Now, language barriers, which are one of the most annoying problems to communicate foreign people, are being eliminated in the world where technology is developing rapidly. A portable translator machine, which have evolved considerably during recent years, can translate your voices into other languages with great accuracy and high speed. Here, I would like to introduce the best portable translator devises that are especially helpful for travelers in Japan.

What you worry about the most on a trip to Japan may be Japanese language, which is far from the familiar language for you. Japanese is used only in the island country and is looked on as one of the most difficult language for English speakers to learn. Here is the list of 5 most troubling problems topics which international visitors in Japan answered in 2016.

Communication with Japanese: 32.9%
Free WiFi: 28.7%
Less Signs: 23.6%
Transportation: 18.4%
Currency Exchange: 16.8%

As the statistics shows, a large number of travelers in Japan have trouble communicating with Japanese people since there are quite a few Japanese who cannot speak English or other languages. Even if you get lost and want to ask a direction to your destination on the road, not all Japanese can help you using English. Restaurants don’t necessarily have an English menu especially in rural areas though the number of the restaurants that offer multi-language menus is increasing. You don’t miss the chance to eat the delicious regional food, do you? You may need to ask Japanese people how to buy a train ticket and how to get to your destination. Above all, your trip will be more enjoyable if you can communicate with local people.

To solve those problems, you can choose this option: renting a language translator device with AI. The portable translator device change your English words into Japanese much accurately and quickly, which takes less than 1 second. And, you can rent it at a very affordable price in Japan. Here are 7 best language translator devices and translator rental companies in Japan. Let’s compare these points in the live translators: language, user friendliness, two-way voice translation availability, text translation availability, battery life and rental prices. You can also check translation accuracy and how each translator translates English into Japanese with 3 useful travel phrases like below.

Phrase 1: I want to go to Tokyo Tower by taxi, how much does it cost?

Phrase 2: Is there a recommended sushi restaurant near here? Budget is around 5,000 yen.

Phrase 3: I would like to buy a Shinkansen ticket from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka. Can you help me?

*Please note that this article contains affiliate links.

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1. KAZUNA e Talk 5

Rental rate: 199 yen + tax per day (Japan Wireless)

Language: 73 languages

User Friendliness: Just push a translation button

Two-way voice translator: available

Photo text recognition translator: available

Battery Life: 6 hours continuous use even with tethering

Translation Accuracy: ★★★★★

<Translation Results>

Phrase 1: I want to go to Tokyo Tower by taxi, how much does it cost?
Translation in Japanese▶︎タクシーで東京タワーに行きたいです。それはどのくらいしますか。(It translated perfectly.)
Translation in English▶︎▶︎I want to go to Tokyo tower by taxi. How much does it cost?

Phrase 2: Is there a recommended sushi restaurant near here? Budget is around 5,000 yen.
Translation in Japanese▶︎この近くにおすすめの寿司屋はありますか？予算は約5000円です。(It translated perfectly.)
Translation in English▶︎▶︎Is there a recommended sushi restaurant near here? Budget is around 5,000 yen.

Phrase 3: I would like to buy a Shinkansen ticket from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka. Can you help me?
Translation in Japanese▶︎東京から新大阪まで新幹線のチケットを買いたいです。手伝って頂けますか。(It translated perfectly.)
Translation in English▶︎▶︎I would like to buy a shinkansen ticket from Tokyo to shin osaka. Can you help me?

KAZUNA e Talk 5, one of the cutting-edge translator devices, translates your voice into other languages with both voice and text. You can communicate with another person in different languages including 73 languages by just pressing two buttons which smooth dual-directional translation. In addition to voice translation, it also has the function of image recognition translation. The camera on the device takes a picture and translates the text on it. Some companies offers the rental translator affordably in Japan.

2. Ili

Rental rate: 500 yen + tax per day (Ninja WiFi)

Language: 4 languages (from English to Japanese, Chinese, Spanish)

User Friendliness: Just push a translation button (but it does not have a touch screen)

Two-way voice translator: unavailable

Photo text recognition translator: unavailable

Battery Life: 2 hours continuous use

Translation Accuracy: ★★☆☆☆

NOTE: It doesn’t recognize a long sentence, so you need to tell a short and simple sentence. The voice is also hard to hear.

<Translation Results>

Phrase 1: I want to go to Tokyo Tower by Taxi.
Translation in Japanese▶︎タイヤにいくにいきたいのですが (It did not translate accurately. The sentence does not make sense at all.)
Translation in English▶︎▶︎I want to go to go to go by taxi.

Phrase 2: Is there a recommended sushi restaurant near here?
Translation in Japanese▶︎寿司の部屋のレストランはこの近くにありますか。(It did not translate accurately. Japanese people may be confused at the inaccurate translation.)
Translation in English▶︎▶︎Is there a room in sushi restaurant near here.

Phrase 3: I would like to buy a Shinkansen ticket.
Translation in Japanese▶︎新幹線の切符を買いたいのですが。(It didn’t recognize a long sentence like “I would like to buy a Shinkansen ticket from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka. Can you help me?”, so it was required to remove the second half of the phrase.)
Translation in English▶︎▶︎I would like to buy a Shinkansen ticket.

The simply designed language translator device without a screen, which is named Ili, is popular for its user-friendliness. It works with very limited languages but does not need to be connected to the Internet. The one-way language translator device is specialized for conveying what you want to say. If you have two devices and let someone use one, it is possible to communicate with each other in different languages. There are the Japanese companies in Japan that offer two-device rental plans at a special rate.

3. Pocketalk W

Rental rate: 500 yen per day (Tokyo Speed WiFi)

Language: 74 languages

User Friendliness: Just push a translation button

Two-way voice translator: available

Photo text recognition translator: unavailable

Battery Life: 7 hours continuous use

Translation Accuracy: ★★★☆☆

NOTE: It can accurately translate only until the first sentence.

<Translation Results>

Phrase 1: I want to go to Tokyo Tower by taxi, how much does it cost?
Translation in Japanese▶︎タクシーで東京タワーに行きたい(It didn’t translate partially.)
Translation in English▶︎▶︎I want to go to Tokyo Tower by taxi how much does it cost

Phrase 2: Is there a recommended sushi restaurant near here? Budget is around 5,000 yen.
Translation in Japanese▶︎この近くにおすすめの寿司屋はありますが、5000円くらいです(It translated with some errors.)
Translation in English▶︎▶︎is there a recommended sushi restaurant near here but it is around 5,000 yen

Phrase 3: I would like to buy a Shinkansen ticket from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka. Can you help me?
Translation in Japanese▶︎東京から新大阪にチケットを送ることができるものを買いたいです(It did’t recognize one of the most important words “Shinkansen”, which led to the inaccurate sentence. )
Translation in English▶︎▶︎I would like to buy a thing can send ticket from Tokyo to Shin Osaka can you help me

Pocketalk W, which has evolved from the former model Pocketalk, is one of the most famous portable translator devices in Japan. The AI two-way translator is available in 74 languages, and the wide touch screen allows you to visually communicate with text as well as voice translation. By using Pocketalk W online, you can experience more accurate translations with the latest engines in the cloud.

4. Ez:commu

Rental rate:USD 4.90 (539 yen*)/day (Sumo WiFi)

(*At a rate of 110 yen per dollar)

Language: 48 languages

User Friendliness: Just push a translation button

Two-way voice translator: available

Photo text recognition translator: unavailable

Battery Life: 8 hours continuous use

Translation Accuracy: ★★★★☆

<Translation Results>

Phrase 1: I want to go to Tokyo Tower by taxi, how much does it cost?
Translation in Japanese▶︎タクシーで東京タワーに行きたいです。それはどれくらいしますか。(It translated perfectly.)
Translation in English▶︎▶︎I want to go to Tokyo tower by taxi. How much does it cost?

Phrase 2: Is there a recommended sushi restaurant near here? Budget is around 5,000 yen.
Translation in Japanese▶︎この近くにおすすめの寿司屋はありますか。しかし、それは5000元です。(It translated with some errors.)
Translation in English▶︎▶︎Is there a recommended sushi restaurant near here? But it is around 5,000 yuan.

Phrase 3: I would like to buy a Shinkansen ticket from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka. Can you help me?
Translation in Japanese▶︎東京から新大阪までの新幹線チケットを買いたいのですが。手伝って頂けますか。(It translated perfectly)
Translation in English▶︎▶︎I’d like to buy a shinkansen ticket from Tokyo to shin osaka. Can you help me?

Ez:commu, a voice translator device, is available in 48 languages. It makes accurate translations since the device accesses to 4 translation engines at the same time and the AI in the device compares some translations. The portable language translator processes them so fast with 4G Internet. You can also use the device’s tethering as a pocket WiFi. It is so helpful in foreign countries.

5. Mayumi II

Rental rate: 500 yen per day (Lucky WiFi)

Language: 45 languages

User Friendliness: Just push a translation button

Two-way voice translator: available

Photo text recognition translator: unavailable

Battery Life: 7–8 hours continuous use even with tethering

Translation Accuracy: ★★★☆☆

NOTE: It can accurately translate only until the first sentence.

<Translation Results>

Phrase 1: I want to go to Tokyo Tower by taxi, how much does it cost?
Translation in Japanese▶︎タクシーで東京タワーに行きたい (It didn’t translate partially.)
Translation in English▶︎▶︎I want to go to Tokyo Tower by taxi how much does it cost

Phrase 2: Is there a recommended sushi restaurant near here? Budget is around 5,000 yen.
Translation in Japanese▶︎近くにおすすめの寿司屋はありますか (It didn’t translate partially.)
Translation in English▶︎▶︎is there a recommended sushi restaurant near here but that is around 5000 yen

Phrase 3: I would like to buy a Shinkansen ticket from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka. Can you help me?
Translation in Japanese▶︎東京から新大阪までの新幹線チケットを購入したいのですが (It didn’t translate partially.)
Translation in English▶︎▶︎I would like to buy a Shinkansen ticket from Tokyo to shin-osaka can you help me

The speedy interactive language translator device Mayumi II translates 45 languages via the best suited translation engine in the cloud to each language. You can communicate by not only hearing the device’s voice but also seeing texts scrolling conversations on the touch screen. You can select the type of reading voice from a man and woman and 4 levels of speed.

6. Easy Talk

Rental rate: 390 yen per day (Easygo Japan)

Language: 38 languages

User Friendliness: Just push a translation button

Two-way voice translator: available

Photo text recognition translator: unavailable

Battery Life: 8 hours continuous use

Translation Accuracy: ★★★★★

<Translation Results>

Phrase 1: I want to go to Tokyo Tower by taxi, how much does it cost?
Translation in Japanese▶︎タクシーで東京タワーに行きたいです。それはどれくらいしますか。(It translated perfectly.)
Translation in English▶︎▶︎I want to go to Tokyo tower by taxi. How much does it cost?

Phrase 2: Is there a recommended sushi restaurant near here? Budget is around 5,000 yen.
Translation in Japanese▶︎この近くにおすすめの寿司屋はありますか？予算は約5000円です。(It translated perfectly.)
Translation in English▶︎▶︎Is there a recommended sushi restaurant near here? Budget is around 5000 yen.

Phrase 3: I would like to buy a Shinkansen ticket from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka. Can you help me?
Translation in Japanese▶︎東京から新大阪まで新幹線のチケットを買いたいです。手伝って頂けますか。(It translated perfectly.)
Translation in English▶︎▶︎I would like to buy a shinkansen ticket from Tokyo to shin osaka. Can you help me?

Easy Talk, a useful tool to communicate with foreign people, especially Japanese in Japan, is one of the most fastest translator devices. You may communicate with local people with other translator devices smoothly, however, it is said that Easy Talk is especially fast to translate. You can see texts in both your language and another on the screen, which enables to communicate even in very quite places and too noisy locations contrarily.

Conclusion

	1. KAZUNA e Talk 5	2. Ili	3. Pocketalk W	4. Ez:commu	5. Mayumi II	6. Easy Talk
Rental rate	199 yen (per day)	500 yen (per day)	500 yen (per day)	USD4.90/539 yen* (per day)	500 yen (per day)	390 yen (per day)
Language	73	4	74	48	45	38
User Friendliness	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★
Two-way voice translator	Available	Unavailable	Available	Available	Available	Available
Photo text recognition translator	Available	Unavailable	Unavailable	Unavailable	Unavailable	Unavailable
Battery Life	6 hours continuous use (even with tethering)	2 hours continuous use	7 hours continuous use	8 hours continuous use	7–8 hours continuous use (even with tethering)	8 hours continuous use
Translation Accuracy	★★★★★	★★☆☆☆	★★★☆☆	★★★★☆	★★★☆☆	★★★★★

(*At a rate of 110 yen per dollar)

As you can see, every translator device has high specs these days. However, the standard of translation accuracy varies on the device. KAZUNA e Talk 5 and Easy Talk put English phrases into Japanese at a high level. If you rent a translator for traveling in Japan, the first option KAZUNA e Talk 5 is highly recommended for the cheapest price and multiple functions including interactive voice and photo text recognition translations. It is served by Japan Wireless, which also offers high-quality pocket WiFi rentals at an amazing rate. You will travel in Japan smoothly and comfortably with the language translator device and pocket WiFi! Here is the exclusive coupon code for Japan Wireless: JWWMTOKYO19.

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If you worry about communications in Japanese, you can hire the handy “translator” at much more budget prices than you take a professional translator. Many pocket WiFi rental companies also serve rental options of translator devices. You should not miss the chance to get the mobile WiFi in the cheapest way in Japan. For info about the comparison of pocket WiFi rental companies in Japan, check this out: Which Pocket WiFi Rental Company is the Best in Japan?

Complete to prepare for your trip to Japan with these helpful information below!

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