Why a seemingly ordinary woman—made famous by Elon Musk—is taking X by storm.
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Browse X, formerly known as Twitter, for long enough and chances are high that you will eventually encounter SAO. At first glance, she appears to be an unassuming Japanese woman who uploads cute photos of her meals and travels. Look closer, and it becomes clear that her posts attract thousands of likes, retweets, and replies from a seemingly endless barrage of fans, most of whom are not Japanese.
Oliver Jia is a freelance writer based in Kyoto, Japan. He has produced commentary on culture and East Asian geopolitics for The Spectator, UnHerd, NK News, The Japan Times, and other outlets. He also runs his Substack, Foreign Perspectives.
