# Animal Giga Scroll

> Interactive digital reproduction of ancient Japanese animal caricature scrolls. (iPhone/iPad app by JUGEND LLC..)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/animal-giga-scroll/id452189325 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [JUGEND LLC.](https://appshunter.io/developer/452189328)
- Category: Books, Entertainment
- Price: Free
- Rating: 4.70/5 from 3 App Store ratings · 7 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 12+
- Requires: iOS 8.0 · 109 MB
- Languages: American English, Japanese
- Released: 2011-08-02
- Data updated: 2026-07-16
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/animal-giga-scroll/id452189325/reviews.md

## What is Animal Giga Scroll?

Medieval Japanese hand scrolls, brought back to life on your iPad.  

Animal Giga Scroll (Animal Caricature Scroll, Scroll of Frolicking Animals) is a Japanese well-loved National Treasure, commonly called Choju Giga. Famous for its humorous depictions of various animals acting like humans, sometimes called the first Manga.

The Choju Giga consists of four separate scrolls drawn in ink on papers, and this App contains the first two scrolls supposedly drawn in the middle of the 12th century.

Scroll A, measuring 30.4cm × 11.5m (1 × 38ft), is the most famous and beloved, consisting entirely of caricatures of animals.
Scroll B, measuring 30.6cm × 12.2m (1 × 40ft), consists of depictions of various animals, both real and mythical.

Though they have no stories, and been disordered during the long-term preservation, the vivacity of the action and the sinuous elegance of the brush strokes are still outstanding.


- Swipe to view, and let the medieval animals frolic again.
- Pinch to zoom-in, and enjoy the high quality of draftsmanship.

* TEXT IN JAPANESE ONLY...

## Key features

- View medieval Japanese animal scrolls
- Swipe to navigate
- Pinch to zoom
- High-quality ink drawings
- Interactive digital art

## Recent user reviews (7 of 7)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/animal-giga-scroll/id452189325/reviews.md

### 5/5 — More please

*2018-09-18*

There was a 12th or 13th century scroll similar to this on display in the museum in Kyoto, Japan.
It had anthropomorphic animals of the Zodiac, in this same pictorial narrative style.  It’s absolutely fabulous.  
Does anybody know it?

### 5/5 — Thank you!

*2017-02-17*

This is beautiful, a great chance to study and enjoy this treasure.  What a great use of technology.

### 4/5 — Love This App

*2015-05-04*

This is a fabulous app that allows you to view the first two scrolls of the Choju Giga as many times as you want and as slow as you want.  It's great for anyone studying this illustration technique from the 12th Century.  It's also great for folks like me who visited Japan, fell in love with these illustrations and collected many items bearing these drawings.  My only negative is that there is no English translation.

### 5/5 — Frolicking Animals scroll

*2015-04-05*

Great app.You can see both scrolls...tap the top left and tap the ying/yang symbol to get to scroll B. Tap the < symbol to let the scroll move on it's own and tap the rectangle with 3 dots to get the explanation in Japanese, with thumbnails.  

You can enjoy this wonderful scroll without knowing Japanese...I am sure Wikipedia would have lots of information on it. It is also very easy to recognize what the animals are doing.   It is truly a National Treasure.  I thank the publisher for making it a free app to be looked art and marvelled at by many who may not know of it, but also those that do.

### 5/5 — Beautiful!

*2014-05-20*

I don't mind the interface being in Japanese, but having an English option would certainly bring this beautiful artwork to a wider audience.

Please consider adding auto-scroll, so we can view it like a movie.

### 3/5 — In English please!

*2011-11-18*

This a very good way to promote Japanese treasures, but what is the point of having it ONLY in Japanese when the name of the App is in English!

### 5/5 — Amazing app!

*2011-09-03*

Quality of the image is very high. But I didn't find the way to switch from Japanese to English(

## Frequently asked questions about Animal Giga Scroll

### What is Animal Giga Scroll?

Animal Giga Scroll is an interactive digital application that brings to life ancient Japanese hand scrolls, known as Choju Giga. These scrolls feature humorous depictions of animals acting like humans and are considered by some to be the first manga.

### What content is included in Animal Giga Scroll?

The app contains the first two scrolls of the Choju Giga, believed to have been drawn in the mid-12th century. Scroll A is famous for its animal caricatures, while Scroll B depicts both real and mythical animals.

### How do I interact with the scrolls in Animal Giga Scroll?

You can swipe left or right to view the scrolls and pinch to zoom in on the details. This allows you to experience the vivacity of the action and the elegance of the brush strokes.

### Is Animal Giga Scroll available on multiple devices?

Currently, Animal Giga Scroll is only supported on iPads. This allows for an optimal viewing experience of the detailed scroll artwork.

### What is the age rating for Animal Giga Scroll?

Animal Giga Scroll has an age rating of 12+. This is due to the nature of its content, which may be more appreciated by older audiences interested in art and history.

### How often is Animal Giga Scroll updated?

Animal Giga Scroll was last updated on October 19, 2014, with version 1.2. It was originally released on August 2, 2011.

### Does Animal Giga Scroll have ads?

No, Animal Giga Scroll does not contain advertisements. As a free application, it provides an uninterrupted viewing experience of the artwork.

### What languages does Animal Giga Scroll support?

The text within Animal Giga Scroll is exclusively in Japanese. While the artwork is universally understandable, the descriptive text is not translated.

## Version history (last 3 releases)

### 1.2 — 2014-10-19

This app has been updated by Apple to display the Apple Watch app icon.

＊ Auto-scroll with variable speed.
＊ Thumbnail view to tap and see details.
＊ Improved display performance when scrolling image.

### 1.1 — 2012-09-25

- Updated for Retina Display compatibility
- App size reduced

### 1.0 — 2011-08-01

No release notes.

## Apps similar to Animal Giga Scroll

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [BOOKSCAN for iPad](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookscan-for-ipad/id441217648) | 2.3 (3) | Free | Books |
| [帝国書院](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id6745578086) | — | Free | Books |
| [SORARI - nonAD](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sorari-nonad/id1587550683) | — | $1.99 | Books |
| [帝國圖書館](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id963604056) | — | Free | Books |
| [neo文庫](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/neo/id525695233) | — | $3.99 | Books |
| [iBunkoHD](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ibunkohd/id369111608) | 4.0 (7) | $6.99 | Books |

## More apps by JUGEND LLC.

- [Jerusalem: William Blake's Illuminated Book](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jerusalem-william-blakes-illuminated-book/id638055405)
- [Songs of Innocence and of Experience: William Blake's Illuminated Book](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/songs-of-innocence-and-of-experience-william-blakes-illuminated-book/id834258289)
- [Animal Giga Scroll for iPhone](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/animal-giga-scroll-for-iphone/id987070313)

All apps by JUGEND LLC.: https://appshunter.io/developer/452189328

---

*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-07-16.*