Can you Cosplay in Japan?

The word cosplay is one of the trendy topics especially when you’re in an anime group on social media, every scroll that you’ll do you will probably come across someone who does cosplay for fun or for a living.

Akuma from Street Fighter Cosplay

The fun thing is the cosplay community is continuously growing. Just seeing how the cosplayers are able to have their own version or have the exact appearance of your favorite character is just exciting to see and it’s very encouraging to do the same as well.

But first, what exactly is cosplay? And what’s the difference between cosplay and a cosplayer?

To put it simply, cosplay is also a form of art and it’s the act of portraying a character whether it’s in a manga, movie or series.

While, cosplayers are the one who are portraying a character and there are also people who also act a certain character’s gestures and mannerisms which makes the cosplay much closer to the character they’re portraying.

But, aren’t you curious about the origins of cosplay?

According to Achim Runnebaum from Japan Daily, the first ever cosplayer was actually not a Japanese.

During the 1900’s, the couple Myrtle Rebecca Douglas Smith Gray Nolan and her boyfriend Ackerman attended the 1st World Science Fiction Convention and it was stated that they were dressed in “futuristic costumes”.

It has been said that no one, but them wore costumes in the first year of the convention.

But, the following year, people came to the convention wearing costumes and that’s how cosplay started.

When I actually first heard about this, I thought that it was pretty amazing now that cosplay is much more than before.

Cosplaying characters is also a way to express admiration towards our favorite characters. But aside from that, there are also etiquettes as well as rules that you must follow and it’s better if you research about the places where you’re not allowed to do photoshoots.

When I hear cosplay, the first thing that comes to my mind is the country which is Japan, but now that we’ve talked about rules and etiquettes.

Can you actually cosplay in Japan?

Yes you can, but please do note that Japan has rules for cosplaying so I suggest if you’re planning to cosplay in Japan, research about the rules you must follow when you want to cosplay and along with that is knowing the etiquette.

This is because cosplay culture in Japan is quite different from other countries.

One of the rules there is you shouldn’t go to a convention or a venue with your costume on. It has been said by Manga Tokyo that it’s a fixed rule for all cosplay events in Japan.

But, don’t worry because they provide dressing rooms for all the cosplayers and they can change their clothes and do their make-ups there.

Another rule that you should keep in mind is to try not to get in the way of other people, especially on public places such as the transportation.

Sometimes, it’s hard to avoid situations wherein the costumes and other accessories are just too much to handle, so you accidentally hit one of the people in the transportation using your cosplay stuff.

Seeing people cosplay especially in your favorite country like Japan may encourage you to do the same as what your most loved cosplayers are doing, but before you wear your costumes please research the rules that country might have regarding cosplays as well as the etiquette.

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This way, you’ll be able to enjoy portraying your favorite character without causing inconvenience to the people around you.

References:

Manga Tokyo (2017). “How to Cosplay in Japan: 7 Steps to Follow”

Retrieved from.

https://manga.tokyo/otaku-articles/how-to-cosplay-in-japan/

Runnebaum, A. (05 August 2019). The Origins of Cosplay

Retrieved from.

https://japandaily.jp/the-origins-of-cosplay-6598/

Filingham, I. (31 January 2019). Beginner’s Guide to Cosplaying in Japan | Expert Travel Tips

Retrieved from.

https://thedragontrip.com/blog/japan/cosplay-in-japan/

stuff. As much as possible, avoid this kind of situation, because it’s one of the things you need to follow when you cosplay in Japan.

Seeing people cosplay especially in your favorite country like Japan may encourage you to do the same as what your most loved cosplayers are doing, but before you wear your costumes please research the rules that country might have regarding cosplays as well as the etiquette. This way, you’ll be able to enjoy portraying your favorite character without causing inconvenience to the people around you.

References:

Manga Tokyo (2017). “How to Cosplay in Japan: 7 Steps to Follow”

Retrieved from.

https://manga.tokyo/otaku-articles/how-to-cosplay-in-japan/

Runnebaum, A. (05 August 2019). The Origins of Cosplay

Retrieved from.

https://japandaily.jp/the-origins-of-cosplay-6598/

Filingham, I. (31 January 2019). Beginner’s Guide to Cosplaying in Japan | Expert Travel Tips

Retrieved from.

https://thedragontrip.com/blog/japan/cosplay-in-japan/