Thousands Of Japanese Fans Gather To Celebrate Birthday Of Non-Human Singer

There is no Vocaloid more popular than Hatsune Miku.

A Vocaloid is a singing voice synthesizer software that is often accompanied by a mascot virtual avatar. Users can “sing” by typing in lyrics and melodies into the software which already has the recorded vocals of a voice actor.

The blue-haired hologram that thousands of people gathered for at the Makuhari Messe Convention Center, Chiba, on September 1 is the most famous of them all.

Hatsune Miku, released on August 31, 2007, is a Vocaloid beloved by millions of people all over the world. Fans dressed up in her signature blue hair style…

…wore kimonos with her face printed on it…

…brought their own figurines to the convention hall, and more.

Unlike the usual concert, the singer these thousands of fans gathered around did not come in the flesh. Rather, her image was projected on screen while her songs were sung by accompanying singers.

The Vocaloid has released hits such as “Romeo and Cinderella,” “levan Polka,” and of course, “World is Mine.”

According to an expert on Japanese culture, Hatsune Miku grew into the worldwide sensation that she is because of the accessibility of her open-source voice software. Fans were able to input their own melodies, change her singing style, and more all for the price of $110 USD.

Miku’s success was always about the fan community and the ability for fans to become all Miku’s producers at once

— Benjamin Boas, author ofFrom Cool Japan to Your Japan

Hatsune Miku may have celebrated her 16th anniversary only this year, but she has been 16-years old since her release.