The Best Apps For Your Hokkaido Trip

Hokkaido and the city of Sapporo have become very popular travel destinations in Japan, especially during the past few years. This article will introduce some of the free applications out there that will make your trip to Sapporo and Hokkaido smoother.

As these applications are specific to Hokkaido, if you would like to know more about the recommended travel applications for Japan, please take a look at our previous article on The Best Apps For Your Japan Trip.

With the Asian Winter Games taking place in Sapporo in February 2017, as well as the famous Snow Festival held in the same month, having these applications installed will make your trip more convenient.

City and Travel Guides

For your trip to Sapporo we recommend the city's official application Sapporo Info. This is a comprehensive guide to tourist information, discounts, as well as practical info on where to find Wi-Fi and how to use the subway system. This free application is worth downloading for your trip to Sapporo city.

If you are looking for an application that covers the entire island of Hokkaido, the application Hokkaido Plat by Navitime, is recommended. Available both in English and Japanese, this application will guide you around sightseeing destinations and museums, delivering also information on accommodation, local food and beautiful nature sceneries in the area. The application is designed as a map of the island, so that specific regional recommendations appear when you click on each area.

Culture

Love Hokkaido is an application produced and released by Hokkaido Television Broadcasting, in Japanese, English, and Chinese. The application is based on the travel TV program with the same title, introducing viewers and applications users to new destinations in Hokkaido. This application is available for both iPhone and Android and does not introduce only famous spots, but also hidden gems.

Public Transportation

Getting around Hokkaido implies using trains. If you are in Sapporo for the Asian Winter Games or other seasonal festivals, we recommend having installed some public transportation applications to ensure you get around the city quick and safe. The aforementioned Sapporo Info does contain information on the subway system, but if you want an extensive app focusing only on transportation, the best one at the moment is the Sapporo Municipal Subway application. Though this particular app is not free, it is available in the iTunes store for around 108 yen.

If you prefer a free application, the Sapporo Rail Map is totally free and also very good.

Another app that we recommend for your trip to Hokkaido is Hyperdia , an application for Android that is very popular among travelers from abroad who use the Japan Rail Pass.

Tax-Free Shopping

Hokkaido Tax-Free Shopping Guide is an extensive application using your phone's location information to track down discounts and tax-free shopping locations in your proximity for various shopping categories such as fashion, jewelry, electronics, and more. This application also gives detailed information about each shop and how to get to it, by using your smartphone's map and location service. This app is available for both iPhone and Android users.

In Conclusion

For any travel destination in Japan, we recommend having some applications downloaded to your phone in order to receive the latest information on the places you're visiting. The apps will also make your trip planning convenient and fun.

All the applications mentioned in this guide are helpful tools for travelers who do not speak Japanese, providing information that makes navigation around the cities smoother.