Akane Kikuchi
Akane Kikuchi (菊地あかね or Kikuchi Akane; born April 4,1988) is a Japanese designer, creative director and gesture artist. She is the founder and CEO of the Tokyo-based design studio KiQ and a recognized authority in Shosa-Logy, the study of gestures.
Biography
Born in Miyagi Prefecture, Kikuchi moved to New York at the age of 18 to study design and street culture. After returning to Japan, she immersed herself in traditional Japanese culture by training as a geisha in Tokyo's historic hanamachi districts. This experience shaped her approach to combining Japanese aesthetics with modern design.
She initially balanced careers as both a geisha and designer before becoming an independent art director. In 2016, she founded Akane Kikuchi Design, which evolved into the design studio KiQ (ki-ku) in 2020. Her work focuses on harmonizing art, culture, and technology to redefine communication through innovative, multidisciplinary designs and experiences.
In addition to her design expertise, Kikuchi specializes in the behavioral and leadership design of gestures (shosa). She provides personalized guidelines for artists, politicians, and entrepreneurs, establishing herself as a pioneer of Shosa-Logy.
Career
A passionate advocate for Japanese culture, Kikuchi translates the intangible values found in Japanese culture into immersive experiences. She integrates these ideas with technology to create original, globally relevant works. In 2020, she became a TED speaker, delivering a talk on "Unspoken Experiences," highlighting the global value of Japanese aesthetics and redefining communication through gestures.
In 2022, she collaborated with android researcher Hiroshi Ishiguro on a groundbreaking project, "Gestures and the Future of Humanity[1]," bringing gesture design to the field of robotics. This work has gained international attention for its innovative exploration of future human-android interaction.
At the 2022 Davos Conference, Kikuchi designed gestures for an android representing a Japanese politician, reimagining the behavior of future leaders. She has also been appointed as an art director and experience designer for the “Future of Life” pavilion at the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo. Alongside Ishiguro, she showcased work themed on the intersection of technology and culture.
In June 2025, Kikuchi unveiled ivi house, a living prototype in Fujimigaoka, Tokyo that embodies the concept of homes as interactive, emotionally responsive spaces. Developed in collaboration with Haseko Corporation, the project models a “living home” that supports sensory dialogue between inhabitant and architecture, emphasizing curved architecture, flowing spatial pathways, and ‘breathing rooms’ to cultivate mindfulness and emotional balance.
Kikuchi delivered a keynote session titled "Empathy Design in the Age of AI"[2] at the AI for Good 2025 Global Summit in Geneva, organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Drawing on her Shosa philosophy, she introduced Empathy Design, a framework for human–AI interaction that prioritizes emotional resonance, trust, and cultural context. During the keynote she presented projects such as ATR’s Future Dialogue installation, the Future of Life Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka–Kansai, and ivi House, illustrating how gesture, movement, and presence can shape the emotional depth of AI systems. This presentation reinforced her role as a pioneer in integrating Japanese aesthetics, robotics, and design to envision empathetic technologies for the future.
Major Works
2016
- Launched "TOKYO COLOR", a brand modernizing Edo yuzen dyeing with contemporary cityscapes and colors.[3]
2017
- Directed spatial and art designs for Lumine.[4]
- Collaborated with NTT Docomo on "OKINOSHIMA VR", an 8K VR project featuring the UNESCO World Heritage site Okinoshima.[5]
2018
- Co-developed "KIBIRO KABUKI", an AI robot featuring kabuki content, with FRONTEO.
- Presented "IKEBANA VR EXPERIENCE" at SXSW, a virtual reality project integrating traditional Japanese flower arrangement.[6]
- Collaborated with RIKEN on branding "SHINRA"
- Developed "FUREL", a universal design product showcasing Edo komon tactile patterns.
2019
- Designed TSURU, a luxury line created in collaboration with NOUSAKU.[7]
- Designed BLUE, a textile expressing the brand identity of the Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel.[8]
- Developed Gokuraku Jodo AR, an augmented reality project created with a Buddhist priest in Ojiya, Niigata, that visualizes the philosophy of the Pure Land to create an accessible form of digital sermon.
- Designed the branding for Fujioka Kindergarten, FUJIOKA’S EMAKI.
- Responsible for the branding of the wine label EXCECIEL.
2020
- Directed "KAISHI LAB", an IoT and robotics research facility at Kaishi Professional University.
- Presented "The City of Kasane", a conceptual design floor at Shinsaibashi PARCO.
- Delivered a TEDx talk titled "Unspoken Experiences".
2022
- Redesigned the UI/UX for the cosmetics platform NOIN.
- Co-developed "nem", a luxury sake brand, with Hirai Sake Brewery.
- Designed gestures for androids in collaboration with Hiroshi Ishiguro, including a Davos Conference project with the Japanese Digital Agency.
2023
- Conducted a public proof of concept in Shibuya with Taro Kono of the Digital Agency on the theme of Shosa Logy (the study of embodied expression).
- Directed architectural development in the metaverse with a major corporation, reconstructing the relationship between human behavior and digital space through UIUX design and Shosa based insights.
- Served as Creative Director for Sugi Pharmacy's experimental drug store, Sugi+ in Haneda Innovation City[9]
- Co-presented Shosa -Future Dialogue- at ATR in Kyoto with Hiroshi Ishiguro and research members.
2024
- Established an in-house lab to bridge creative work and R&D.
- Featured Artist for the "Future of Life" Pavilion for the Osaka-Kansai Expo.
2025
- Launched the living home “ivi House” in collaboration with Haseko Corporation
- Featured Keynote speaker at AI for Good Global Summit, Empathy Design in the Age of AI
Awards
2016
- The One Show Award
2018
- "IKEBANA VR EXPERIENCE" - Acer Windows Mixed Reality Best Award
2020
- Merit Award at Design for Asia for "Kaishi Professional University"[10]
- Japan Media Arts Festival, Jury Recommended Work[11][12]
2025
- Women Tech Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist for Women in Cloud’s “EmpowHER Access Award”
Media Appearances
2016
- February 24, Kamakura FM
2017
- November 25, Opening event for Digital Hollywood STUDIO Sendai, “Creative × New Ways of Working”[13]
- December 18, Mynavi Books, “Experiencing a Different Time Scale of Making Things, What ‘PLUS’ Means to Ms. Kikuchi”[14]
2018
- October 21, Creative X[15]
- December 22, JFN FUTURE LISTS, “From Black Culture to Geisha Training”[16]
- 2018 to 2019, wacai vol.01 to vol.03
2019
- NHK Ohayou Nippon
2020
- January, TEDx Official Speaker
- February 8, Judge for the 6th World OMOSIROI Award[17]
- September 19 to 27, Japan Media Arts Festival (Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- October, Knowledge Times, “Toward a World We Have Not Yet Seen”[18]
- December 18, +81 Magazine
2021
- February 23, Judge for the 7th World OMOSIROI Award[19]
- March 29 to 30, ASCENDANT JAPAN[20]
- MUVEIL Magazine
2022
- September 8, Ars Electronica[21]
- November 18 to 19, AOYA Conference
2025
- July 7, AI for Good Global Summit, “Empathy Design in the Age of AI”[2]
Further Reading
2022
- A Study on Impressions and Educational Effects of a Lecture System Using a Remote-Controlled Android Avatar (August 22, 2022). IPSJ Technical Report, Vol.2022-HCI-199 No.14[22]
2023
- Development of an Avatar Motion Generation System Based on Operator’s Linguistic Information and Prediction (January 16, 2023). IPSJ Technical Report, Vol.2023-HCI-201 No.8[23]
- Examination of an Avatar Motion Generation System Based on Speech Prediction and Intent Classification Using Large Language Models (May 31, 2023). IPSJ Technical Report, Vol.2023-HCI-203 No.3, Vol.2023-EC-68 No.3[24]
- Behavior Generation in Dyadic Dialogue Based on Diffusion Probabilistic Models Using MASK (June 2023). IEICE Technical Report, Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers[25]
2024
- Effects of Gestures and Negative Attitudes on Impressions of Lecturing Robots (January 10, 2024). HRI ’24 Companion, March 11–14, 2024, Boulder, CO, USA[26]
- Realizing New Communication that Fosters a Sense of Connection with Androids —Shosa— (July 20, 2024)
References
- ↑ "HI-06 with Shosaをリリースしました。 | NEWS". KiQ (in 日本語). Retrieved 2025-11-27.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Empathy design in the age of AI". AI for Good. 2021-07-30. Retrieved 2025-11-27.
- ↑ "デザイナー菊地あかねが東京に西陣織の織元と併設した業界初のデザイン事務所を設立。江戸友禅の東京ギフト、鯔背なネクタイTOKYO COLORを２４日に特別展示。". valuepress (in 日本語). Retrieved 2025-11-27.
- ↑ "DIC「日本の伝統色」とのコラボで「夏いろ、ルミネ。」 を菊地あかねデザイン事務所がプロデュース。ルミネ池袋にて8月21日（日）まで開催中！". valuepress (in 日本語). Retrieved 2025-11-27.
- ↑ "デザイナー菊地あかねが東京に西陣織の織元と併設した業界初のデザイン事務所を設立。江戸友禅の東京ギフト、鯔背なネクタイTOKYO COLORを２４日に特別展示。". valuepress (in 日本語). Retrieved 2025-11-27.
- ↑ "VR空間で日本の文化「いけばな」が体験できるコンテンツを米国イベントSXSW2018に出展します". プレスリリース・ニュースリリース配信シェアNo.1｜PR TIMES (in 日本語). 2018-03-06. Retrieved 2025-11-27.
- ↑ "小皿 - TSURU｜錫製雑貨・酒器の通販は能作オンラインショップ【公式】". 能作公式オンラインショップ (in 日本語). Retrieved 2025-11-27.
- ↑ "CERULEAN TOWER TOKYU HOTEL | WORKS". KiQ (in 日本語). Retrieved 2025-11-27.
- ↑ "「スギ薬局 羽田イノベーションシティ店」9月28日（木）開店のお知らせ". 《公式》HANEDA INNOVATION CITY -羽田イノベーションシティ- (in 日本語). 2023-09-23. Retrieved 2025-11-27.
- ↑ "米山キャンパスのサイン計画及びアートがアジアのデザイン賞を受賞しました！ | 【公式】開志専門職大学｜ビジネス・起業・IoT・データサイエンス・アニメ・マンガのプロになる。【公式】開志専門職大学｜ビジネス・起業・IoT・データサイエンス・アニメ・マンガのプロになる。". 開志専門職大学 (in 日本語). Retrieved 2025-11-27.
- ↑ "極楽浄土AR". 文化庁メディア芸術祭 - JAPAN MEDIA ARTS FESTIVAL (in 日本語). Retrieved 2025-11-27.
- ↑ "文化庁メディア芸術祭 - JAPAN MEDIA ARTS FESTIVAL". 文化庁メディア芸術祭 - JAPAN MEDIA ARTS FESTIVAL (in 日本語). Retrieved 2025-11-27.
- ↑ "仙台市共催による『デジタルハリウッドSTUDIO仙台』オープニングイベント「クリエイティブ×新しい働き方」11/25に開催". プレスリリース・ニュースリリース配信シェアNo.1｜PR TIMES (in 日本語). 2017-11-09. Retrieved 2025-11-27.
- ↑ "早さだけじゃない、ものづくりの時間軸を体感|WD Online". book.mynavi.jp (in 日本語). Retrieved 2025-11-27.
- ↑ "デザインの未来を考えるイベント「CREATIVE X」第2弾を10/21(日)に六本木で開催します。". 株式会社LIG(リグ)｜DX支援・システム開発・Web制作 (in 日本語). 2018-10-11. Retrieved 2025-11-27.
- ↑ "Future－lists|【音声】ブラックカルチャーから芸者修行へ|AuDee（オーディー）". AuDee（オーディー） | 音声コンテンツプラットフォーム (in 日本語). Retrieved 2025-11-27.
- ↑ "世界にＯＭＯＳＩＲＯＩ（面白い）を広める「Ｗｏｒｌｄ ＯＭＯＳＩＲＯＩ Ａｗａｒｄ 6ｔｈ.」の受賞者を本日発表". プレスリリース・ニュースリリース配信シェアNo.1｜PR TIMES (in 日本語). 2019-12-18. Retrieved 2025-11-27.
- ↑ "まだ知らない新しい世界へ | ナレッジタイムズ Knowledge Times". ナレッジキャピタル公式サイト (in 日本語). Retrieved 2025-11-27.
- ↑ "World OMOSIROI Award | ナレッジキャピタル". ワールドオモシロイアワード (in 日本語). Retrieved 2025-11-27.
- ↑ "ASCENDANT JAPAN出演のお知らせ | NEWS". KiQ (in 日本語). Retrieved 2025-11-27.
- ↑ "Humanity of the Future". Welcome to Planet B (in Deutsch). Retrieved 2025-11-27.
- ↑ Naoki, Kodani; Takahisa, Uchida; Nahoko, Kameo; Kurima, Sakai; Tomo, Funayama; Takashi, Minato; Akane, Kikuchi; Hiroshi, Ishiguro (2022). "Study on Impression and Educational Effect of Lecture by Teleoperated Android Avatar". 情報処理学会研究報告(Web). 2022 (HCI-199): 2022–199.
- ↑ 小谷, 尚輝; 内田, 貴久; 境, くりま; 船山, 智; 港, 隆史; 菊地, あかね; 石黒, 浩 (2023-01-09). "操作者の言語情報と予測に基づくアバター動作生成システムの開発". 研究報告ヒューマンコンピュータインタラクション（HCI） (in 日本語). 2023-HCI-201 (8): 1–7. ISSN 2188-8760.
- ↑ 小谷尚輝; 内田貴久; 境くりま; 船山智; 港隆史; 菊地あかね; 石黒浩 (2023). "大規模言語モデルによる発話予測と意図分類に基づくアバターの動作生成システムの検討". 情報処理学会研究報告(Web) (in 日本語). 2023 (HCI-203): 2023–203.
- ↑ 岡留有哉; 中村泰 (2023). "MASKを用いた拡散確率モデルに基づく二者対話における振る舞い生成". 電子情報通信学会技術研究報告(Web) (in 日本語). 123 (90(NC2023 1-24)): 121–128. ISSN 2432-6380.
- ↑ Japan Science and Technology Agency. "石黒 浩 (Hiroshi Ishiguro) - Effects of Gestures and Negative Attitudes on Impressions of Lecturing Robots - 論文 - researchmap". researchmap.jp (in 日本語). Retrieved 2025-11-27.
External Links
- Official KiQ Website
- Akane Kikuchi on Instagram
- Akane Kikuchi on TwitterLua error in Module:WikidataCheck at line 23: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
- Akane Kikuchi on Facebook
- KiQ radio - Podcast
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