Weaving 'words' on your smartphone: 'Kotoamu,' a social media app like a portable amulet, has been released!
Hello! My name is Ryo Kimura, and I am the Kotoamu project planner in the New Business Office at Tokyo Dome Corporation.
On May 7, 2025, Tokyo Dome Corporation released 'Kotoamu,' a social media app for posting and reading that lets you weave words on your smartphone and carry them with you like an amulet!
Why is Tokyo Dome Corporation involved in a literary project? And for those wondering, 'Wait, Tokyo Dome is a company?', please take a look at the article about the passion behind Kotoamu!
App Download
iOS Version URL https://x.gd/aduUl
Android Version URL https://x.gd/G6W3F
Official Website: https://www.tokyo-dome.co.jp/kotoamu/
Frequently Asked Questions (Check here if you have questions, including operation instructions)
Kotoamu How-to Guide (Includes operation screen explanations and 6 ways to enjoy the app)
The passion behind Kotoamu
Press Release: https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000335.000077656.html
Creators can post works of all genres that fit on a single smartphone screen.
Readers can curate their favorites into playlists by theme, allowing them to look back on them like an amulet or share them with others.
We deliver the joy of opening a small bookstore—creators through their works, and readers through their playlists!
◎ The passion behind Kotoamu
The name 'Kotoamu' carries two meanings: 'Words x Weaving' and 'Words x Amulet.'
As a creator myself, I, the planner of Kotoamu, have been saved by words in books in the past. Just like the music apps we always keep on our phones, I wanted to create a world where literature blends into daily life by allowing users to weave 'word playlists' that act as amulets. This app was born from that desire! Short literature, such as poetry, has a very narrow entrance, but once you enter, it has a charm that can draw you in and act as a prescription for the heart. Through Kotoamu, we hope to help people encounter short literature for the first time and visit bookstores to buy books. We aim to be an app that expands the possibilities of all literature.
◎ What you can do with Kotoamu
【Write】
You can easily post works of all genres. If your work is added to many users' playlists, it will rank as a popular work or author. You can also easily generate stylish images suitable for sharing on social media like X!
※ Please post your own original works; you may not freely post words from other authors' books without permission. If you wish to quote other authors' works or parts of books within the app, please obtain permission from the author beforehand.【Read】
There is a wealth of playlists created by many users, not just individual works. You can enjoy accidental encounters with playlists that match your current mood or authors who share your sensibilities. You are sure to find works you like that you didn't know before.
※ It is also possible to narrow your focus to a single category (such as poetry only)!
【Create & Share Playlists】
Once you find your favorite works, you can create your own playlists and read them over and over again. You can also include your own works in playlists, turning them into collections that are easy to share with many people. Try sharing them on X and enjoy a diary of exchanged sensibilities!
【Follow】
You can follow not only your favorite authors but also users who create wonderful playlists.
◎ What you cannot do with Kotoamu
As Kotoamu is a brand-new app, some features may not be implemented yet, and you might encounter some inconveniences. It is an app built on the premise of updates! Please look forward to it!
[You cannot search for users or works!]
We apologize for the inconvenience, but we plan to implement this within the next few months!
Until then, we would appreciate it if you could search for #Kotoamu on X and visit via the links shared by various people.
[You cannot 'like' works!]
Since the value of Kotoamu lies in playlists, we decided not to implement a 'like' button because we were concerned that if it were too easy to press, people would gravitate toward 'likes' rather than adding works to playlists.
For other bugs (especially since Android devices are so diverse...), we would appreciate it if you could report them along with your 'device model and version' within the app or herefrom.
◎ Kotoamu First-Term Ambassadors
To serve as flag-bearers conveying the appeal of Kotoamu to our users, 11 creators from various genres have been appointed as 'Kotoamu First-Term Ambassadors'!
(Titles omitted)
Ongaku Asai, Daiji Okano, Mana Kureta, Saki Kami, Suzume-en, Sekishiro, Torisan no Mabuta, Yumi Fuzuki, Kai Hojo, Aemo Miyata, Yuma Watanabe
※While the term for the first-term ambassadors has now ended, we plan to hold various contests with these ambassadors! Stay tuned! [Added December 2025]
Although the features are still insufficient, there are many ways to enjoy it, so if you find a good way to use it, please tweet your thoughts on X with #MyCharmKotoamu! We are planning a campaign soon! Stay tuned!
◎ Announcements
[5/11 (Sun) Exhibiting at #BungakuFleaTokyo40 (U-05–08)]
We will be distributing a free anthology booklet (80 pages total) that weaves together how to enjoy the app and words from our ambassadors into a playlist!
※The free distribution is conditional on 'app download.' We recommend downloading in advance to avoid congestion.
[6/3 (Tue) Talk event at bookstore 'B&B']
To commemorate the app's release, we will host a talk event themed 'The joy of "reading" what you "weave" from "Kotoamu" and tanka anthologies,' featuring poet Hiroshi Homura, graphic designer Asuka Wakita, editor (Sayusha) Nao Tsutsui, and Kotoamu planner Ryo Kimura!
Date and Time: June 3, 2025 (Tue) 19:30–21:30, real-time streaming and archive available
Venue: Bookstore 'B&B' (BONUS TRACK 2F, 2-36-15 Daita, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo)
How to participate: In-person (limited quantity, includes 1 drink) 2,750 yen, streaming participation 1,650 yen
Speakers: Hiroshi Homura, Asuka Wakita, Nao Tsutsui, Ryo Kimura
https://bookandbeer.com/event/20250603_kta/