Shinkansen smartEX App vs KoyaQuest
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Shinkansen smartEX App
Easily reserve Shinkansen seats, hotels, and activities. Enjoy discounts for early bookings and flexible changes. Access station and train service information, and use QR tickets or designated IC cards for seamless travel.
- Reserve Shinkansen seats
- Book hotels and activities
- Early booking discounts
- Free reservation changes
- Select seats from map
- QR-Ticket and IC card boarding
- Fingerprint authentication login
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▼With the EX app, you can: - Reserve Shinkansen seats through the app easily - Discount for early booking - Reserve Shinkansen seats up to 1 year in advance - You can make as many changes as you need, free of charge, before getting on the train - Reserve a set of Shinkansen seats and hotel rooms! - Reserve activities, hotels and car rentals! - Select any seat from the seat map (*reserved seats only) - Information on services available in stations and trains - You can log in quickly by using fingerprint authentication. (only for compatible models) ▼ Main features - Membership registration - Purchase ticket/Reserve seats (time designation, train name designation, easy free seat reservation)) - Confirm reservation - Change and refund reservation (reducing the number of persons) - Display purchase history and receipt - Check, change member information - Display QR-Ticket for boarding - Designate or register IC card for boarding - Service status information (Link) ▼ Notes - Membership registration is required to use this app. For registration, personal information is required, such as member name, date of birth, and a valid credit card, etc. - Ticket purchase (reservation) payment will be taken from the credit card registered on the account. -- You need to register or designate IC card for public transportation (*) to travel ticketless with IC card. (*) Kitaca, PASMO, Suica, manaca, TOICA, PiTaPa, ICOCA, Hayakaken, nimoca, SUGOCA - You need the pickup code to pick up tickets from ticket vending machines, etc., at main stations of Tokaido Sanyo Kyushu Shinkansen, such as Tokyo, Kyoto, Shin-Osaka, Hiroshima, Hakata, Kumamoto etc. - Please do not use this app to make a seat reservation for Japan Rail Pass. - This service is available only in English. - For more details on this service, please see the website. *The email address below is for inquiries about application specifications. Please note that we cannnot answer inquiries about the service.
KoyaQuest
An interactive game and guide for exploring Japan's Kōyasan. Discover historical sites with detailed descriptions and engage in 12 location-triggered challenges to deepen your understanding of this sacred destination.
- Interactive Kōyasan guide
- 12 location-triggered challenges
- Detailed site descriptions
- History and culture exploration
- Observation and knowledge games
- Leaderboard for scores
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“KoyaQuest” is an interactive guide and game that visitors can enjoy while exploring the many fascinating sites of Japan's Kōyasan. Twelve centuries of history and culture in the palm of your hand! --- Located in the mountains south of Kyoto, Kōyasan (Mt. Kōya) is home to an active monastic center founded more than 12 centuries ago for the study and practice of Esoteric Buddhism. As the headquarters of the Kōyasan sect of Shingon Buddhism and the resting place of its founder, it is one of the most sacred sites in Japan as well as one of the country's most popular tourist destinations. “KoyaQuest” was created to enrich each visitor’s experience by providing detailed and insightful descriptions of Kōyasan’s many unique sights. The descriptions and explanations are the equivalent of a 300-page guidebook. But this app is much more than a guide: It features 12 location-triggered “Challenges” and Bonus questions, each of which is tailored to a particular aspect of Mt. Kōya. Some of these games test your powers of observation; some call for educated guesswork; some reward general knowledge; others put your video game skills to the test. (One will even bring you face to face with the ghost of a famous Japanese warlord!) All of them will deepen your engagement with the compelling history and significance of Kōyasan! These fun and informative games are suitable for all ages. If you think you can earn the coveted title of “Wisdom King,” be sure to make “KoyaQuest” a part of your visit to one of Japan's most unforgettable destinations! Users who complete all 12 challenges are invited to share their accomplishment with others by posting their scores and rank on our leader board. --- NOTE: While the place descriptions in the app can be used anywhere, the game features are only available to people who are physically present at Kōyasan.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: KoyaQuest at 100% against Shinkansen smartEX App's 18%. KoyaQuest also leads on rating (5.0 vs 1.7) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). Shinkansen smartEX App's advantage is ratings volume (576 vs 5) and chart position (#164 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
KoyaQuest holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 1.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Shinkansen smartEX App has 576 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 18% of Shinkansen smartEX App's written reviews are positive against 100% of KoyaQuest's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Shinkansen smartEX App | KoyaQuest |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 1.7 (576 ratings) | 5.0 (5 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 17.7% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 576 — better | 5 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #164 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 51 MB | 279 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Central Japan Railway Company | Kevin Collins |
Customer experience
Shinkansen smartEX App
KoyaQuest
In-app purchases
Shinkansen smartEX App
No in-app purchases
KoyaQuest
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Shinkansen smartEX App free?
Is KoyaQuest free?
Which has better reviews, Shinkansen smartEX App or KoyaQuest?
Do Shinkansen smartEX App or KoyaQuest have ads?
Which is updated more often, Shinkansen smartEX App or KoyaQuest?
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