Originally Posted by
gretchendz
Apparently, it's just you and me, but I had so many offers of help it almost became annoying. Must look particularly clueless
I may have had an unsolicited offer once; have a vague recollection.
But it is still 3-1 Japanese asking a gaijin for directions.
I spent my first 5 weeks in 2011 (well I left for maybe 10 days) without a phone, which really sucked.
Also back then Google maps did not even recognize some places unless you typed in hiragana. Any variation of romaji did not work.
p.s. It's all very good if you have been going to Japan numerous times for 20 years, but it's pretty tough for a first time visitor without a phone.