Philosophy, Society, and Semiotics

Philosophy, Society, and Semiotics

Where Did the “Gentle World” Come From?――Innocence, Everyday Life, and the Practice of Maintaining Fiction

Where did the idea of a “Gentle World” come from? This essay traces Japanese pop culture from the 1980s to VTuber culture, exploring innocence, everyday life, and how fiction is collectively maintained.
Philosophy, Society, and Semiotics

Why Does VTuber Fiction Work?— On Make-Believe, Participation, and Collective Reality

VTubers are clearly fictional—yet they feel real.This essay explores how make-believe, participation, and collective skill allow fiction to function as social reality.