Cosplay

Expecially if you are visiting the youth areas or areas known for manga like Tokyo’s Akihabara and Harajuku or Osaka’s Amerika-Mura, it won’t be long before you come across Cosplay. Cosplay is is the term for people dressing up in themed costumes. May it be a maid, a school girl, a butler or some weird and wonderful cartoon character Cosplay expecially with the older tenangers and young adults is quiet popular.

Weekends are the most popular times to get into character and for those visiting Tokyo, Jingubashi near Harajuku Station is a favorite meeting place for people into Cosplay and there are usually plenty of musicians dressed up in theme just to get noticed by talent scouts.

Cosplay is done for many different reasons and the biggest one is just for fun and draw some attention, while other people dress up for a escape from the formalised and bee like life in the big cities, while others do it for a fetish. Even many of the red light establishments and love hotels have got in on the act and have special cosplay themes. Gender roles are quiet popular with girls dressing as boys and boys dressing as girls, it usually dosen’t have any sexual overtones and is just a bit of fun and escape.

There are many cafes and enteretainment complexes where people visit to be waited on or entertained by someone in cosplay. The cosplayer can really escape and get into their character not only looking like them but even talking and acting like them. Some even write stories, or make short films and self made spin off films as the character and nearly become that character.

There are an array of cosplay events held throught the Japanese calandar which are like giant conventions which attract thousands of people in costume. It is a sight to be seen, with just about every si-fi character and cartoon character in attendance and a fare share of people dressed up as the latest cult hero, video game character or other famous icon.

With the huge influx of internet social networking in recent years cosplay is growing strenght to strenght with networks of like minded people both interested in being a character and intersted in others being a character. This is also adding to the huge sub culture which fashion designers, artists, animators and film makers are also tapping into.

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