Kyoto Unknown vs ComeToJapan
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Kyoto Unknown
Read full descriptionHide full description
Most Kyoto guides show you the same sixteen places. This one was written by people who grew up there and never left. Kyoto Unknown is a curated guide to the city's lesser-visited spots, the favourite coffee spot to unwind with a good book, the hillside shrine with no ticket booth, the local yakitori bar with the scary owner who makes amazing food. Places chosen and curated by local Kyoto-jin, and nothing else. There are no ads. No star ratings. No user reviews crowdsourced from people who visited once. The curation is the product. If a place is listed here, someone who actually lives in Kyoto thought you should know about it. What's inside Discover — browse places by mood or category. Filter by what you're looking for: a quiet drink, somewhere to sit without ordering again, a shrine you can reach before the tour groups arrive. Map — every place on a single map, with enough context to get your bearings without staring at a screen. Filter by category from the map legend. Saved — build your own shortlist or start from the curated collections we've built. Budget Planner — budget your trip by building a collection in Saved or starting from scratch. Estimated costs included for every place. More — seasonal guides covering five distinct faces of Kyoto across the year; a Kyoto festival calendar; practical tips for getting around without feeling like a tourist; and a short Kyoto-ben phrasebook, because the dialect here is its own thing and the locals notice when you try. Kyoto rewards the kind of travel that slows down. This app is for people who want to spend an afternoon in a place that isn't on the poster, talk to someone behind a counter, and come back with something other than a queue photograph. It is free. There is nothing to subscribe to.
ComeToJapan
Read full descriptionHide full description
Finding a trash can in Japan feels impossible — until now. Come to Japan is the only app with a crowdsourced map of convenience store trash spots, plus a gamified cultural guide to help you navigate Japanese life with confidence. TRASH SPOT MAP Japan has almost no public trash cans. Convenience stores (combini) are your best bet — but which ones accept trash, and where exactly? Our community map shows hundreds of verified spots across Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Sapporo, Fukuoka, Nagoya and Hiroshima. Add your own and help other travelers. JAPAN GUIDES Learn through real-life scenarios — not boring lists: • First Visit: trains, cash, vending machines, etiquette • Off the Beaten Path: beyond tourist areas • Considering Japan: thinking about moving there? • Moving In: the practical relocation guide • Work & Life: navigating Japanese workplace culture Each scenario puts you in a real situation, you choose what to do, learn why it matters — and pick up a Japanese phrase. 7 LANGUAGES English, Russian, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, French, Vietnamese. 100% FREE Trash map and all five Japan guides — completely free. No subscription. No in-app purchases. Ever.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Kyoto Unknown at every 2 days against ComeToJapan's every 5 days. On price, ads, 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.
Kyoto Unknown ships an update every 2 days, ComeToJapan every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Kyoto Unknown | ComeToJapan |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 2 days — better | Every 5 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 38 MB | 6 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Ben Monopoli | Victoria Kashlina |
In-app purchases
Kyoto Unknown
No in-app purchases
ComeToJapan
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Kyoto Unknown free?
Is ComeToJapan free?
Do Kyoto Unknown or ComeToJapan have ads?
Which is updated more often, Kyoto Unknown or ComeToJapan?
Other comparisons















