You will learn to interpret the VICS icons (red, yellow, green diamonds on the map). The manual translates the traffic voice alerts from Japanese to English keywords (e.g., "Juutai" means congestion; "Koutsuu jiko" means accident).

Armed with his laptop and the unofficial "English Manual," Kenji spent an entire weekend sitting in his parked Accord. He finally understood what the pleasant female voice was saying when he started the car: "Connecting to Internavi Premium Club. Please drive safely."

A: No – voice guidance is Japanese only. You can mute it and use a smartphone GPS as backup.