On March 23, 2026, a media briefing was held at DOMMUNE in Shibuya, Tokyo, regarding the establishment of VTuber Suisei Hoshimachi’s personal agency, “Studio STELLAR.”
Hoshimachi herself appeared on stage. In a talk session format with MC Fujii Takahiko, she answered questions from fans and members of the press about the background of the announcement, her future prospects, and more.
The lighting had a gentle hue, creating a calm atmosphere, but the event proceeded smoothly, with occasional laughter erupting at Hoshimachi’s words and actions.
Hoshimachi Suisei talks about the background of starting her agency
—Please tell us your honest feelings now that a day has passed.
“To be frank and honest, I feel a sense of relief. I’m really happiest and most relieved that we were finally able to show everyone something we’d been preparing for a long time and that we were able to announce it successfully. However, there was still an unknown aspect to how this announcement would be received, so after the live performance, I diligently searched for mentions of myself online. I read a lot of comments from everyone, and it seems that most of them were overwhelmingly positive, with people saying ‘Congratulations,’ which made me really happy.”
—It’s unusual for a VTuber to hold a press conference. What were your motivations for organizing it?
“I think it’s quite rare to see a VTuber holding a press conference, and I thought that would be interesting. Also, as we look forward to taking on new challenges in the future, I thought it would be a good idea to do it now, the day after the announcement, to show that we’ll be doing things like this and that these kinds of things are possible, so I consulted with my staff about it.”
—This concert was entirely acoustic, a format you’ve never used before. What were your thoughts going into it?
“The decision of whether or not to hold a live show was made quite last minute, but since we’re making a big announcement to mark our 8th anniversary, we thought about what kind of content we should present leading up to it, and we decided that a live show that allows us to look back on our journey so far would be the best option. I think we were able to create an emotional atmosphere that allows us to reflect on the past eight years.”
“To be honest, I didn’t know what the video playing in the background would be like until the day of the live show. When I saw it during rehearsals, I was like, ‘Wow, that’s so emotional!’ and ‘Amazing! I bet everyone’s going to cry!’ So I really hope everyone will watch the live show while reflecting on everything that’s happened up until now.”
—Were you concerned that the announcement of a “major announcement” might be received negatively?
“Based on what I’ve said up until now, I had a feeling that when fans saw the words ‘important announcement,’ they wouldn’t think it meant I was quitting, graduating, or retiring. I’ve said things like, ‘I’ll keep singing,’ and ‘I’ll keep working hard towards the dome,’ so I wanted them to be excited and wait to see what this ‘important announcement’ meant. And I think we were able to deliver a positive surprise.”
—When did you start thinking about setting up your own office?
“If you ask me what triggered it, I don’t think there was a specific time. I vaguely wondered, ‘What’s the next step?’ And once I achieved the big goal of performing at Budokan, I kept thinking, ‘So, what should I do with my story from here on?’ I discussed it with Cover, and with the options in front of me, I chose what I thought was the best course of action: establishing my own agency.”
—Were there any anxieties you had while preparing?
“To be honest, there were many options in front of me, and I did have moments during the preparation period when I wondered if another option would have been better, or if this was really the right thing to do. But in those anxious times, I turned to God for help. I drew a fortune slip and it was a great blessing. So I thought, ‘I have no choice but to believe in this,’ and I decided, ‘I’m going to do Studio STELLAR!’ That’s when I made up my mind.”
—What kind of activities do you plan to pursue with Studio STELLAR?
“I plan to base all of my future personal activities, such as live streaming, music activities, media appearances, tie-ups, and merchandise development, at Studio STELLAR. Up until now, I’ve had the opportunity to try many different things, starting with music activities, but I’ve increasingly felt the desire to more directly reflect my own ideas and bring them to fruition quickly, so I thought this would be a good way to pursue my expression. So rather than thinking of it as ‘creating a VTuber agency,’ I’d like to make it a creative organization, like a secret base, where I can realize what I want to do.”
–What will be the relationship between Cover Corporation and Hololive Production?
“First of all, I want to express my sincere gratitude to everyone at Cover, the staff at Hololive Production, and the talents belonging to them. They picked me up when I was really nobody, and I consider them all my comrades who have run through this together, so I’ve been exploring ways to continue this relationship with Hololive without letting it break.”
“I intend to leave my mark on Hololive, and I plan to continue my activities as Suisei Hoshimachi of Hololive. I also plan to participate in collaborations with other members and in Hololive Festivals, which are group concerts, as much as possible. I’ve had many discussions with Cover, and they’ve warmly encouraged me, so I would be happy if you could support both of us with peace of mind.”
—Your activities continue to be centered around Shibuya. Please tell us about your feelings towards Shibuya.
“It’s simply because I really love Shibuya. I was born in the countryside, but I’ve always had a strong yearning for the city. When I first went to Shibuya, a friend took me around the streets, and there were so many people performing and doing street performances, it was like there was some kind of festival going on, and I was really surprised. I thought, Shibuya is such a fun place. When I think about all the people there who were singing, dancing, and performing with their dreams in mind, it really makes me want to aim to become someone, so I think Shibuya is a city that inspires that feeling in me, and that’s why I often say that I want to do something in Shibuya, or rather, that I want to use Shibuya as a stage.”
—What were your thoughts when you saw your image on an outdoor advertisement in Shibuya?
“Even when I actually saw it displayed there, it didn’t really feel real, or rather, it was like, ‘Wow, something huge is on display,’ even though it’s my own work. It’s very moving. I don’t think the me from when I first visited Shibuya back then could have imagined this.”
—The advertisement includes the phrase, “Until this becomes a normal option for anyone aspiring to be an artist.” Please tell us your thoughts on virtual culture.
“Of course, I didn’t start the VTuber culture myself; there were many pioneers who came before us, and that’s how we got to where we are today. But I think that right now, it’s still seen as a niche genre by the general public. However, I personally think that VTubers and virtual culture are incredibly interesting and broaden people’s options. I hope that it will become one of the options that young people who want to express themselves will choose. In order to create such an era, I believe that I myself need to become more and more active, and that virtual beings can penetrate the real world, that they can truly move people’s hearts. I think that what I should be doing is continuing to deliver experiences like that to everyone, and that’s why I’ve put forward these words.”
—You’ve consistently used the expression “a star in the rough.” What’s the reason for that?
“So many people have told me, ‘Sui-chan, you’re a star too,’ and it makes me incredibly happy. Some people even suggest I change my greetings to something like ‘star,’ but I want to keep polishing myself up from now on. I want to remain a rough gem, and that’s why I call myself a ‘rough gem.’ I want to continue growing as a person who is never truly finished, and I want to keep polishing myself up as a rough gem.”
—Some people say that this might make them seem distant.
“I know that listeners have been saying a lot that ‘Suichan might have become a distant figure,’ but I think that if they do a live stream or actually talk to me, they’ll think, ‘Wow, she’s just the same old Suichan,’ so I really hope to continue to be close to everyone.”
—What kind of expression would you like to try in the future?
“I want to pursue interesting expressions that are unique to Suisei Hoshimachi, or that are only possible because I’m virtual, to an even more satisfying degree. Personally, as I pursue these things to the extreme, I really want to avoid going too far. I want to be somewhat popular, or rather, I want to slowly change while following the trends that have come before, and in that way, I want to take on challenges that aren’t confined to the framework of VTubers, and that make people think, ‘Wow, Suisei can do this too!'”
—What are your thoughts on the VTuber genre, and what are your plans for the future?
“Yes, I think the virtual world is a world with an incredible degree of freedom. So I want to reduce as much as possible the idea that ‘it’s difficult because it’s virtual’ or ‘it can’t be done.’ That’s why I want to be someone who constantly breaks out of my own shell, as well as the shell of the virtual world, and become a free being.”
—When are you aiming to play at Dome Tokyo?
“We’re celebrating our 8th anniversary now, so it would be great if we could reach our 10th anniversary. There are rumors that it’s actually already decided behind the scenes, but nothing has been decided at all. I’m looking at myself like an adult now and hoping we can reach it in the next two years.”
–Finally, do you have a message for the media and your fans?
“Thank you all so much for gathering here today despite your busy schedules. As an artist, I will continue to break out of my shell and run at full speed to become a new path in virtual culture, so I would be very happy if you would look forward to what Suisei Hoshimachi will do in the future. Thank you so much for today.”
Having achieved her dream of performing at the Budokan, a goal she’d held since her debut, Hoshimachi continues to lead the forefront of this new culture of virtual artists. This briefing session left us with renewed anticipation for how she will further develop this culture in the future.
We look forward to seeing the unique and never-before-seen expressions that only virtual artist Hoshimachi Suisei can create.
©︎ Studio STELLAR © COVER
This article is an English translation of an original Japanese article, translated by the Mogura VR editorial team.
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