PostPet is an E-mail Software that has been developed by Kazuhiko Hachiya (media artist), Namie Manabe (graphic designer), and Takashi Kohki (programmer).
PostPet has been developed since April 1996. The first release and network distribution began in April 1997, market release and CD-ROM sales began in November 1997.
Sony Communication Network Corporation, the Internet Service Provider, handles production, distribution and user support for PostPet. PostPet features the adoption of an “agent” function expressed by the pet that carries E-mail. It is intended to make it easy and enjoyable for people to use E-mail, even if they are not very skilled in the use of E-mail.
In comparison with the currently existing agent, the so-called “Agent”, the PostPet is not as sophisticated. Our PostPet agent, which we call “idiot agent”, acts as a user’s own agent (pet) to deliver E-mail to another user and return to its owner. When they use PostPet, users may imagine the series of actions in a way similar to keeping a carrier pigeon, so that it is easy to understand the use of E-mail.
Using PostPet, a user writes an E-mail message and his/her pet delivers it.The pet can only carry one message at a time. When the person receiving the message uses PostPet, the pet appears in the receiver's pet house on the PC. The user can then welcome the pet bringing him/herthe E-mail message, pet it, feed it sweets, and so on. A user receives information about how his/her pet was treated at the other pet house, when it delivered the E-mail, from a daily log that the pet writes by itself. The pets carry E-mails to be happy and grow gradually more clever. In addition, the pets also write E-mails to send to the users (the pet keepers). Pets not only send E-mails to their own pet keepers, but also to their own user’s friends, as they become aware of these other people. We hope that both the users and their pets will be happy using PostPet for various communications.
PostPet is a unique Software, but it is not a virtual pet Simulation game like the "tamagotchi”. Basically PostPet is a utility Software intended to be used by people who are just starting to use Internet mail, or who find current E-mail Software with its many functions too complicated.
We think it should be possible for everyone to enjoy the Internet, even if they are not network experts, for example people who have only a limited knowledge ofthe PC, children, etc.Therefore,we did not develop PostPet to be used by businesses, but rather for home use. It may be used easily by anyone who wants to use it.
In addition, we maintain the PostPet homepages "PostPet Park” as a theme park on the Internet in conjunction with the PostPet Software supply. Users may obtain sweets and new rooms for their own pets by downloading files from the homepage. In the "PostPet Park”there are many communication ar as, where users may exchange information, and yellow pages, where they can find mail friends easily
and safely.
Refer to: http://www.so-net.ne.jp/postpet/ (PostPet Park in Japanese only, ID: Passwords:)
http://www.so-net.ne.jp/postpet/english/index.html (explanation of the PostPets in English)
The CD-ROM Version that is currently available, the PostPetDX package, includes a pair of CD-ROMs, one for the purchaser and the other one as a present for a friend. This enables users to start using PostPet for E-mail communication with their friends. We plan to prepare an English version (based in Singapore) and a German version. We will be distributing beta versions from Web sites in the respective countries in the near future.
Refer to: http://www.postpet.de/ (PostPet homepage in Germany for German beta version)
http://www.sony.com.sg/postpet/ [PostPet homepage in Singapore for English beta
version)

Kazuhiko Hachiya (J), born 1966 in Saga, Japan, graduated from Kyushu Institute of Design (Visual Communication Design). He has had several exhibitions in Japan. Lives and works in Tokyo.