Oops! Japan #36 — Google Maps Can’t Always Get You Out （Googleマップの「出口迷子」問題） Why Google Maps Sometimes Fails — Whether You’re Walking or Driving


 Oops! Japan #36 — Google Maps Can’t Always Get You Out


（Googleマップの「出口迷子」問題）

Why Google Maps Sometimes Fails — Whether You’re Walking or Driving


⸻


English:


Google Maps is your best friend in Japan — until it isn’t.


Whether you’re navigating a giant train station or driving to a remote hotel, travelers report a common frustration: “I’m close… but where exactly do I go?”


🚶 On foot:


You arrive at a major station like Shinjuku or Umeda. Maps says, “You’ve arrived.” But you’re standing underground, facing 20 possible exits.


“I found the right platform, but it took me 25 minutes to find the right exit to the street.”

“One wrong turn underground and I ended up two blocks from where I wanted to be.”


🚗 By car:


Driving? Same issue. You reach your destination… but there’s no clear entrance in sight.


“Google Maps brought me to the backside of the hotel. I couldn’t find the entrance or parking lot.”

“I had to circle around the block three times to find the actual driveway.”


This happens because:

• Google Maps navigates to the general address, not always to a car-accessible entry

• In cities, many shops and hotels face pedestrian-only areas

• In rural areas, pin locations may not reflect parking entrances


⸻


What You Can Do:


For walking:

• Use Suggested Exits on Google Maps when available

• Follow station signage (“〇〇方面出口” is often clearer than app directions)

• Look up station exit maps online before your trip


For driving:

• Call or check the hotel’s website for parking instructions

• Use Street View beforehand to identify entrances visually

• If in doubt, stop nearby and ask — don’t rely on “you’ve arrived” to mean “you’re there”


⸻


日本語の補足：


徒歩でも車でも、Googleマップが最後の“詰め”で迷子にさせることがあります。


徒歩の場合：

• 駅に着いたが、どの出口を出ればいいか不明

• 地図は地上ベースで、地下街の構造には弱い


車の場合：

• 目的地の裏側に案内される

• 駐車場の入口が分からず、何度も周辺を回る羽目に


対策：

• 駅なら「構内図＋出口名」を事前チェック

• 車なら「公式サイトで駐車場情報を確認」「ストリートビューで下見」

• 日本では、“近くに着いた”＝“着いた”ではないことを覚えておく


⸻


Next up:


Oops! Japan #37 — IC Cards Aren’t All Equal

（ICカード体験の差に注意）

From smooth iPhone taps in Tokyo to awkward face scans in Kansai — your transit experience may vary.


次回予告：Oops! Japan #37 — iPhoneでSuicaは快適？ ICOCAの顔認証に戸惑う声も。ICカードの違いに注意！

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