Comparison

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.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Shrine bowing etiquette explanation
  • Bow angle measurement
  • Standard Japanese usage guide
  • Cultural insights for Japan visitors
  • O-mikuji fortune telling
Features
Read full description

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

About

Tokyo Ward Map Puzzle

Features
Read full description

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

Bow Note4 screens
Tokyo Ward Map Puzzle4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
Bow Note versus Tokyo Ward Map Puzzle: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBow NoteTokyo Ward Map Puzzle
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 14 monthsEvery 9 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supported—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size60 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPlus Inc. (Japan)Naoki Chiba

In-app purchases

None

Bow Note

No in-app purchases

None

Tokyo Ward Map Puzzle

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Bow Note free?
Bow Note is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Tokyo Ward Map Puzzle free?
Tokyo Ward Map Puzzle is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Bow Note or Tokyo Ward Map Puzzle have ads?
Bow Note shows ads; Tokyo Ward Map Puzzle does not.
Which is updated more often, Bow Note or Tokyo Ward Map Puzzle?
Bow Note ships an update every 14 months, and Tokyo Ward Map Puzzle every 9 days. Most recently, Bow Note was updated on September 10, 2026 and Tokyo Ward Map Puzzle on September 16, 2026.

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