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Japan's Mirumi 'Charm Robot' Draws Buzz as 2026's Next Viral Accessory

Yukai Engineering’s furry bag charm focuses on eliciting small social moments over practical tasks.

Overview

  • Media coverage highlights Mirumi’s CES 2025 debut and a late‑2025 Kickstarter launch offering early preorders.
  • Backers are told to expect shipments beginning in April 2026, with the caveat that crowdfunding timelines can shift.
  • Distance sensors and an inertial measurement unit enable behaviors such as head tilts, gaze-following, shy ducking on sudden approach, and head-shaking when jiggled.
  • The charm also responds to patting and sound, charges via USB‑C, and signals a low battery with a tired head shake.
  • Kickstarter pricing starts around 18,360 yen in grey, pink, and ivory, and recent reports frame it as a potential successor to Labubu-style bag charms.