[Roderick Aspiras]

Anyone in Japan who uses WP except me? I am using a L925 and an iPhone. I'm happy with WP but the google map app in iOS and Android is really useful. It gets me to where I want to go. However, WP has a lousy and useable maps in Japan. What gives?

[dermotw]

You ARE using the Nokia ones (Drive, basically), rather than the MS ones?

[xandros9]

You have some options.

There are third-party Google Maps apps.
Nokia has HERE Maps as default in their Lumias.
MS also has Bing Maps (just Maps) available too.

[amitnahar]

Waze is really good though battery eater it is.

[forked]

Try gMaps.

[Roderick Aspiras]

Thanks guys buy I have tried all you said and sorry but those a pretty worthless here in Japan as I need travel by train. Bing and Here maps as well as Waze do not do by train. I have used Google here and it is really very useful. So far I cannot ditch my iPhone here in Japan. My other phone is a Lumia

[vk1971]

It is a blasphemy but Google has waaaay better map compared to HERE or Bing Maps for my country. Even the map for capital city, Tbilisi is inaccurate in HERE and Bing.

[AnestisL820]

Maybe you are right but HERE Maps have helped me a lot when no data was available...

[vk1971]

Yeah indeed. Offline feature is fantastic.

[AG VK]

Thanks guys buy I have tried all you said and sorry but those a pretty worthless here in Japan as I need travel by train. Bing and Here maps as well as Waze do not do by train. I have used Google here and it is really very useful. So far I cannot ditch my iPhone here in Japan. My other phone is a Lumia

This is one of the reasons I cannot use WP. I travel a lot in Asia, mainly Japan, Singapore and South Korea, and WP maps are simply horrible. MS of course doesn't care and wants to port Cortana to iOS instead of fixing their maps.

[AG VK]

It is a blasphemy but Google has waaaay better map compared to HERE or Bing Maps for my country. Even the map for capital city, Tbilisi is inaccurate in HERE and Bing.

What nonsense. Blasphemy indeed. It's a blasted phone, just that. If it's bad for your needs, sell it or throw it away and buy some thing that fits your needs.

[SSgt Bruskowiz]

google is okay when online........
anything wat uses internet to navigate is imo no navigation.

but wat about copilot?

[foxbat121]

Yeah indeed. Offline feature is fantastic.

Here Maps has no offline maps for Japan where OP resides and South Korea where OP also travels to. Something strange with these two countries with relate to map data.

Since Bing maps also use Here map data, it will be the same.

[gomezz]

In the UK I find OS Maps is a useful adjunct to Here Maps including information such as farm names etc.

[Roderick Aspiras]

So a lot of you may appreciate. Here in Japan the best mode of transit is the train, subway, bullet trains etc. Owning a car is very expensive that's why Google maps has thrive here. It's very useful. I know a lot of people hate Google too but their maps is really good that's why they are not letting it port to WP. So there's a valid point for some of us to criticize MS for trying to port Cortana to other platforms. But again, Google maps is very very useful here in Tokyo. No problem with data because data is relatively cheap here in Tokyo and quality is very good. See google maps can even give you alternative trains to choose, its fair and time. Really good. Bing maps only have by foot or by car. I don't really understand why MS has completely left Japan. Too bad. WP will never see its light here if maps or something like this never arrive in WP.

[SSgt Bruskowiz]

Why you need a port to wp8.
You can use your mobile webbrowser.
Just enter in the searchbar google.maps and hit return/enter or whatever

[vk1971]

What nonsense. Blasphemy indeed. It's a blasted phone, just that. If it's bad for your needs, sell it or throw it away and buy some thing that fits your needs.

What are you talking about, Mr.? Where in my post you have quoted have you seen anything about PHONE?

[vk1971]

Here Maps has no offline maps for Japan where OP resides and South Korea where OP also travels to. Something strange with these two countries with relate to map data.

Since Bing maps also use Here map data, it will be the same.

That's weird. No japan and S. Korea in the offline maps? Are you sure?

[azcruz]

That's weird. No japan and S. Korea in the offline maps? Are you sure?

That is correct

[foxbat121]

That's weird. No japan and S. Korea in the offline maps? Are you sure?

Just go to your phone and try to add offline maps. You will notice those two countries are missing from the list of Asian countries.

[SSgt Bruskowiz]

Just go to your phone and try to add offline maps. You will notice those two countries are missing from the list of Asian countries.

That problem is just plain politics...........same as Germany and streetview

[AG VK]

That problem is just plain politics...........same as Germany and streetview

Not quite, but close. There are laws in Japan and S. Korea dealing with map data. In Japan, nobody but the government is allowed to create map data. All the information in Google Maps is not generated by Google but provided in partnership with the Japanese government plus companies like Japan Rail and Tokyo Metro. Similarly, in South Korea, try getting driving directions with Google Maps. It won't work, the button is greyed out. There the government does not allow Google to do navigation.

So. If Google can get these governments to play nice, why can't MS. You should see the level at which Japanese an S.Korean people love and use great products like Excel - MS has influence if they choose to use it and do the work needed. Clearly they aren't or they don't think it's worth the effort.

[foxbat121]

MS does not own any map data. Here map is not part of merge deal. It still belongs to the old Nokia.

[Roderick Aspiras]

I did try google maps on IE but it still is slow and selecting places is kinda hard

[foxbat121]

Your choices are limited:
1. wait for Google to release its maps app on WP. That will probably be a long wait (maybe when WP reaches double-digit market share)
2, Wait for Nokia/NavTeq to negotiate a better deal with Japanese Govn't.
3. Purchase a 3rd party maps app that works in Japan.