Kappa Jizo: A Picture Book App Promoting Tolerance and Unity

An Interactive and Educational Experience for Children

In a world plagued by division and prejudice, it is crucial to teach children the importance of acceptance and unity. Renowned designer Kaori Hamura Long recognized this need and created "Kappa Jizo," a unique picture book app that encourages open-mindedness and respect for people from different backgrounds.

Kappa Jizo stands out from other children's book apps with its hand-drawn illustrations and interactive features. Children can listen to the story in English or Japanese while engaging with the characters and exploring a coloring page. By tapping, dragging, and pinching the characters and objects, children discover that they can form friendships with individuals who may seem different at first glance.

The creation process for Kappa Jizo involved meticulous attention to detail. Long began by sketching the storyboard and dummy book, which served as the foundation for the hand-drawn illustrations. After scanning the illustrations, they were meticulously colored in Photoshop. To bring the characters to life, each element was separated into layers for animation. Long utilized the Kwik extension software in Photoshop to create sprite sheets, ensuring smooth and seamless interactions.

With voices and music recorded in Garage Band, the sound files were seamlessly integrated into the Kwik programming. The pages were then published using Solar 2D programming software, allowing for the app's availability on both Apple and Android devices.

Kappa Jizo's technical specifications boast a resolution of 2048 x 2732 pixels, ensuring a visually stunning experience for young readers.

Long's dedication to creating an app without extensive programming knowledge led her to conduct thorough research. After exploring various software options, she settled on the Photoshop extension program called Kwik. The user-friendly interface and helpful technical support provided by Kwik made it the ideal choice for bringing her vision to life.

Despite the creative challenges being overcome with ease, submitting the app to the App Store and Google Play presented a different set of obstacles. Long had to continuously update the app to keep up with technological advancements and ensure its compatibility with evolving platforms.

Kappa Jizo is not only an entertaining app but also an educational tool that imparts valuable lessons. Through its warm hand-drawn illustrations and captivating music, the app introduces children to traditional Japanese culture and challenges their preconceived notions of mischievous monsters. By highlighting the innocence and purity of these folklore creatures, Kappa Jizo teaches children the dangers of bias and the importance of embracing diversity.

Kaori Hamura Long, the creator, illustrator, and voice behind Kappa Jizo, has poured her heart and soul into this project. The app was developed in Vermont, USA, with the manuscript and dummy book created in October 2007. After years of meticulous development, the app was released in June 2017 in Fukuoka, Japan, with an updated version launched in October 2020.

Kappa Jizo has received widespread recognition for its exceptional design and impact. It was awarded the prestigious Iron A' Design Award in the Mobile Technologies, Applications, and Software Design category in 2021. This accolade is a testament to the app's well-designed, practical, and innovative nature, meeting professional and industrial requirements while contributing to a better world.

With Kappa Jizo, Kaori Hamura Long has created an interactive picture book app that not only entertains but also instills important values in young minds. By promoting tolerance, unity, and respect, Kappa Jizo is shaping the next generation to be compassionate global citizens.