From ECAL:
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.
In addition to the Folklore Fusion website, the project includes a trading card game, a publication, and an augmented reality feature. All set in OCR-X by Maxitype and Heisei Maru Gothic by Adobe.
