Makuake at 12 — ¥110B funded, 10M backings, 60 projects over ¥100M
Conclusion: 10M backings, ¥110B+ cumulative, 60 projects over ¥100M — the home of product crowdfunding (2025).
Gadget & tech
Japan's crowdfunding in early 2026 — money pours into AI devices
Conclusion: in Jan–May 2026 the top five all cleared ¥100M (AI/premium gadgets). Makuake leads by amount, CAMPFIRE by count.
Tenniix AI tennis machine — ¥187M, a Makuake sports landmark (2026, funded)
Conclusion: a solo-practice AI tennis robot at ~¥187.1M — 5th by amount in Jan–May 2026 (funded).
Summer 2026's hit — the “SPEEDER” cooling fan seat, 3,821% funded and live
Conclusion: a car cooling fan seat at 38× goal — ¥10M+ from 1,600+ backers on Makuake, closing now (Jun 2026).
Backing an AI gadget — how to read AI glasses and AI-companion campaigns
Conclusion: AI gadgets lead with experiential allure — always verify certification, server continuity, fees and how finished the unit is.
CODE27 on Makuake: ¥215.5M raised, ended — what to check
CODE27 closed on Makuake at about ¥215.5M against a ¥300,000 goal (Feb 13 – May 30, 2026). Funded is not delivered: check server continuity, languages and warranty.
Rokid Smart AI Glasses — Makuake's all-time No.1 (¥636M)
Conclusion: a ¥500k goal → ¥636.7M from 7,413 backers — Makuake's all-time No.1 (2026, funded).
UGREEN NASync DXP — Japan's first reward campaign past ¥1 billion
Conclusion: a ¥1M goal → ~¥1.02B from 16,849 backers — Japan's first reward campaign over ¥1B (2025, funded).
kibidango, the 80%-success lane — the curated home of ViXion01 and DWARF3
Conclusion: a curated, low-fee platform citing ~80% success — strong on imports, with ¥400M+ hits.
Valerion VisionMaster Max — Makuake's all-time No.1 projector (¥300M+)
Conclusion: ¥100M in ~12 hours, ¥300M+ final — Makuake's fastest gadget and No.1 projector (2026, funded).
ViXion01 — autofocus next-gen eyewear (¥425M)
Conclusion: a ¥5M goal → ¥425.19M from 5,703 backers (8,504%) — a kibidango landmark (2023, funded).
Ice × Peltier dehumidifying hybrid cooler — for the desk and before sleep
Conclusion: ice + Peltier for up to −9°C local cooling — All-in, 1,006% funded as of Jul 8, closed Jul 30, 2026.
PrinCube — the world's smallest mobile colour printer, in Japan
Conclusion: a ¥1M goal → ¥303.5M, then a Japan reward record (2020, funded) — with a fulfilment lesson.
Overseas vs Japan — judging 'reverse-imported' Kickstarter hits
Conclusion: an overseas hit isn't automatically safe in Japan — check certification, warranty, support.
GREEN FUNDING, the quality lane — 85% success, ¥5.14M average
Conclusion: a curated, TSUTAYA-backed platform — fewer, larger, high-success projects.
How to spot a hot campaign — first-day speed, prototypes, momentum
Conclusion: opening speed, a working prototype, and update cadence are the real signals.
What blew up on Makuake in 2025 — AI gadgets, a whisky, a heritage inn
Conclusion: AI products grew 3.5× YoY; the top gadget, AINOTE 2, raised ~¥469M.
CAMPFIRE vs Makuake: fees, review, and fit
Conclusion: products → Makuake, community → CAMPFIRE.
Makuake vs Kickstarter for Backers: Which to Pledge On (2026)
Choose Makuake for Japan-made products; choose Kickstarter for global scale and reach.
How to back Japanese crowdfunding from overseas — language, payment, shipping
Conclusion: it's doable but uneven. kibidango is fully multilingual; foreign cards are increasingly accepted (with a surcharge); not every project ships abroad — verify before you pledge.