STORYWALK Stories 日本語 EN Download on the App Store

Stand in the place.
Hear what happened there.

The story of the place in front of you — in English.

Download on the App Store

For iPhone. Chapter one is free.

The narration page: Itsukushima Shrine, the corridors and the great torii, Miyajima
▶ Tap to hear it (about 1 min · sound on)The rest is in the app.
Insight

Places you know. Stories you don’t.

You’ve seen the photos. You probably haven’t heard what happened right where you’re standing.

Kaminarimon, the Thunder Gate of Senso-ji, Asakusa
Tokyo — Kaminarimon, Asakusa
1960 — for 95 years, no gate stood here
It burned down in 1865. For 95 years, no gate stood here at all.
It looks as if it has always been here. It burned down in 1865, and for 95 years no gate stood here at all. The one you walk through today went up in 1960, the gift of a businessman giving thanks for his recovery.
Himeji Castle
Himeji — the castle and Otemae-dori
1955 — a straight street built to frame the castle
It looks like samurai-era planning. It isn’t — the street was finished in 1955.
Step out of the station and the white castle waits at the end of a dead-straight street. It looks like samurai-era planning. It isn’t — the street was finished in 1955.
How it feels

Walk. Find. Listen. Go deeper.

Eyes on the place, ears on the narrator.

The route to Itsukushima Shrine, 212 m to go
01 — WALK

Walk

The route and distance to the next chapter.

“You have arrived” and the Hear the story button
02 — FIND

Find

When you arrive, a chime sounds and the chapter unlocks.

The narration page: the sentence being read lights up
03 — LISTEN

Listen

About a minute per chapter, in English. Replay it anywhere — even on the train home.

Highlights here: each with its kind, its Japanese name and its reading
04 — GO DEEPER

Go deeper

Every gate, hall and path along the way, named for you. Curious? Ask the narrator.

A real story

Kyoto’s Fushimi Inari, past the famous gates.

Five chapters, from the great gate to the summit of the mountain. About 2.5 hours, on foot.

The story screen in the app: Fushimi Inari, the Mountain of the Senbon Torii
  1. 01
    Romon, the Great Gate of Fushimi Inari
    Azuchi-Momoyama — even Hideyoshi came here to pray
    🎧 ~1 min
  2. 02
    Senbon Torii, the Thousand Gates
    Edo — a queue of thank-yous for wishes that came true
    🎧 ~1.5 min
  3. 03
    Okusha Hohaisho & the Omokaru Stone
    711 — the god is the mountain, not a hall
    🎧 ~1 min
  4. 04
    Yotsutsuji Crossing
    Late Edo — the same view the travelers of the day had
    🎧 ~1.5 min
  5. 05
    Ichinomine, the Summit & Suehiro Okami
    Meiji — a summit filled with 10,000 prayers
    🎧 ~1.5 min
PEOPLE
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Warlord who unified Japan
Omandokoro
Hideyoshi’s mother

Finish a walk, and the people and eras you met join your record.

Non-fiction

We don’t rewrite history.

Nothing made up.
It actually happened — that’s what makes it interesting.

Sources

Based on official sources from temples, shrines and local governments.

For example: Fushimi Inari Taisha, Miyajima Tourist Association, Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs, Himeji City, Kamakura City Tourism Association

Compare

Deeper than the signs. Easier than a tour.

Hear the story, and the same view looks different. No booking — just your phone.

SignsGuided tourSTORYWALK
Price Free Thousands of yenper person Chapter one freeThen one price per story — no subscription
Language Often Japanese only Depends on the guide In EnglishEvery story, every chapter
When Anytime Booked date, set start time Whenever you likeNo booking
Pace Your own Follow the group Your own paceStop anytime, pick up later
Story Names and datesRarely the why Once. Miss it and it’s gone Told as a storyReplay any chapter you’ve opened
Ask No one to ask Hard in a group Ask the narratorRight there, on your own
Stories

Stories across Japan.

From Hokkaido to Okinawa.

New ones keep coming.

Asakusa: Where Edo Came to PlayTokyo
Miyajima and KiyomoriHiroshima
Goryokaku: The Star That Lost to the SeaHokkaido
Izumo: Land of the GodsShimane
TakachihoMiyazaki
Kyoto: Silver Pavilion, No Silver FoundKyoto
Shuri: The Gate Even the King Did Not PassOkinawa
Goryokaku: The Star That Lost to the SeaHokkaido Asakusa: Where Edo Came to PlayTokyo Izumo: Land of the GodsShimane Kyoto: Silver Pavilion, No Silver FoundKyoto Miyajima and KiyomoriHiroshima TakachihoMiyazaki Shuri: The Gate Even the King Did Not PassOkinawa
See all stories ›
Q&A

Before you go.

How long does a story take?

Most take 1–3 hours. You walk 3 to 6 chapters in order. Stop anytime — next time, you pick up where you left off.

How much is it?

Chapter one is free. The rest of a story is a one-time purchase. No subscription.

Do I need to know Japanese history?

No. Each chapter starts from what’s in front of you, and a tap on “In plain words” retells it simply. Curious about a name? Ask the narrator, right there.

Is everything in English?

Yes. Every story is narrated in English, chapter by chapter — and you can ask the narrator questions in English, too.

Will it work with a weak signal?

When you start walking, the app loads the rest of the chapters ahead of time, so the narration keeps playing even where the signal is weak. The map and questions to the narrator need a connection. Each chapter’s audio is about 1–2 MB.

Is there an Android version?

Not yet — iPhone only for now.

Start walking

Next time, walk with a story.

Download on the App Store

For iPhone. Chapter one is free.

See what stories there are ›

For cities & venues

For cities and venues

We create a story for your area that visitors hear on the spot — a way to spread foot traffic across your town.
support@storywalk.jp