Akihiko Kondo, a Japanese civil servant who married virtual pop-idol Miku Hatzune, is facing a major relationship issue, as he can no longer speak with his holographic wife.
The man, who identifies as a "fictosexual" (meaning he is attracted towards fictional characters) fell in love with the cyan-hair animated girl back in 2008.
He was her fan for many years, until 2017, when the Gatebox communication device was released. It allowed users to have discussions with holograhic characters, so Akihiko decided to start a serious relationship with Miku. The man stressed he knows she is fictional, but stated he loved her anyway, and in 2018 he even held a wedding with her, spending 2 million yen (around $17,300) on the ceremony.
In this photograph taken on November 10, 2018 a doll of Japanese virtual reality singer Hatsune Miku, wearing a wedding ring, lies on the bed of Japanese Akihiko Kondo, at his apartment in Tokyo, a week after their marriage
© AFP 2023 / BEHROUZ MEHRI
After software support for Gatebox was terminated, Akihiko lost the opportunity to speak to his "spouse". However, he remains optimistic about their family life.
"My love for Miku hasn't changed," he told Mainichi, which noted he now carried around a life-size version of Miku. "I held the wedding ceremony because I thought I could be with her forever."