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Not only Japan has probably developed the most amazing piece of technology so far, but using it like this is just insane..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTXO7KGHtjI#ws

Yes, the girl is a holographic design.

Two things:

1) lol @ all the comments from otakuites

2) These aren't "holograms". They're clearly projections.

Japan uses it's amazing technology for...an anime girl. Worse, a CG anime girl.

I bet if someone found a cure for cancer they would somehow use it for a game show.

Who cares what spurs innovation, as long as it gets spurred?

This isn't innovative technology, though--it's just an innovative application (if you can call it that). Localized projection has been around for at least two decades now, but the idea of the 3D optical illusion has been around for... well, ages, as you lot know. Because it only works from very particular angles, it's become popular with stage shows and magic illusions due to how easy it is to manipulate the audience's vantage point. The characters they project onto the warped screen are high-resolution videos meant to be viewed from that one angle. The lighting and strobe lights add to the effect, but it doesn't change the fact it's just a projector at work.

The animation is quite nice, though.

If you want to learn more about perceived-3D illusions, you can get an idea of how it works with Pepper's ghost (demonstrated very cleverly here by illusionist Derren Brown and company). Much like the "hologram effect" here (which is obviously achieved through digital means), it only works from certain angles. The difference being that Pepper's ghost has been around for centuries and is a feat of science, not technology (or at least as we now define it). Nonetheless, it shall blow your mind if you have never seen it before.

Fittingly, the two episodes that went out today address optical illusions and such. Coincidence!!?!?/1/1

Also, I'd completely forgotten about this, but here's the Gorillaz using the same technology nearly six years ago. The only thing that's improved since then (as one might expect) is the animation itself and quality of projection (given how much more affordable and mobile high definition projectors have become). They'll keep getting better at animating, but we're still a ways off from... holograms.