Advancing inclusion
with four innovative
sign language CG services
Make information barrier-free with sign language CG avatars
KIKI has been appointed Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics Ambassador. (Oct. 6, 2023 )
Advancing inclusion
Service 01
KIKI
Connecting the world through sign language with digital human KIKI
Lifelike and expressive
sign language like you’ve never seen before
Sign language is much more than just hand and arm movements. It involves facial expressions, body language and the use of space to convey meaning. That’s why we developed KIKI — a digital human designed to closely resemble a real person, enabling rich and highly accurate sign language expression.
KIKI aims to become a symbol connecting the worlds of people with hearing impairments and those without. KIKI has served as the official ambassador for the Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics and as the image character for municipal sign language ordinances.
KIKI can be used across a wide range of platforms — from videos and digital signage to websites and exhibitions.
Please note: Real-time video generation is not available at this time. Videos are created based on text submitted in advance and delivered later.
STORY
I have a brother who’s three years older than me. When he was little, he lost his hearing due to an illness.
He became depressed, and we often argued because it was hard to communicate.
Fortunately, he made good friends and became much happier, often going out to parties in his teens.
There was a time I went to a festival with him and his friends.
By the side of the stage, I saw an interpreter signing rap music, and it completely blew me away.
I couldn’t believe how much passion and energy could be expressed through sign language!
It was more than just music or signing — it felt like the ultimate form of expression.
Have you ever wondered what the world is like for someone who can’t hear?
I think about it a lot when I’m with my brother — even if I covered my ears, I don’t think I would truly understand.
But everyone probably experiences the world in their own way. The sounds they hear might be different, too.
I love bringing together things that don’t usually seem connected.
I’m an interpreter—not just any interpreter—I want to bring my own style and fresh perspectives to share the beauty of the world with as many people as possible!
SUPERVISOR
Professor Yutaka Osugi
Professor, Research and Support Center on Higher Education for People with Disabilities, Tsukuba University of Technology
Dr. Osugi earned his Ph.D. in Linguistics from the University of Rochester in the United States. After returning to Japan, he worked for six years at the Japanese Federation of the Deaf before joining Tsukuba University of Technology in 2006. His areas of expertise include sign language linguistics and Deaf studies. He also serves as Vice President of the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf, the organization responsible for overseeing and managing events such as the Deaflympics and the World Deaf Athletics Championships.
Service 02
Sign Language Face Swap
Custom avatar face swap for signers
A privacy-conscious solution replacing sign language interpreters’ faces with avatars
“Sign Language Face Swap” is a service that replaces the signer’s face with an avatar while preserving their real signing movements from the neck down. Designed to protect privacy and portrait rights, it also provides custom avatar face creation tailored to each client’s specific needs.
Service 03
WE SHARE～ NEP Web Sign Language Service ～
Converting website text into sign language
One-click text to sign language translation
「“WE SHARE” is a one-click solution that turns web text into sign language CG videos.
Signers can choose from KIKI as well as other avatars.
Service 04
Single Vision～ NEP Motion Capture Technology ～
Motion capture with a single camera
Ideal for use in game and animation production
Using footage captured with a single camera, bone data for movements and facial expressions is extracted to create sign language CG videos. Faster and simpler than traditional motion capture, this process makes affordable solutions possible.
Why sign language CG services matter
With the legal obligation to provide reasonable accommodations and the increasing demand for information delivery in sign language, Sign Language CG services may play an important supporting role. Since Tottori Prefecture became the first to enact a Sign Language Ordinance in 2013 to promote the use of sign language, 591 municipalities across 40 prefectures have followed suit (as of May 2025). In November 2025, Japan will host the Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics for the first time, bringing greater attention to the need for accessible information for people with hearing impairments.
However, according to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, challenges remain, including a shortage of sign language interpreters, regional disparities in welfare services and difficulties securing younger interpreters.
Sign language CG services offer a promising solution to these issues. For many hearing-impaired individuals who use Japanese Sign Language as their first language, Japanese subtitles can feel like foreign subtitles to native speakers, with varying levels of comprehension. To ensure adequate information accessibility for a diverse hearing-impaired audience, both sign language (for native signers) and subtitles (for native Japanese speakers) are essential.
We invite you to use sign language CG services and join us in advancing toward a truly inclusive society.