Cosplay Culture!

This video, titled "IS JAPAN COOL? COSPLAY," introduces the world's biggest cosplay event, called the "World Cosplay Summit," held annually in Japan.
Many participants from all over the world come to participate in the event.

Cosplay is where you dress up as your favorite character from anime, manga, cartoons, etc.
Cosplay started around 1980, and became popular worldwide in the 90's.
That being said, it's a relatively new Japanese culture.
But where did cosplay begin? Let's take a look!

Japan's Globally Popular Contemporary Culture

Source :YouTube screenshot

Japanese manga, anime, video games, light novels, and other works that are unique to Japan and not found in other countries are called are unique Japanese cultures and these pieces are called "COOL JAPAN" by people from different countries.
Cosplay is classified as a "pop culture" or "sub culture."

Its unique worldview, creative storytelling, and unique characters have attracted young people from all over the world, as exemplified by the cosplayers in the video.
The cosplayers in the video are from South Korea, Brazil, Finland, England, Holland, Russia, Germany, Austria, France, Italy and more!

Successful Cosplay Events All Over Japan!

Source :YouTube screenshot

In addition to the World Cosplay Summit in the video, there are several different cosplay events in Japan. One such event is called "Character Comic Market."
At this event, people gather to publish their own manga and set up sales booths for uniforms and costumes.

Many anime, manga, and game fans aren't content just watching their favorite shows or playing games, but enjoy actually becoming their favorite characters.
In this way, they can immerse themselves in an alternate world by wearing colorful wigs, clothing, contact lenses, and more.

You can see some impressive cosplays in the video as well: Saint Seiya (0:07), Zelda (0:23), Kamen Raider (0:38), Shaazak from Gundam (0:39), Goku from Dragonball (1:02), Hatsune Miku (1:13), and Evangelion (1:14).

As cosplay became popular globally, the word "Cosplay" is now a word that expresses the idea of "Cool Japan."
There are many online cosplay stores where you purchase your very own costumes as well.

The Pluralistic Phenomenon of Cosplay Culture

Source :YouTube screenshot

As you see in the video, many cosplayers take pictures of themselves and other cosplayers, and cosplay cafes are always crowded with cosplay fans.

In Japan, "Enako" is one of the most popular cosplayers.
Many famous cosplayers have their own fan bases as well.
This is the pluralistic phenomenon of cosplay culture.

Summary of Japanese Cosplay Culture

When cosplay first started, it was considered a temporary subculture among nerds.
In the 80's and 90's, people began watching old cartoons and anime to relive their childhood memories and pass them on to the next generation.

Even today, the Japanese government considers cosplay a part of Japanese pop culture.
Cosplay now plays an important role in Japan's economy, and is a very important part of Japanese culture.

【Official Website】Cosplay Summit | [Official] World Cosplay Summit
https://www.worldcosplaysummit.jp/en/