Folklore Fusion – a CGI character project developed by students in Bachelor Media & Interaction Design at ECAL, exploring the creative collision between Japanese and Swiss folklore through the lens of contemporary visual storytelling.
Through the immense popularity of anime, manga, or global phenomena, Japanese narratives and visuals have conquered the world, shaping pop culture and popularizing themes from Japanese folklore in Western media. In this context, Folklore Fusion explores the creative interplay between tradition and modern visual storytelling with a cutting-edge CGI character project.
After an intense trip through Tokyo’s vibrant neighborhoods, rich history, architecture, and local legends, ECAL Bachelor Media & Interaction Design students created the Swijūs—fusion of “switzerland” and “Kai-Jū”—hybrid creatures blending Japanese and Swiss folklore. Each student focused on a specific district of Tokyo, merging its cultural and architectural identity with legendary figures from both traditions to craft unique narratives. By studying clichés and stereotypes, they reinterpreted cultural symbols to create an unexpected fusion between the two worlds.
Behind a seemingly naive approach, Folklore Fusion deeply investigates the capabilities of modular design system in both storytelling and visual language, following detailed creation guidelines that ensure balance between the two folklores. Much like a successful phenomenon expanding its range of media, the project plays with multiple cross-media formats that reflect how popular culture circulates in the digital age. It features an authentic trading card game (TCG) collection that easily fits into other existing decks, with various levels of rarity and immersive augmented reality (AR) content that brings the Swijūs to life. A magazine-style printed edition documents research inspirations, while an interactive online map allows exploration of a reimagined Tokyo where each Swijū watches over its district. Beyond paying homage and respect to Japanese culture, Folklore Fusion and its Swijū become imaginary artifacts of an era marked by cross-cultural influences and shared narratives.
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An interactive website showcases a map featuring every Swiju. It offers anecdotes, stories about the creatures, and project details Users can access the AR characters and read about their exciting specs.
Folklore Fusion Website
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Enhance your trading card collection with the unique Folklore Fusion booster pack, compatible with existing trading card games. This series of 56 exclusive bilingual Japanese-English cards introduces different types such as Creatures, Items, and Mana to seamlessly integrate with existing decks
Get your booster
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Explore the bilingual Folklore Fusion Japanese-English edition, a magazine-style book printed with metallic pantone. Serving as a visual archive, it compiles research, iconic imagery, and analyses to extend the project. By blending text, imagery, and AR content, it offers insights into the creative process behind the project.
Get your booster
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Scan any Folklore Fusion AR QR code inside the pages of the edition, and watch the Swijūs spring off the surface into your world. Each creature unfolds in full 3D, complete with animated flourishes.
Elodie Anglade , Théo Déchanez , Isaïa Delaplace , Viktor Gagné , Alexandre Gambarini , Ayten Gönel , Emma Grosu , Sasha Iatsenia , Odran Jobin , Jérémie Kursner , Mélanie Martin , Marius Parisod , Charlotte Pralong , Gary Sandoz , Julie Turin
Michiki Jamie
OCR-X by Maxitype
Heisei Maru Gothic by Adobe Originals
©2025 ECAL/University of Art and Design, Lausanne, and the respective artists and authors
Alexis Georgacopoulos
Matthieu Minguet
Fiammetta Pennisi (Head of Art-Science, Swissnex in Japan)
Kyoko Marumo Suzuki (Head, Science and Technology Office Tokyo, Embassy of Switzerland in Japan)
Anne-Mai Do (Project Manager, Science & Technology Office Tokyo, Embassy of Switzerland in Japan)
ECAL/University of Art and Design, Lausanne
HES-SO, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland
©ECAL 2025
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