Challenges and Opportunities of Japan’s Pop Culture Export in the

Context of Globalization: Example of Virtual Idols

Lirun Zhu

School of Global Japanese Studies, Meiji University, Tokyo, Japan

Keywords: Virtual Idols, Cultural Export, Globalization, Cross-Cultural Communication, Digital Diplomacy.

Abstract: The global influence of Japan's virtual idols has garnered significant attention, yet existing studies lack

empirical depth and dynamic analysis of their cross-cultural adaptability and socio-technological implications.

This essay examines the challenges and opportunities facing Japan's virtual idol exports in the context of

globalization. Key findings reveal that cultural barriers, critiques of consumerism and gender objectification,

and rising global competition pose critical challenges. Conversely, technological innovations and strategic

cultural diplomacy under Japan's "Cool Japan" initiative enable virtual idols to transcend geographical

boundaries and serve as soft power tools. To enhance cultural exports, it is recommended that nations integrate

localized cultural elements with global trends, leverage participatory fan cultures, and adopt adaptive

technological frameworks. This essay underscores the necessity of balancing cultural authenticity with

technological advancement to navigate the complexities of global cultural markets effectively.

1 INTRODUCTION

In the context of globalization, Japanese pop culture

has spread widely around the world with its unique

creativity and attractiveness. Japanese anime, music,

games, and other cultural products have attracted

countless fans. They are not only popular in Asia, but

also in Western countries such as the United States,

occupying an important position in the global cultural

industry (Iwabuchi, 2002; Kelts, 2006; Otmazgin,

2008). As an emerging representative of Japanese pop

culture, virtual idols have been developing rapidly in

recent years. From the holographic concerts of

Hatsune Miku, to the cross-platform interactions of

VTuber Kizuna AI, to the commercial cooperation of

the hyper-realistic virtual idol Imma, these non-

physical digital stars have not only become an

important carrier of Japanese cultural output, but also

triggered deep thinking about cultural

communication and technological innovation

(Anderson, 2021; Le, 2014; Miyake, 2023).

The cultural export of Japanese virtual idols faces

many challenges and opportunities, including cultural

barriers, criticisms of consumerism, gender

materialization, technological dependence, and

overseas competitions (Iwabuchi, 2018; Yin et al.,

2025; Kobayashi & Taguchi, 2019). At the same time,

the rapid development of technology has provided

new opportunities for virtual idol innovation and

dissemination. Holographic projection technology

has allowed Hatsune Miku's concerts to break

through the limitations of physical space, VR

interactions have enhanced fan immersion, and AI

technology has given the characters more flexible

real-time response capabilities. With technology and

marketing strategy, virtual idols have become "soft

tools" for Japanese cultural diplomacy.

This essay focuses on the cultural export of

Japanese virtual idols in the context of globalization,

taking Hatsune Miku and imma as the key cases, and

discusses in depth the challenges and opportunities

faced by the cultural export of Japanese virtual idols.

This essay argues that the export of Japanese culture,

including virtual idols, is not only economically

significant but also a tool for cultural diplomacy.

Through detailed analysis, this essay attempts to

show how Japan has reconfigured its cultural

communication paradigm in the digital era with the

help of virtual idols, and provides references and

suggestions for the cultural export of other countries

in the future.

208

Zhu, L.

Challenges and Opportunities of Japan’s Pop Culture Export in the Context of Globalization: Example of Virtual Idols.

DOI: 10.5220/0013988600004916

Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Public Relations and Media Communication (PRMC 2025), pages 208-212

ISBN: 978-989-758-778-8

2 BACKGROUND OF VIRTUAL

IDOLS AND RELEVANT

STUDIES

The concept of virtual idols in Japan can be traced

back to the 1980s, with early examples including

Lynn Minmay from the Japanese anime series

Macross, who established the precedent of how

fictional characters could be hugely successful in the

real-world music industry (Kong et al., 2021). The

rise of virtual idols in Japan began in the early 21st

century, and is centered on a "participatory culture"

that breaks through physical limitations. Taking

Hatsune Miku as an example, she is a virtual singer

launched by Crypton Future Media and based on

Vocaloid voice synthesis technology. She started the

virtual idol trend through the dissemination of the

Internet and social media. Her Fans not only

supported her by purchasing albums and concert

tickets, but also created a large number of musical

compositions featuring Hatsune Miku using Vocaloid

software and shared them on online platforms,

creating a unique fan culture (Anderson, 2021; Le,

2014). Her image - an anime girl with blue hair and

twin ponytails - has become a symbol of Japan's "moe

culture". In recent years, the forms of virtual idols

have become more diversified. YouTuber Kizuna AI

uses real-time motion capture technology to interact

with viewers in live broadcasts as an "AI idol",

attracting millions of subscribers (Zhou, 2020). The

hyper-realistic virtual idol Imma cooperates with

luxury brands and beauty brands with a 3D image that

is close to a real person, demonstrating the potential

of virtual idols in the commercial field (Miyake,

2023). These cases reflect the penetration of Japan's

virtual idol industry from subculture to the

mainstream market, demonstrating the innovation of

expression brought about by technological iterations

and their role in cultural export.

There is currently a lot of literature on the

Japanese virtual idol, covering many aspects such as

its origin and development, cultural influence,

marketing model, technology model, and so on,

demonstrating the current status and impact of virtual

idol development comprehensively. However, the

common problem of the literature in this field is the

lack of sufficient empirical evidence. After all, virtual

idol is a relatively new culture, and most of the studies

on it are conducted statistically, with insufficient

concern for the dynamic changes of virtual idols in

different times and social contexts, so the reliability

and universality of the studies need to be further

verified.

3 CHALLENGES OF JAPANESE

VIRTUAL IDOLS

3.1 Cultural Difference

Although Japanese virtual idols have made some

achievements in cultural export, they also face many

challenges. Firstly, cultural differences in different

countries and regions may affect the acceptance of

Japanese popular culture in the communication

process (Iwabuchi, 2018; Yin et al., 2025). Yu,

Kwong, and Bannasilp's study found that consumers'

acceptance and preferences for virtual idols varied

greatly across regions, with factors such as different

cultural backgrounds and aesthetic concepts

influencing viewers' preferences for idols (Yu et al.,

2023). This means that Japanese companies face the

challenge of cultural adaptation and audience

acceptance when introducing virtual idol culture to

international audiences, and virtual idols must take

into account the needs of audiences in different

regions in terms of image design and interaction

methods. For example, "Kawaii" in Japanese

aesthetics has received mixed reactions globally

(Huang, 2024). The style is more likely to be popular

in Asia, but in countries in Europe and the United

States, some viewers may consider the style to be too

childish or not in line with their aesthetic customs.

3.2 Language Barrier

The language barrier is also a challenge. Japanese

virtual idol content relies heavily on the Japanese

language, and direct translations often fail to convey

the humor and subtle meanings of the original

content. For example, in some Japanese virtual idols'

music, unique Japanese puns and wordplay contribute

to their charm, but when translated into other

languages, these fun elements are greatly reduced,

making it difficult for foreign viewers to understand

the punchlines (Kong et al., 2021). In addition,

studies have found that Easterners under collectivist

cultures are more inclined to personify non-human

entities than Westerners under the influence of

individualist cultures, are more likely to project their

own emotions and abilities onto others, and are more

likely to assume that avatars have mental abilities

similar to real people (Letheren et al., 2016; Wu &

Challenges and Opportunities of Japan’s Pop Culture Export in the Context of Globalization: Example of Virtual Idols

209

Keysar, 2007). Therefore, the promotion of Japanese

virtual idols in the European and American markets

may be more difficult than in Asian markets such as

China.

3.3 Competition

Thirdly, the virtual idol market is highly competitive,

with new virtual idols emerging from other countries,

posing a threat to the market share of Japanese virtual

idols (Yu et al., 2023). For example, the Chinese

virtual idol Luo Tianyi, with her unique image

combined with traditional Chinese elements, has a

large fan base in the Chinese market, with advertising

sponsorships reaching as high as US$138,900 in 2021

(Kong et al., 2021). Virtual idol groups in South

Korea are also growing, such as aespa, a girl group

launched by SM Entertainment that consists of four

real-world members and four virtual-world members,

and more purely virtual idol groups such as plave and

afots, which have attracted many fans using the

influence of K-pop. These virtual idols from other

countries have their own characteristics in terms of

image design, content creation, and marketing. If

Japanese virtual idols want to maintain their position

in the international market, they need to continue to

innovate and improve their competitiveness.

3.4 Other Criticisms

Some scholars have pointed out that virtual idols may

involve problems like consumerism, gender

materialization, and technological dependence

(Kobayashi & Taguchi, 2019). The business model of

virtual idols has prompted fans to purchase a large

number of peripheral products, concert tickets, and so

on. Some fans, to support their favorite virtual idols,

may spend money recklessly. In terms of gender

objectification, the image design of some virtual idols

has been criticized for emphasizing too much on

female appearance, with some virtual idols' clothes

being too revealing and their personalities being

stereotypical, portraying female characters as objects

that satisfy the fantasies of male viewers. This not

only limits the diversity of virtual idol roles, but also

hurts gender concepts in society. The high

dependence of virtual idols on technology also brings

risks, and in case of technological failures, such as

lagging during live broadcasting, it will seriously

affect the audience's experience and even damage the

image of the virtual idol (Kobayashi & Taguchi,

2019).

4 OPPORTUNITIES FOR

JAPANESE VIRTUAL IDOLS

4.1 Large Market

Hatsune Miku has held world tours with sold-out

concerts; her songs, such as the "Levan Polkka," have

been widely shared on the internet, with hundreds of

millions of plays (Anderson, 2021). In the gaming

industry, Miku has the Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA

Mega Mix+ series, which allows players to interact

with her and enjoy her music (Anderson, 2021).

The influence of virtual idols is not only limited

to the entertainment field; it also has significant

commercial value. Taking Hatsune Miku as an

example, she has co-branded with Toyota and Sony,

and directly boosts the consumer market; the data

shows that the sales of co-branded products have

increased by 20-30% on average (Huang, 2024).

Imma has collaborated with international brands such

as Porsche, Calvin Klein, Magnum, IKEA, and so on,

and she has also appeared on the cover of many

fashion and computer magazines (Miyake, 2023).

4.2 Japanese Soft Power

In this context, Japan uses virtual idols as a soft power

tool to promote cultural diplomacy. The Japanese

government has adopted the "Cool Japan" strategy as

a national policy to promote Japanese cultural soft

power internationally, which includes the well-

known Japanese comics, karaoke, and so on, and

virtual idols and cultural IPs are also one of the means

to enhance the country's soft power (Iwabuchi, 2018).

For example, Hatsune Miku was invited to participate

in the promotional campaign for the Tokyo Olympics,

and its virtual image was given the symbolic meaning

of "connecting the world". Its songs have been widely

distributed on the Internet with hundreds of millions

of plays, greatly enhancing the international

popularity of Japanese pop culture and strongly

shaping Japan's vibrant and innovative cultural image

(Anderson, 2021). Imma, on the other hand, through

her cooperation with international brands, subtly

integrates elements of Japanese culture into her brand

promotion, conveying Japan's understanding of

technology and aesthetics. Her Instagram page is full

of photos showing elements of Japanese culture, such

as her walking on Enoshima in a traditional kimono

and holding the Japanese drink ramune.

It can be seen that the success of these virtual

idols is closely related to the widespread popularity

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of Japanese popular culture around the world. The

widespread popularity of anime, manga, and Japanese

video games around the world has attracted a large

number of fans who are familiar with and

appreciative of the aesthetic concepts and themes

embedded in Japanese culture (Iwabuchi, 2002). This

established cultural interest and fan base provides a

solid foundation for virtual idols to attract new

audiences and consolidate existing fan communities.

The growing influence and attraction of Japanese pop

culture globally have created extremely favorable

conditions for the development and spread of virtual

idols, and at the same time, they have also contributed

to Japanese culture, attracting a wider audience and

becoming a unique bridge and business card for

Japanese culture to the world.

4.3 New Technology

With the development of technology, Japanese virtual

idols are also facing more opportunities on the

technical level. For example, the development of 3D

holographic projection technology, VR, and AR

technology has expanded virtual idols' commercial

performances. The previously mentioned Hatsune

Miku's concerts used this technology, which allows

her to perform as if she were standing on the stage.

From the audience's point of view, they can seem to

see the idol standing outside of the screen, and this

kind of interdimensional performance form can bring

a much better interactive experience to the audience.

The development of motion capture technology also

enables virtual idols to have more vivid movements

and more realistic images (Kong et al., 2021). The

gesture control technology is also important to the

development of virtual idols, which can now make

more specific and complex gestures (Kong et al.,

2021). More and more individual artists can create

virtual images at home with simple motion capture

devices, they are called Vtubers (Perry, 2025).

5 IMPLICATIONS AND THE

FUTURE

Driven by the trend of globalization, the digital

transmission of pop culture has become an

irreversible global trend. Japanese virtual idols have

been able to break through the traditional limitations

of geography and media forms and achieve rapid and

wide cultural spread by making use of the Internet,

social media, and advanced digital technology. This

indicates that when countries carry out cultural

diplomacy in the future, they may consider using

virtual idols to make cultural content reach global

audiences. Japanese virtual idols cleverly blend local

cultural elements with global trends in their image

design and content creation, retaining their cultural

uniqueness while meeting the diverse aesthetic needs

of international audiences. Countries can also create

virtual images with distinctive national cultural

characteristics, explore the essence of their traditional

culture, combine modern popular elements with

international cultural trends, and create cultural

products with national characteristics that can be

widely accepted globally, to enhance the

attractiveness and influence of culture in the

international market.

Take China's virtual idol development and

cultural export as an example. Although there is

already a successful virtual idol in China, Luo Tianyi

(as mentioned above), she is only famous in China

and is still a long way behind Miku's influence.

China's recent successful cases in cultural export,

such as the game Black Myth: Wukong and the movie

Nezha, have shown that only by exploring the

country's traditional cultural symbols can one achieve

the goal of cultural export. When China creates

virtual idols in the future, it should build a rich

backstory for them, consider incorporating national

historical events or ancient Chinese myths into them,

and portray characters with legendary features that

have been adapted in modern ways, so that fans can

learn about the idols while being exposed to China's

historical heritage. In terms of publicity, Chinese

virtual idols can share the process of learning Chinese

calligraphy, painting, traditional opera, and other

traditional cultural skills on global mainstream social

media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. In

brand cooperation, fashion items incorporating

traditional Chinese crafts of embroidery and printing

should be launched to spread the traditional culture.

With the help of global sales, the cultural elements

represented by the virtual idol can be spread all over

the world. In addition, Miku's success also shows that

companies should encourage fans to create content

related to virtual idols, such as fan music and fan-

videos, to form a unique fan culture.

In the future, as 3D modeling and AI technologies

become more advanced, it can be expected that virtual

idols will become more integrated into the lives. It

can be seen from the popular VTubers' avatars that

with the advancement of CGI technology, the image

design of avatars has gradually shifted from 2D to 3D,

Challenges and Opportunities of Japan’s Pop Culture Export in the Context of Globalization: Example of Virtual Idols

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and the virtual idols can interact with the audience in

a three-dimensional way (Perry, 2025). Virtual idols

are already shooting commercials and short videos,

but perhaps due to cost or technical considerations, it

is rare for virtual idols to be involved in full-length

movies or TV series. However, it is not unthinkable

to imagine that as the technology improves, virtual

idols could take the lead roles in movies and TV

series. Their 3D models, capable of complex stunts,

may create roles that would be difficult for human

actors to portray, bringing major transformations to

the entertainment industry. With the rapid

development of AI in 2024 and early 2025, in the

future, AI technology may give virtual idols a higher

level of intelligence, allowing them to communicate

more naturally and deeply with their fans.

6 CONCLUSION

In conclusion, this essay has systematically examined

the dual dynamics of challenges and opportunities

shaping Japan's virtual idol exports in the era of

globalization, with Hatsune Miku and Imma serving

as pivotal case studies. While cultural barriers—such

as divergent aesthetic preferences and linguistic

nuances constrain global acceptance, Japan's

participatory fan cultures enable virtual idols to

navigate cross-cultural complexities. Technological

advancements, particularly in holography, AI, and

VR, are redefining virtual idols' scalability and

immersion, allowing them to transcend physical and

media boundaries. Japan's "Cool Japan" policy

institutionalizes virtual idols as soft power

instruments, leveraging their commercial success to

reinforce national cultural diplomacy. These insights

offer actionable strategies for nations aiming to

emulate Japan's success: cultivating fan-driven

content ecosystems, embedding traditional

symbolism into digital personas, and aligning cultural

exports with technological infrastructure

development. Future research should explore how AI-

driven virtual idols might disrupt creative industries

or reshape labor dynamics in entertainment.

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