Japanese translator app

Heard there is an app (not sure Android or IOS) for visitors to Japan who only speak English. Visitor speaks into his mobile in English, then hands phone to Japanese speaker and the app translates it into Japanese in both voice and text. Japanese person then answers in Japanese and hands phone back to visitor, the app will translate answer into English again both voice and text.I have an Android phone and my wife uses Apple and neither of us speak any Japanese. This app, if it exists, would be really helpful on our upcoming trip to Japan.

iTranslate app can do that. Though so far it doesn't look to me like the translations will be very accurate at all. Perhaps ok for very basic phrases (?)

You would be better off learning a few simple phrases like, Hello, Please, and Thank You than relying on an app.

It is not at all difficult to get around Japan, especially the tourist areas, with little to no Japanese ability.

There are many choices on both os, for android you can use google translator or jibbigo, I have used both and is consider ok, but not perfect.

Yes, as other posters mentioned, there are many of these apps available. I believe most leverage google translate for their translations and require an internet connection to work, although there are exceptions that are offline and/or use their own database. Generally though they are only as accurate as google translate, so not particularly accurate but mostly usable in a pinch.

My personal experience: Google Translate is absolute rubbish for the languages that use non-Roman scripts: Mandarin, Japanese and Korean.

[NTT DoCoMo do a Japanese translator app, but I'm not sure what it works on, or how good it is.]

You are better off learning the small number of basic phrases given on websites, in travel books and spoken on YouTube.

In addition to this, carry a mini travel dictionary containing useful words and phrases. ie. Lonely Planet Japanese Phrasebook.

If you need anything beyond that just google photos of things on your smartphone and show them.

Japanese spoken by foreigners is difficult for many Japanese people to understand as the tone, pace and places of emphasis is usually all wrong. In general, avoid attempting phrases. Use simple words, spoken clearly (in English or Japanese).

David, agree 100% with you that Google Translate is absolute rubbish for the languages that use non-Roman scripts. I do know more than a few words in Japanese but last time we were driving in Japan and tried asking for directions (outside Tokyo), it was just hopeless.
Now my friend told me about this app, actually he now says it's a mobile phone you can rent from the airport with this app already installed, he saw it on NHK English TV 2 months ago apparently and that mobile would really help me on our next trip.
Just called from my home country to Haneda airport inquiry and hopeless. The girl on the International Terminal inquiry desk could hardly understand what I am looking for and then gave me the number for the Docomo shop at Haneda but they don't speak English either. Such a pity as if it was on NHK TV, you would think such a device does exist but as so often it is so difficult for non-Japanese speakers travelling to Japan.