A unnamed 61-year-old woman in Japan recently reportedly sustained small injuries when a statue of Hatsune Miku, the anime-styled Japanese pop-star, collapsed.
The incident took place at the annual Sapporo Snow Festival that the injured woman and her 80-year-old male companion were attending. The two were admiring the statue when it began to fall apart; the man pulled the woman by the arm, but was unable to avert injury altogether. The statue collapsed and heavy snow hit the woman in the back.
Temperature and poor design are the main culprits here. The statue, picture above, is a chibi version of the pop star, and thus is fairly top-heavy. The temperatures of the Sapporo Snow Festival statues are checked every hour, and Miku's was apparently not considered a threat at the time of the last reading. As one might expect, the statue was demolished the rest of the way by festival authorities soon after the collapse.
For those unfamiliar with the concept of a "virtual pop star," Hatsune Miku is a fictional character voiced by a real woman that records pop music songs and even concerts. Miku's "usual" appearance is pictured to the left. If you're wondering how a fictional character can put on concerts, look no further than the miracle of modern technology!
A Miku concert (pictured below) is possible through the use of multiple projectors that create a 3D holographic image. In the image below, Miku is standing on a stage in the middle of a large group of fans. Apparently, Miku, and music by her, is widely popular in Japan, hence the title "pop star."
The incident took place at the annual Sapporo Snow Festival that the injured woman and her 80-year-old male companion were attending. The two were admiring the statue when it began to fall apart; the man pulled the woman by the arm, but was unable to avert injury altogether. The statue collapsed and heavy snow hit the woman in the back.
Temperature and poor design are the main culprits here. The statue, picture above, is a chibi version of the pop star, and thus is fairly top-heavy. The temperatures of the Sapporo Snow Festival statues are checked every hour, and Miku's was apparently not considered a threat at the time of the last reading. As one might expect, the statue was demolished the rest of the way by festival authorities soon after the collapse.
A Miku concert (pictured below) is possible through the use of multiple projectors that create a 3D holographic image. In the image below, Miku is standing on a stage in the middle of a large group of fans. Apparently, Miku, and music by her, is widely popular in Japan, hence the title "pop star."
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