Tokyo – October 31, 2026 -- Travelers heading to Japan can download Naviu, an AI-powered augmented-reality travel companion, on iOS and Android starting November 1. The app answers questions about whatever is around you in any of 29 languages, based on your exact location.
A semi-transparent AR path guides you street by street
Naviu, a business under TANGLE Inc., uses patent-pending geospatial technology to place AR content and navigation accurately across entire cities. It does not require a visual positioning system. A semi-transparent AR path gives turn-by-turn guidance, and an AI companion walks along with the traveler.
The app also surfaces side-street cafes, local landmarks, and other places that conventional maps and guidebooks may overlook.
Point your camera at a temple, sign, or storefront and ask
Naviu combines several tools in one app:
- Ask-anything AI guide: conversational answers about any place, grounded in precise location data.
- Photo recognition: point the camera at a temple, sign, or storefront and ask what it is.
- Bespoke trip planning: itineraries built around dietary needs, interests, accessibility, and available time.
- Cultural storytelling: an optional companion mode that guides travelers street by street and narrates local history and stories.
AR experiences are already live at five Tokyo landmarks
AR experiences are available at Senso-ji, Tokyo Skytree, Tokyo Tower, Meiji Jingu, and Tokyo Station. Naviu also runs a spatial content network, which lets brands, cities, and creators place interactive 3D and AR content in the real world.
Jack Mead, CEO of Ashita Co. and Head of Naviu, says the hard part of traveling in Japan is not getting lost but standing in front of something remarkable with no idea what it is.
Naviu is available on the App Store and Google Play. TANGLE Inc., the Tokyo-based company behind the tour operators TOMOGO! and Untold Japan, is the company behind the app.