{
  "id": 834408,
  "title": "83-year-old VTuber posts wartime stories of Manchuria",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/14/83-year-old-vtuber-posts-wartime-stories-of-manchuria",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-14T03:31:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Japan Times",
    "slug": "japan-times",
    "url": "https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/08/14/japan/society/83-year-old-vtuber-wartime-memories/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture – An 83-year-old virtual YouTuber, or VTuber, born in Manchuria during World War II and moved to Japan at a young age, began posting videos about her wartime experiences three years ago. Asai, who now resides in Kanazawa, the capital of Ishikawa Prefecture, aims to preserve these memories for future generations through her channel, \"Manshu bachan\" (Manchuria grandma). In her videos, Asai portrays herself as a cat wearing glasses, recounting the history of Manchuria and the stories of returnees based on family accounts and documents she has gathered. She handles every aspect of the production, from sourcing materials to filming the videos. As a current subscriber, you can leave comments on the stories, but note that your subscription doesn't permit such engagement. For more details, consult our Frequently Asked Questions.",
  "summary": "Kuniko Asai, who was born in Manchuria during World War II and who now lives in Ishikawa Prefecture, relates the experiences of people who returned to Japan from the region.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}