go here.