iPad + haptic “Touch Tech” pen and real-world curiosity workshops connect digital play with on-the-ground observation of infants
People Co., Ltd., a Japanese toy maker known for designing around children’s curiosity, has launched “Sawarutech (Touch Tech)”, its first digital learning service for infants and toddlers, while expanding a strategic partnership with Mitsubishi Estate Property Management Co., Ltd. to co-create new experiences that directly inform product development.
Sawarutech combines an iPad app with a proprietary “kanshoku pen” haptic stylus, enabling young children to experience more than 300 different tactile sensations—from chopping vegetables and pouring water to sawing wood—through digital play. These experiences are delivered via a subscription model offering over 1,000 touch-based activities designed to nurture non-cognitive skills and spark real-world curiosity, based on more than three years of observational research with families.
The service has quickly gained recognition, earning the Digital Ehon Award 2025 (Ishikawa Koji Prize) and later the Japan e-Learning Award and AES Global Award, with judges praising its use of touch to make digital media more embodied and engaging for young children.
To keep Sawarutech grounded in real children’s behavior, People is expanding its collaboration with Mitsubishi Estate Property Management. Under the agreement, the two companies host recurring “Curiosity Discovery Workshops” at “Cotoffice – Office with Childcare” and other managed facilities, where children and parents interact with toys and learning tools in a relaxed setting. People’s in-house “Baby Research Lab” observes how children explore, records “Today’s Curiosity” cards for families, and feeds insights back into both physical toys and digital content such as Sawarutech.
The partnership also includes family-day events and parent–child play sessions at Mitsubishi Estate Property Management’s properties, extending the reach of People’s learning experiences beyond the home. By linking digital haptic play with on-site observation in mixed work–childcare environments, the two companies aim to create spaces where “children’s curiosity bursts forth and parents’ hearts dance as well” while continuously refining the next generation of learning tools.
For more information, please visit their website at: https://sawarutech.com/
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