Folklore Fusion

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.