The conflict in Ukraine and China’s rising financial affect have been high of thoughts for world leaders this weekend, alongside different critical world challenges like local weather change and the rise of artificial intelligence.

But on the video-sharing web site Niconico, it’s been a vigorous occasion that has attracted jokes, anime slang and chatter about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s surprise visit to debate assist and weapons help for his nation.

The G-7 additionally drew heavy curiosity on Twitter in Japan, the nation with essentially the most customers on the platform outdoors the United States. Users there have been significantly struck by the importance of Japan internet hosting the summit in Hiroshima, the location of the 1945 American atomic bombing.

The summit kicked off Friday with a symbolic go to to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, devoted to those that died in the bombing, and a wreath-laying ceremony.

It stole the present on Japanese Twitter.

“This scene is really incredible … absolutely incredible. I can’t believe we’re seeing this,” one person mentioned, a sentiment shared broadly on the platform that day.

Niconico was created in 2006 and have become one of many first streaming web sites in Japan to point out real-time feedback scrolling throughout the display screen. Unlike YouTube, which permits textual content feedback to look adjoining to dwell video, Niconico overlays feedback on the footage itself.

The textual content scrolls from proper to left, and the result’s an immersive viewing expertise in which others’ reactions are simply as vital as what’s happening in the footage.

Niconico went wild throughout Zelensky’s arrival, with feedback flashing on display screen because the French plane carrying Ukraine’s chief landed at Hiroshima Airport and as his motorcade drove previous a crowd of Ukrainian evacuees and Hiroshima residents gathered to greet his arrival.

“Wow, he’s really here.”

“He’s not in a suit.”

“Thank you for coming.”

“Will be in the textbooks.”

“8888,” many applauded — a time period coined on the platform for clapping as a result of a Japanese pronunciation of the quantity “pachi” is an onomatopoeia for the sound of applause.

The platform started as a distinct segment gathering place for followers of anime, on-line video games and varied subcultures. It was co-founded by Hiroyuki Nishimura, the controversial creator behind 2channel, the predecessor for 4chan, a platform that grew to become a breeding floor for conspiracy theories and hate speech and gave means for related websites that unfold in the United States.

Niconico has grown right into a beloved neighborhood for its roughly 94 million registered customers, who can add movies or watch dwell streams. It is so influential amongst Japanese youths that slang phrases born there usually change into mainstream on-line lingo.

Videos featured on the location are far more various than in its early days and now span sports activities, politics and, this weekend, even the G-7 summit.

Niconico customers welcomed Biden enthusiastically when the feed confirmed Air Force One arriving right here, with messages studying: “USA, USA.”

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They have been significantly animated about seeing Biden’s arrival on the Peace Memorial — however not due to the importance of solely the second American president to go to the location of the U.S. atomic bombing.

Instead, Niconico viewers have been obsessive about the octogenarian’s age and demeanor. A flurry of feedback flooded throughout the display screen as Biden walked the purple carpet to the museum: “He’s older than my grandpa.” “Someone get him a cane.” “Is he OK?”

For all of the jokes and insults, Niconico customers additionally observed how Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida — who represents Hiroshima as his house district and whose household is from right here — appeared in his aspect this weekend.

Kishida has made nuclear disarmament central to his overseas coverage agenda and has repeatedly expressed the importance of internet hosting the summit in Hiroshima throughout a time when many nuclear powers are increasing their applications.

Hosting the world leaders right here ultimately, Kishida’s standard stoic demeanor was gone. And Niconico observed.

“Kishida looks the most confident when he’s in Hiroshima,” one commented because the prime minister held his concluding information convention Sunday. “Kishida looks so happy.”