Let Google Translate be your (food) guide.
Japan is notorious for its lack of international signages. The expansive Tokyo subway map, for example, is not always readily available in roman alphabet. In some stations, you are left to battle with an array of complex characters to try to decipher your way. See below:
If you ever lived abroad — especially in a country where your alphabet is not common currency, you probably became a loyal user of Google Translate & its life-saving “live translate” feature. The reassuring white and blue toggle with a prominent G quickly becomes your beacon of safety in a foreign environment.
For students, it is an interactive on-the-spot learning tool complementing knowledge. Personally, I can testify that Google Translate clearly improved my Kanjis learning experience. For a large community of ex-pats, it becomes an absolutely essential life item. In my case, my Tokyo companions and I were entirely dependent on the app for the most basic survival necessities.
Google translate’s feature includes typing, camera, handwriting, conversation and voice options. In case you cannot type or easily replicate characters, you have the option to turn on your camera and let the phone do the work for you. This feature allows you to quickly move between texts while instantly translating its meaning. It is a super useful feature when trying to crack a more significant chunk of information (nutritional labels anyone?).
Its interface design is straightforward; Home, with all the translation features readily available from the home screen. Saved, a screen to keep your favourite & most useful translations — and a very simple Settings screen. The app automatically links to your Google account and keeps a history of your previous translations. One of the previous limitations of the app was that it had to be connected to a cellular network to work, which can be proven to be difficult if you’re abroad. However, the latest update made it possible to use the tool offline by downloading a translation file.
So thanks to the fantastic features of Google Translate, if you ever find yourself in the Onigiri aisle in a Seven-Eleven in Japan, you can now whip out your phone, point your camera at the label, and be reassured that you will never have to accidentally eat a Natto Onigiri! (Natto: fermented soybeans, very good for your health but definitely an acquired taste. See a picture of Natto here)
