Comparison

Digital Japanese Clock vs Gen

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

Head to head
About

Digital Japanese Clock

Experience the Edo period's unique timekeeping with this digital clock. It simulates the indefinite time method, dividing days and nights into variable lengths. Customize sounds, displays, and backgrounds for an immersive historical experience.

Highlights
  • Indefinite time method simulation
  • Customizable bell sounds (drums, cannons, cuckoo)
  • Multiple display options (zodiac, numerals, emojis)
  • Adjustable background color and font
  • Optional modern sub-clock display
  • Settings for time methods and display elements
Features
Read full description

A wadokei is a mechanical clock made in Japan during the Edo period. At that time, Japan used a unique time system called the "indefinite time method". It is a method of dividing the day into day and night and then dividing each into equal parts. The common people of the Edo period began their day's activities by listening to the "dawn six bells" about 30 minutes before sunrise and ended their activities by listening to the "dusk six bells" about 30 minutes after sunset. Naturally, the time of sunrise and sunset varied with the seasons, so the time of bell ringing and the length of the unit of time, ittoki, between day and night also changed greatly. But not only was this perfectly acceptable at the time, it was also an eco-friendly way of living that suited their body rhythms very well. This app is a digital representation of this indefinite time method. The hour bells can be switched not only to the sound of bells, but also to drums, cannons, cuckoo, pillar clocks, etc. The main display can be selected from zodiac signs, numerals, and emojis. You can open the settings screen by tapping twice on the main display or by tapping the settings icon. You can change the background color, font, time methods, show/hide sub-clock, etc. here. The sub-clock in the lower left corner of the screen can also display a modern clock. You can switch the display between 24 hours, 12 hours, numerals, and zodiac signs with each tap. Please use this application and experience the rhythm of life in the Edo period. Perhaps you will discover something good.

About

Gen

Features
Read full description

What year is Showa 5? A child was born in 2012, but what year is Heisei? Have you ever had any problems when converting from the Western era to the Japanese era, or from the Japanese era to the Western era? This app can mutually convert from the Japanese era name to the Christian era, and from the Western calendar to the Japanese era name. The Japanese era name that can be converted is from Meiji to Reiwa. On the top screen of the app, tap the Japanese era name or the one you want to convert to the Western calendar and enter it. Please select the Japanese era name by scrolling and selecting the era name and the year. Please enter the number directly for the year. You can check the converted history by tapping the history button. If you register frequently used items such as the birthdays of your parents, children, and spouse as favorites, you can easily check them on the Favorites screen. The app icon is designed to represent this year's Japanese era and Western calendar. If you place the icon in an easy-to-see location when you start up your iPhone or iPad, you can always check the era name of this year. In the free version, you can create up to 1 favorite and check up to 2 histories. If you want to create unlimited favorites and check 100 records, please consider purchasing the premium version within the app. ---------------------- Terms of Use and Privacy Policy: https://akikibai-laboratory.jimdofree.com/privacy-policy/

Screenshots

Digital Japanese Clock4 screens
Gen4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Gen at 12.0 against Digital Japanese Clock's 14.0. 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. Digital Japanese Clock sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Gen sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Digital Japanese Clock ships an update every 6 weeks, Gen every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on July 29, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Digital Japanese Clock versus Gen: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDigital Japanese ClockGen
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMihoko ArakiKei Suefuji

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Digital Japanese Clock

One-time1
  • No Ads$1.99
1 purchases

Gen

One-time1
  • PREMIUM$3.99

Questions

Is Digital Japanese Clock free?
Digital Japanese Clock is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Gen free?
Gen is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Digital Japanese Clock or Gen have ads?
Both Digital Japanese Clock and Gen show ads.
Which is updated more often, Digital Japanese Clock or Gen?
Digital Japanese Clock ships an update every 6 weeks, and Gen every 2 months. Most recently, Digital Japanese Clock was updated on July 29, 2026 and Gen on September 10, 2026.

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