Tokyo, one of the biggest cities in the world, is also home to 11 small unique islands filled with nature. However, the islands are fairly unknown, even amongst Tokyo residents. They are unaware of the names of the islands, the number of islands there are, or each island’s characteristics. This tendency can be seen especially among younger people. As a first step in attracting tourists, we needed to inform people on the unique allure of each of the 11 islands, and attract interest.

Within the AI Islander database, we archived more than 14,000 pieces of information, including pictures and videos that were taken by real islanders, and “local gem” information known only to locals. Information on the islands along with sweet messages are delivered to the users. The chat is designed like a game, with more messages exchanged, the level of intimacy increases, making users who didn’t have interest in the islands at first come to enjoy the chat. By using a personal medium of mobile and social media, that is much like the way the targets converse with their dates and friends, we succeeded in creating AI Islanders to be a more intimate presence. An experience that gets users to talk directly with real islanders who have the most information of the islands, is a totally new approach to tourism promotion, which is traditionally a one way communication.