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    4. Meet the Kumi Crane

    Your study companion

    Meet the Kumi Crane

    The Kumi Crane is an origami companion that lives in the app, guides your first dashboard visit, and perches around wherever you are. Here is what it does and how to turn it off.

    2 min read·By Kumi Team·Updated July 29, 2026

    What it is#

    The Kumi Crane is your origami study companion. It lives in a corner of the app and travels with you as you use it. It's part of Kumi's fold language, the same paper feel as your daily fold and your lessons.

    How to interact with it#

    Drag it anywhere. Let go and it settles, or throw it toward a corner and it flies there. It perches on buttons and cards around the app when there is somewhere useful to stand. Right-click it, or long-press on mobile, to open its menu.

    The dashboard guide#

    On your first visit, the crane walks you through your dashboard: your daily fold, lessons, reviews, and your progress. Each step gets a speech bubble and a spotlight on what it is talking about. You can replay it any time from the "Replay guide" link on your dashboard.

    Turning it off and on#

    The crane's own menu can rest it for the session, or turn it off outright. The Display menu in the header, behind the settings icon, has a quick toggle too. Settings has the full control if you want "Crane Companion" front and center. Whichever you pick is respected everywhere in the app.

    What's coming#

    The crane will start noticing where you are and offering small, page-aware tips and guidance. It will speak only in the Japanese you've actually learned, growing more fluent with you as you do.

    Meet it on your dashboard

    Sign up

    Frequently asked questions

    Can I turn the crane off?
    Yes. Use the crane's own right-click menu, the Display toggle in the header, or the Crane Companion section in Settings. All three are respected everywhere in the app.
    Will the crane always be on screen, getting in the way?
    No. It perches quietly out of the way and does not demand attention. You can also rest it for the session from its own menu.
    Can I replay the dashboard guide?
    Yes, any time, from the "Replay guide" link on your dashboard.

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