Comparison

Shinkansen smartEX App vs KoyaQuest

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

▼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.

About

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.

Highlights
  • Interactive Kōyasan guide
  • 12 location-triggered challenges
  • Detailed site descriptions
  • History and culture exploration
  • Observation and knowledge games
  • Leaderboard for scores
Read full description

“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

Shinkansen smartEX App4 screens
KoyaQuest4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Shinkansen smartEX App versus KoyaQuest: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShinkansen smartEX AppKoyaQuest
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.7 (576 ratings)5.0 (5 ratings) — better
Positive reviews17.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings576 — better5
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#164 — better—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS18.018.0
Further details — not scored
Size51 MB279 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperCentral Japan Railway CompanyKevin Collins

Customer experience

Shinkansen smartEX App

All ratings576 ratings
Positive16.7%
Neutral1.9%
Negative81.4%
Written reviews351 reviews
Positive17.7%
Neutral3.7%
Negative78.6%

KoyaQuest

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Shinkansen smartEX App

No in-app purchases

None

KoyaQuest

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Shinkansen smartEX App free?
Shinkansen smartEX App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is KoyaQuest free?
KoyaQuest is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Shinkansen smartEX App or KoyaQuest?
KoyaQuest is rated higher. Shinkansen smartEX App averages 1.7 out of 5 from 576 ratings, while KoyaQuest averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.
Do Shinkansen smartEX App or KoyaQuest have ads?
Neither Shinkansen smartEX App nor KoyaQuest shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Shinkansen smartEX App or KoyaQuest?
Shinkansen smartEX App ships an update every 2 months, and KoyaQuest every 2 months. Most recently, Shinkansen smartEX App was updated on September 25, 2026 and KoyaQuest on September 9, 2026.

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