Created by

Michelle Huang

One-Sentence Essence

Kaeru-chan is Akiya Collective's frog mascot/travel companion that invites people to explore rural Japan and its abandoned houses (akiya), serving as both an IP character and a research tool for studying stewardship.

• Why This Project Exists
• Why Sanctuary

Support needed now

Survey/UX Design

Support Received

Demo/Current stage

Kaeru-chans_Journey_Home (1).mov

Current stage: A participatory art/research project scattering 100 NFC-chipped 3D-printed frogs across Japan. Stewards carry frogs back to the makerspace in Komoro, logging "hops" along the way via a map-based app. Upon arrival, they complete a research survey on stewardship and connection to space. The app and survey flow exist but feel generic.

Project timeline

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• Ongoing - Making the research survey feel magical and delightful </aside>

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• Complete - Project Conception </aside>