Example Research Questions

How does temporary stewardship of a symbolic object (the frog) influence perceived belonging and responsibility toward rural spaces?
What design nudges (visibility, ritual, narrative framing) most effectively sustain participation in decentralized cultural networks?
Do playful symbolic interactions (frog journeys) generate measurable increases in place attachment comparable to traditional interventions (murals, festivals)?
How do participants narrate their experience of “hosting” the frog? Does it shape identity, memory, or future intention to return?
Can low-cost symbolic rituals (frog tokens) function as scalable tools for rural revitalization and social R&D?

Core Hypotheses

Place Attachment
- H1: Participants who steward the frog report stronger attachment to akiya spaces than those who only visit without stewarding.
- H2: Place attachment increases with the number of frog handoffs a participant engages in.
Social Norms & Prosocial Behavior
- H3: Publicly visible frog-tracking (webapp map, social feed) increases participants’ likelihood of stewarding compared to private tracking.
- H4: Descriptive + injunctive norm messaging (e.g., “Most visitors bring Kaeru-chan to the next house, and it’s appreciated”) increases follow-through compared to descriptive-only messages.
Community Identity & Cohesion
- H5: Communities that host the frog more frequently exhibit greater collective identity and collaboration in space upkeep than those that do not.
- H6: Participation in frog rituals (e.g., leaving a note, taking a photo) fosters stronger social bonds among participants.
Engagement & Ritual Design
- H7: Adding small rituals (e.g., writing a wish or reflection when passing the frog) enhances emotional connection compared to simple handoff.
- H8: Ritualized stewardship (structured “torch-passing”) creates higher levels of perceived responsibility and care for the space than casual visits.
Behavioral Spillovers
- H9: Stewarding increases willingness to contribute to other forms of community maintenance (gardening, cleaning, hosting events).
- H10: The more personalized a frog interaction (naming, story logs), the higher the sustained engagement and return visits.

Practical ways to “randomize without excluding anyone”

Stepped-wedge (cluster) rollout

All houses get the frog, but different akiya start specific features at randomized times.

Example: Month 1 only House A shows the live map + ritual prompt; House B/C just basic handoff. Month 2 B “turns on” features, Month 3 C, etc.