Japan maps in english

September 11, 2007 5:32 AM

Where can I get driving directions in Japan in English?

Tired Google all day, Im going from Yokohama to Hiroshima, if only I'd anted up for the GPS. :)

posted by nintendo to Travel & Transportation (6 answers total)

Not sure, but that's going to be a long ass drive.

Are you taking the toll highways? If so, you might be able to at least copy the routes of some of the highway buses.?..

Also, I don't think it's possible to make google.jp give driving directions instead of public transport, but looking at this map, it looks like the train lines more or less follow the major highways anyways (and you know you can change google.jp preferences to display in english, right? - works on the map/diretions too)
posted by p3t3 at 6:46 AM on September 11, 2007

Oh, and not sure how much you use google.jp maps, but the purpley-blue highways are the toll ones, and if you zoom in enough on the map, it will show where the toll points are too (purple yen symbols).
posted by p3t3 at 7:01 AM on September 11, 2007

I'm not sure how accurate it is, but http://local.live.com/ seemed to work for me. I've pasted the result below.

Route summary
Start: Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
End: Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan

* Total distance: 518 mi
* Estimated time: 8 Hours, 9 Minutes
*

* Driving directions

*

0 Depart on Local road(s) (West) (0.2 mi)
1 *Toll road* Stay on Local road(s) (West) (1.1 mi)
2 Stay on Local road(s) (West) (0.3 mi)
3 *Toll road* Road name changes to 466 [Daisankeihin doro] (0.3 mi)
4 *Toll road* Road name changes to Yokohama shindo (2 mi)
5 Bear RIGHT (West) onto Hodogaya Bypass (2.3 mi)
6 Turn LEFT (South-West) onto Local road(s) (0.2 mi)
7 Bear LEFT (South-West) onto Local road(s) (0.2 mi)
8 Bear RIGHT (West) onto Local road(s) (1.5 mi)
9 Turn LEFT (West) onto Local road(s) (0.1 mi)
10 Turn LEFT (South) onto Local road(s) (0.2 mi)
11 Turn RIGHT (West) onto Local road(s) (0.8 mi)
12 Bear LEFT (South-West) onto Local road(s) (0.8 mi)
13 Bear RIGHT (West) onto Local road(s) (0.9 mi)
14 Bear LEFT (South-West) onto Local road(s) (2.6 mi)
15 Bear RIGHT (West) onto Local road(s) (2.3 mi)
16 Turn RIGHT (West) onto Local road(s) (0.5 mi)
17 Bear LEFT (West) onto Local road(s) (2.5 mi)
18 Turn RIGHT (North) onto 129 (0.7 mi)
19 Turn LEFT to stay on 129 (0.5 mi)
20 Turn RIGHT (East) onto Local road(s) (0.1 mi)
21 *Toll road* Turn LEFT (North) onto 271 [Odawara-Atsugi doro]
22 Bear LEFT (North) onto Local road(s) (0.2 mi)
23 *Toll road* Road name changes to Tomei Expressway (180.5 mi)
24 *Toll road* Keep STRAIGHT onto Higashi-Meihan Expressway (12 mi)
25 Turn RIGHT (North) onto 22 (3.5 mi)
26 Keep LEFT onto Local road(s) (0.4 mi)
27 Bear RIGHT (North-West) onto Local road(s) (0.3 mi)
28 *Toll road* Road name changes to Meishin Expressway (98.4 mi)
29 Construction between Casnovia and Comstock Park (July 16, 2007 - September 28, 2007)
30 Keep LEFT onto Local road(s) (0.3 mi)
31 Bear LEFT (North) onto Local road(s) (0.1 mi)
32 *Toll road* Road name changes to Kinki Expressway (5.3 mi)
33 *Toll road* Keep STRAIGHT onto Chugoku Expressway (14.8 mi)
34 *Toll road* Bear LEFT (West) onto San-Yo Expressway (102.8 mi)
35 Keep LEFT onto Local road(s) (0.3 mi)
36 *Toll road* Road name changes to San-Yo Expressway (39.9 mi)
37 Keep LEFT onto Local road(s) (0.3 mi)
38 *Toll road* Road name changes to San-Yo Expressway (29.4 mi)
39 Keep LEFT onto Local road(s) (0.6 mi)
40 Turn LEFT (South-West) onto Local road(s) (0.5 mi)
41 *Toll road* Bear LEFT (South) onto Aki-Fuchu doro (3.6 mi)
42 Turn LEFT (South-West) onto Local road(s) (0.1 mi)
43 Bear LEFT (South) onto Local road(s) (0.9 mi)
44 Bear RIGHT (West) onto Local road(s) (0.4 mi)
45 Bear LEFT (West) onto Local road(s) (0.6 mi)
46 Turn LEFT (South) onto Local road(s) (0.1 mi)
47 Bear RIGHT (South-West) onto Local road(s) (0.2 mi)
48 Bear LEFT (South) onto Local road(s) (0.4 mi)
49 Bear RIGHT (South-West) onto Local road(s) (0.2 mi)
50 Turn RIGHT (West) onto 2 [Hirano bashi] (1.5 mi)
51 Turn RIGHT (North) onto Local road(s) (0.1 mi)
52 Turn RIGHT (East) onto Local road(s) (0.1 mi)
53 Arrive at Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan
posted by knapah at 8:35 AM on September 11, 2007

You're going to get so very lost.
posted by blacklite at 9:47 AM on September 11, 2007

I never had any problem driving on the expressways, other than having enough cash on hand to pay the tolls, which were the closest experience to a anal reaming I've ever had.

Just keep heading West, you'll bump into Hiroshima eventually, unless you hit Tottori or Hagi, in that case you're on the wrong coast and need to turn left.
posted by Heywood Mogroot at 10:26 AM on September 11, 2007

Check out Google Earth. I occasionally figured out how to get places in Vietnam with it, and the road database for Japan is much better.

But yeah, you're going to get lost. Hopelessly, soul-searchingly lost. Isn't that the point, though?
posted by borkingchikapa at 9:56 PM on September 11, 2007