Bow Note vs Tokyo Ward Map Puzzle
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Bow Note
Learn the proper etiquette for visiting Japanese shrines. This app explains the angles and usage of different bows, and even measures your bow angle using your device's gyroscope. Enhance your cultural understanding and make your shrine visits more meaningful.
- Shrine bowing etiquette explanation
- Bow angle measurement
- Standard Japanese usage guide
- Cultural insights for Japan visitors
- O-mikuji fortune telling
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Great for visiting shrines! You can even get o-mikuji! Recommended for the following people! ・Those who are scheduled to, or would like to visit Japan ・Those who would like to visit shrines ・Those who have an interest in Japanese culture There are a number of angles to the bows used when visiting shrines, (though they are not the kind that the gods will punish you for not following) and it will make your visit more smooth to know them beforehand, as well as surprise Japanese people when you know them better than they do. This app also has the ability to measure the angle of your bow(*), making it quite handy. (*You will need a gyroscope in your device.) It also has an explanation mode, which tells you the standard Japanese usage of each bow. ========Credit======== Music & Sound effects: MusMus Sound effects: Digital Gene
Tokyo Ward Map Puzzle
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A map puzzle where you zoom in through three levels — all of Tokyo, its wards, then the individual towns inside each ward. Every time you place a piece, an origin card for that place unlocks. Nihonbashi, Ginza, Kiba, Kiyosumi — even names you already know reveal centuries of Edo-era history once you learn where they came from. FEATURES - Puzzles covering all 62 municipalities of Tokyo (the 23 special wards, the Tama area, and the Izu and Ogasawara Islands) - The 23 wards can be zoomed further down to the level of individual towns - Tap a piece to check its name (with read-aloud support) — reason out where it goes from the place name, not just its shape - Placing a piece unlocks its origin card, building toward a complete collection (origin cards now cover every municipality of Tokyo and every island, plus the neighborhood names of thirteen wards, with more wards being added over time) - Switch between three notations — kanji/kana, hiragana-only, and rōmaji — with read-aloud support for hard-to-read place names - No ads, no account required, and everything runs fully offline on your device Map data is based on the National Land Numerical Information (MLIT) and e-Stat small-area boundary datasets. Place-name origins are written independently, based on primary sources such as official municipal records.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Tokyo Ward Map Puzzle at none against Bow Note's shown. Tokyo Ward Map Puzzle also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 14 months). Bow Note's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On price, in-app purchases and device support 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.
Bow Note ships an update every 14 months, Tokyo Ward Map Puzzle every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 10, 2026 and September 16, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Bow Note | Tokyo Ward Map Puzzle |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 2 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 14 months | Every 9 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 60 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Plus Inc. (Japan) | Naoki Chiba |
In-app purchases
Bow Note
No in-app purchases
Tokyo Ward Map Puzzle
No in-app purchases





