TL;DR: Install Java → download Shimeji-ee from kilkakon.com → unzip
and run it → control everything from the tray icon (bottom-right of your screen).
Grab characters with your mouse to drag or throw them; add more characters by dropping
folders into the img directory. Never installed a desktop pet before?
Start with what a desktop pet is.
Step 1: Install it on Windows (5 steps)
- Install Java. Shimeji-ee runs on Java — grab the latest from java.com if you don't have it. (Yes, this is the step everyone forgets; it's also the top reason installs "don't work".)
- Download Shimeji-ee from its official site, kilkakon.com — not from an ad-covered mirror (see is Shimeji safe? for why that matters).
- Unzip the folder somewhere you'll keep it — the program runs from wherever you unzip it, so don't use your Downloads folder as a garage.
- Run the executable inside (Shimeji-ee.exe, or the .jar on some setups). A character drops onto your desktop and starts wandering.
- Find the tray icon — bottom-right near the clock, under the little arrow if Windows hid it. That icon is the control panel. Everything else in this guide happens through it.
Step 2: The tray menu, translated
Right-click the tray icon. The menu that pops up is the whole interface — here's what each part does:
| Menu option | What it does |
|---|---|
| Call shimeji | Drops another character onto the screen (yes, you can build a crowd) |
| Follow cursor | One of them starts tracking your mouse pointer around the screen |
| Reduce to one | The crowd-clearer: keeps a single character, dismisses the rest |
| Restore windows | Un-does the chaos — returns any windows your shimeji grabbed and threw |
| Dismiss | Sends characters away one at a time until the screen is yours again |
| Exit | Actually quits the program (closing random windows does not) |
The characters themselves are interactive too: click and drag one to pick it up (it dangles — sorry, little buddy), and let go mid-motion to throw it. They'll climb whatever window they land on.
Step 3: Make it yours
Three directions from here:
- More characters. The community keeps a deep library — where to get packs and how to load them is covered in the character field guide.
- Your own character. Swap the sprite frames in a character folder with your own art, or skip the drawing with the custom route (photos in, animated pet out).
- Behaviors. The XML files in each character folder control what it does and how often — tinker if you enjoy that kind of thing.
A word on crowds (and fans)
Every shimeji renders its animation live, so one is nearly free and a dozen is a real slice of CPU and RAM. Multiply responsibly: your laptop fans will tell you when you've crossed the line. Reduce to one when the fun has been had.
On Mac: a different story
Shimeji-ee's official builds are Windows-centric; on macOS you're in community-port territory, and each macOS update can wobble them. If you're mid-breakdown, the Mac causes & fixes guide is the practical checklist. And if you'd prefer a pet that just installs and runs on both platforms, that's literally the alternative case — or see our desktop pets for Mac page.
FAQ
How do I use Shimeji on Windows?
Install Java, download Shimeji-ee from kilkakon.com, unzip the folder, and run the executable inside (Shimeji-ee.exe, or the .jar). A character appears on your desktop immediately and a tray icon appears for controls. The full five-step walkthrough with tips is above on this page.
How do I use Shimeji on Mac?
There's no official Mac build of Shimeji-ee — Mac users rely on community ports of varying freshness, which is where most "it stopped working" stories come from. We keep a dedicated causes-and-fixes guide for that: Shimeji Not Working on Mac. If you'd rather not debug Java on macOS at all, native alternatives exist.
How do I make my Shimeji follow the cursor?
Right-click the tray icon and choose the follow-cursor option — one of the shimeji will start tracking your pointer. It's in the same menu as calling more shimeji and restoring thrown windows.
How do I quit Shimeji completely?
Right-click the tray icon (bottom-right of your screen, possibly under the arrow) and choose the exit option at the bottom of the menu. Closing any windows the shimeji dragged around doesn't quit the program — the tray icon is the off switch.
Why is my Shimeji just standing still?
Usually one of three things: it's playing an idle behavior (they sit and zone out by design — wait a moment), the program lost its Java runtime (check that Java is installed and up to date), or the app didn't launch cleanly (quit from the tray and start it again). On Mac, see the port-specific fixes guide.
Or skip the tray-menu era
Shimeji's charm is real — so is its 2000s plumbing: Java, zip folders, tray menus. DeskSprite keeps the charm and modernizes the plumbing: native Windows and macOS app, pets managed from a proper panel, a pet that knows your cursor is there — and an AI maker that turns your photos into the character. Free to start.