日本解説

About Japan Explained

Built by someone who has guided visitors through these places for years

Why we care

You travel to the other side of the world to stand somewhere in Kyushu that took centuries to build — and then you look at it, photograph the architecture, and move on. Maybe there is a sign in English: translated just far enough that no one can say it isn't there, but not far enough to actually tell you anything.

More often there is a single weathered sign in Japanese, or none at all. People hold up a phone and get back a machine translation that only half makes sense. You came all this way, and you leave knowing almost nothing about the place you came to see. Understanding shouldn't be the hard part — so we make it easy to reach: one scan, in your own language, the whole story.

You arrive somewhere beautiful. There is so much to discover — but all you find is an old weathered sign, hard to read, or nothing at all. So you reach for Google Translate. It gives you names and dates. But do you really understand? Do you know why this place exists, what it means to the people who built it, why locals still come here today?

That question is why Japan Explained exists.

The person behind it

Radim Jaksik, founder of Japan Explained

My name is Radim. I came to Japan curious about everything — and I never stopped being curious. For years I have guided visitors from all over the world through Fukuoka's shrines, temples and hidden corners. I watch people stand in front of something extraordinary, feel the weight of it, and then walk away without truly understanding what they experienced.

I speak Czech, Slovak, German, English and Japanese. I have stood at these places in every language. And I know that understanding something — really understanding it, not just reading a translated label — changes how you feel about it forever.

That is why I built Japan Explained. Not to translate signs. To make places mean something.

Radim Jaksik · Tour guide & founder · Fukuoka, Japan

How it works

We come to you

One of our team members visits your location in person, photographs every key point of interest, and takes time to understand your history, traditions and what makes your place worth explaining to the world.

Your guide is crafted in six languages

Using everything we have learned, we write warm, accurate cultural explanations in Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, and French — each one reviewed for factual accuracy and cultural sensitivity before it goes live.

A QR code does the rest

A small QR code is placed at your location. Any visitor with a smartphone can scan it and instantly read your story in their own language. No app. No download. No barrier.

What we cover

Japan Explained delivers multilingual cultural guides through QR codes placed at real locations. Every place is visited in person, every explanation researched and written with care, and every translation checked for cultural nuance — not just accuracy.

It has grown into more than guides. A free Festivals & Events calendar covers celebrations across Kyushu and Okinawa; the Discover section shares short articles on Japan's history, food and traditions; and an interactive map helps visitors find the stories around them — all in six languages, with no app to install and no tracking.

We started with Fukuoka's shrines, temples, restaurants, exhibitions, experiences and shops, and we are expanding across Kyushu and beyond.

Supported languages

Six languages. One QR code.

日本語

Domestic visitors across Japan

English

North America, UK, Australia, and worldwide

中文

China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore

한국어

South Korea — Fukuoka's nearest neighbour

Español

Spain and Latin America

Français

France, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada

Have a place worth explaining?

If you run a shrine, temple, restaurant, museum or cultural site and want international visitors to truly understand what makes your place special — we would love to talk.

See pricing & get in touch