Quote:
Originally Posted by TGO
Thanks for all your help!
I already own a European Garmin GPS, so I guess I would be able to install the Japanese maps on my device?
Would it be possible to continue to operate my device in my own native language while using maps of Japan or can the Japanese maps only be operated in Japanese? I can read and write hiragana and katakana but I almost know no kanji. So I guess I'm not skilled enough in Japanese to operate a "Japanese-language-only" device.
Best regards
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These days, most of the major Japanese GPS systems have an English option, including English voice navigation.
You may be able to install the maps on your device, but... Let me be honest - it would be near useless. I have seen devices designed for the European market with Japanese maps on them, and, well, it just doesn`t work. There is no way to input an address, and anywhere outside of inner city Tokyo, for some reason, they do not even HAVE the majority of the roads. The main roads are shown, but it is as if there is no zoom data at all outside of Tokyo.
You can see an example of what I mean on the link I posted - To be specific;
Zoomed in Tokyo with most residential streets and business information.
Compared to near where I live - the third largest metropolitan area in Japan.
They are both zoomed in the same amount, in an equally crowded city area. Garmin is close to useless outside of Tokyo - to the point that they even call it a "City navigator". I know someone who bought one assuming that it would be useful in such a big city as where I live, only to find that there were no businesses listed outside of Tokyo and Osaka, and that the main roads they DID have didn`t even line up in some cases.
You may find that if you leave Tokyo at all, the expensive Garmin map may be completely useless anyway.
And that is before the address issue. As the address systems are so different, you cannot do an address search if the system is not designed for use in Japan. You`ll need to find the address on a regular map, and then find it manually on the GPS... Not the most intuitive system. I`ve never heard of anyone sticking with it for more than a week at most.
