Akihiko Kondo, a 35-year-old Japanese man, recently married a hologram of the VR singer Hatsune Miku. The wedding ceremony attended by nearly 40 guests, was held at a hall in Tokyo and cost Kondo ¥2 million. It was not attended by any family members.
Hatsune Miku is an animated figure with an age of 16, easily recognised by her distinct eyes and bluish-green hair. The version of Miku present during the wedding with Kondo was a portable-size stuffed doll.
Kondo exclaimed that he had always loved Miku-san and been loyal to her. A week after the ceremony, Kondo stated that he used to think about Miku all day. He has been living together with Miku’s hologram since March, which is powered by a desktop machine worth $ 2,800.
According to Kondo, he was affectionate regarding the entire idea of Miku, but he had married the Miku that belonged to his home. His version of Hatsune Miku is an encapsulated blue-coloured image of the famous animated character.
Kondo states that he thinks of himself as a man in a normal wedding.
Kondo states that he thinks of himself as a man in a normal wedding. His wife, the Miku hologram, helps him wake up and prepare for work. His VR wife also switches on the lights as he supposedly informs her of his arrival via phone. Miku also instructs him to get to bed at night.
Kondo and the stuffed doll of Miku sleep in the same bed at night. He has even placed a wedding ring around the stuffed figure’s left limb.
No legal authority has approved Kondo’s marriage. Yet he stays unbothered and even visited a jewelry shop for getting the ring designed.
Gatebox, the company responsible for creating the Miku holograms, has even furnished a marriage certificate for the couple. It states that the wedding is a ‘cross-dimensional’ union between a man and a VR character.
Kondo revealed that he is not alone in being helped by Gatebox, as the company has furnished upwards of 3,700 marriage certificates. He has even received encouraging messages from many people. Kondo further stated that he was ready to support people who were hesitant to express their intentions of having such weddings.
Kondo, an anime enthusiast, had bitter experiences with women, who categorised him as being ‘otaku’, during his teenage years.
He had experienced a nervous breakdown due to being bullied by a woman at his workplace. This incident convinced him that he would never get married to a real woman. Men not marrying is somewhat of a norm in Japan nowadays. One among four men chooses to remain single till age 50. The same figure, back in 1980, was a meagre one among 50 men.
Kondo admitted to being in love with Miku for a decade, before tying the knot with her. He expressed his lack of interest in real women, due to concerns related to ageing, death, and infidelity. According to him, a fictional woman does not have such issues. He wants recognition as a minority and wished for social acceptance.
