Last month, some fans of Hibiki Ao got the opportunity to interact with her in a slightly different way.

“First shrine visit of the new year date with Hibiki Ao”

Face-to-face meetings with VTubers aren’t particularly novel these days, but how many people can say they’ve held hands with their favorite on a date? This is exactly what some fans of Hibiki Ao were able to do last month thanks to Project ToucH. Holding onto a physical hand, fans were able to stroll through crowds and make small talk with the VTuber in what was certainly a first-of-its-kind experience.

Project ToucH is a joint project of the Nakanishi Research Lab at Osaka University and Assistant Professor Tanaka at the Kyoto Institute of Technology. The project describes itself on their Campfire page as a “challenge by humanity” performing experiments and holding events using cutting-edge technology around the theme of physical touch. The event with Ao was the first of these, with the aim of offering fans not only the opportunity to shake hands with her but to “narrow the distance between them and the VTuber and increase their level of satisfaction” as well.

The press release described three different “date-themed” experiences the participants could choose from: Christmas lights display, haunted house, and first shrine visit of the new year. They would then take Ao by the hand, with screens projecting images in the front and back as they walked together through the experience.

Pretty wild, right? Here’s how one fan described their experience:

“The hand I touched that day was Hibiki Ao’s right hand. The exquisite thickness of the hand and fingers, its slight warmth, the way it softly returned my grip, all of it was the very idea of Hibiki Ao’s right hand. All the suspicious I had in the back of my head before the event of “it’s just a fake” were completely blow out of the water. What’s more, it also seemed like this hand had Ao-chan’s choice of perfume on it, and it smelled fruity and good. It added the senses to feeling and smell to communication with a VTuber that had been up to that point just sight and sound. “Wow, Ao-chan is cute, my heart hurts when she grips my hand, Ao-chan smells really good. I’m a goner. Hibiki Ao was certainly “there” in the hand I shook that day.” https://note.com/daisuke774/n/n807ee66badd4

The press release about the event also gives us a glimpse behind the scenes into the physical aspect of what produces that “real” feeling:

“Researchers began by selecting material appropriate for “Ao-chan’s hand,” reproducing things like a hand’s softness, material feeling, flexibility, moisture and warmth and experimenting over and over again with the thickness and durability of the silicon used for the skin as well as various other aspects.”

And yet, though the warmth felt by the author was produced by a heater installed in the hand and its softness from silicon rubber, the secret ingredient which makes it all come alive is Hibiki Ao herself and their feelings for their favorite VTuber. The author at one point describes walking through the Christmas light simulation with her saying things like “Wow, there are a lot of couples here” and “I wonder if we look like a couple too” as they led her by the hand.

from the reviewer’s blog entry

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Ao isn’t a cheap date. Crowdfunding backers paid 50,000 yen (that’s about $450 USD) or more for the privilege of this unique experience. The project blew past its initial funding goal within three days after it opened in August of last year, totaling over 4 million yen (a little over $40K USD!) by the time it closed.

And if you’re wondering “when I am gonna get to hold hands with [insert your favorite here], your chance might be closer than you think. Though they’re focusing on a specific VTuber now, according to the Campfire page Project ToucH has further collaborations (VTuber and otherwise) in mind for the future. Nor are they limiting themselves to handholding, but it falls at the very beginning of an enticing ladder of interactions which, while more question marks than anything else at this point, includes hugs! Who knows what we’ll see next!

Subtitle: “Touch.” Communication priority ranking

Listed here are “the cornerstone of communication, the handshake” and

“unstoppable feelings, hug”