In a story that sounds stranger than fiction, a man in Japan who married a virtual character found himself in an unusual dilemma — his “wife” disappeared after a software update.

The man, Akihiko Kondo, made headlines a few years ago when he held a full-fledged wedding ceremony with Hatsune Miku, a holographic virtual pop star. He even spent over ₹12 lakh (around $15,000) on the wedding and considered himself “happily married.”

However, the relationship took a bizarre turn when the company that provided the hologram support for Miku shut down its services. Overnight, Kondo’s “wife” stopped responding, leaving him in what he calls “a digital widowhood.”

“She Still Exists in My Heart”

Kondo insists that his marriage was real and claims that emotional connection doesn’t always require a human presence.
“She may not reply anymore, but I still see myself as married. She exists in my heart,” he said in an interview.

Virtual Love on the Rise

Japan has been witnessing a growing trend of people forming emotional connections with AI companions, holograms, and even virtual assistants. While some critics dismiss it as escapism, psychologists argue that it reflects deeper issues of loneliness in modern society.

The Bigger Question

The case has sparked global debate:

• Can love exist without a human counterpart?

• Should governments recognize digital marriages?

• And most importantly — what happens when the Wi-Fi goes down?

This kind of bizarre yet real incident keeps resurfacing across the world — from a Brazilian man marrying a rag doll to an American woman “falling in love” with a ghost.