Avid travelers to Japan would know all too well about Shinjuku station's very complicated layout.

With over 200 exits and departmental stores and shops within the station itself, it's so notoriously confusing, even local Japanese people find it difficult to navigate their way out of the sprawling train station.

Using radio waves instead of GPS

Enter Shinjuku Station Navipo, a phone app that promises to make finding your way out of the station a breeze.

The app comes as a way to solve the problem of map apps being unable to provide GPS information when the user is underground.

The official site for the app says that instead of GPS, the app will make use of "invisible radio waves" and "atmospheric pressure in [an] underground space" to determine one's location.

When completed, the app hopes to be able to facilitate smoother travels for both local and foreign users alike.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism recently released an indoor digital map around Shinjuku Station.

This map is being used by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to develop an app to help travellers navigate the Shinjuku station.

Looking for testers

They had recently closed applications for app developers, but the Shinjuku Station Navipo is currently still looking for 500 testers to assist in the development of the app.

Specifically, the testers will need to assist the developers in a demonstration experiment at the station, within an area determined by the Shinjuku Terminal Council.

To qualify, one must have an Android phone and also be able to provide the company with information and feedback on the use of the app.

The experiment will take place from Nov. 25 to Dec. 24.

The deadline to sign up as a tester is on Dec. 17.

For more information on the app and experiment, you can visit the Shinjuku Station Navipo website here.

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Top image via Mister0124/Wikipedia and Shinjuku Station Navipo's website