Reading signs in Japan

I will visit Japan in april - would like to be able to read some basic Japanese - mostly just to get around by train, etc. Which lettering system should I learn first? Can you recommend a good book or system for Kindle?

To get around by train in Japan? English (Roman alphabet) will be fine. Due to the 2002 World Cup, Japan had to use English to most direction signs in rail transport. Most station signs will be in English, hiragana and kanji. But you should have no problems with only knowing English.

That's "on most direction" instead of "to most".

If it will be fun for you, then learn katakana and hiragana, and if you enjoy that, then learn some kanji, too. But don't expect this to enable you read most signs written in Japanese. It's not realistic to learn enough Japanese for that just with a few months of casual study. But that doesn't matter; you really do not need to be able to read Japanese in order to get around in Japan. Learning a little bit of Japanese will add a smidgeon of depth to your trip, just like boning up on Japanese history or reading about the culture will. But if you don't like studying, then spend your time researching places to go or things to do; this is equally useful at enhancing your trip.

No need.

Apps very smart already and easiest.
http://youtu.be/CXUfxyUYSgY

Voice translation,too.
http://youtu.be/Oi3xvGxupc8

Thanks for the replies - and I do enjoy studying languages. I was just in Indonesia where knowing basic expressions made me ever so much more welcome with total strangers. Even when I was in China 5 years ago I picked up a smattering of Mandarin which broke the ice for me with many people I would not have spoken to otherwise. But of course, it is much more important to read about the culture, history, and select the best places to visit and stay.