Over time I have traveled to many different countries. Before the existence of the smartphone, I was guided through the conventional guides, which were often outdated and did not cover the entire spectrum of information that interested me. Over time I was guided by websites such as Tripadvisor and Google Maps to find places and things to do in the places I visited. When the use of internet on mobile became standardized, I began to prepare trips, especially with the Google Maps application, in which other users who had been in those places recommended hotels, restaurants and generally what to do in those cities.
Last year I had the opportunity to travel with my sister to Japan. With the Google Maps application, both on the computer and on the mobile, we create maps of what to do, where to eat and where we would stay to have good references when we got there.
Our first stop in Japan was Osaka, which we arrived by train from Tokyo, where the plane arrived. With Googlewe knew perfectly what Shinkansen train to get and how to go to the station. After checking into the hotel, we had already planned which restaurant to eat, and indeed we were not disappointed. From then on, on all our public transport routes through the city, the Google Maps app guided us.
In our next destination, Kyoto, a city with many corners to explore, we were able to find curious objects in shops in hidden neighborhoods of the city. In one of them I bought a beautiful and valuable Japanese steel knife to cut fish.
In the bustling Nishiki market, where there are a variety of small stalls for a drink, this is where we had an incredible Japanese egg sandwich, highly recommended.
Before returning to Spain, we visited Tokyo, an immense city that, to know it well in these current times, it is necessary to use applications such as Google Maps to guide you and find all the wonderful places that are worth visiting, from orienting yourself on the huge Tokyo subway to hidden basement comic shops in Shibuyaand trendy restaurants in the Ginza district. Thanks to Google’s Local Guide, we found the incredible viewpoint of the Tokyo City Council, which is free, and in my opinion the one with the best views of the city offered, well above other paid viewpoints. We also discovered the Korean District of Tokyo, where on the last night we opted to enjoy a Korean barbecue in the restaurant with the best ratings in the area.
In summary, that trip to Japan was a great opportunity to take advantage of the digital tools at our disposal to enjoy our trips to the fullest.
