Relax Japanese-style with Yoritsuki

Here's an app I picked up early last week that's earned a permanent home on my iPhone. Yoritsuki* by HYBRIDWORKS places you in a (virtual) Japanese inn complete with a beautiful view.

More of a toy than a game, Yoritsuki lets you customize the scene's appearance and behavior. The main screen depicts the perspective of someone sitting on tatami mats and gazing upon a wooded pond through shoji (sliding doors). The doors are customizable: Choose from 15 designs, slide them open and closed or eliminate them entirely.

The time of day depicted depends on your iPod/iPhone's clock, and the season is determined by the date. Of course, you can opt to show winter, spring, summer or fall at any time. Birds fly by and chip, leaves fall in autumn and snow in the winter while the sound of rushing water is ever present. At night, fireflies (or "lightning bugs" as we called them in Scranton) fly past.

OK, Yoritsuki isn't all form; there's some function, too. With a tap, the mats and doors disappeaer leaving you with the nature scene and a 24-hour clock. Once you've come to appreciate the app as I have, pick up the additional goodies, like gorgeous Mac desktop icons and wallpaper for your Mac and iPhone/iPod touch.

Yoritsuki costs US$1.99 and is available now [iTunes link].

*Note: "Yoritsuki" is the name of a fictional inn.