Japanese Cosplayers Keep Fantasies Fresh
Lisa Katayama goes to this year’s Tokyo Game Show and reports back on the experience of being a cosplayer.
Cosplay — short for “costume play” — is a popular pastime for anime and gamer geeks in Japan, who express their fandom by dressing in character. Some spend hundreds, even thousands, of dollars perfecting their outfits, but the more serious cosplayers custom-make their own costumes using fabric, a sewing machine and glue.
Photographers on cosplay alley are required to stand single-file in front of the character they want to shoot; the cosplayers pose for each one separately until the photographer is satisfied.
Japanese cosplayers often hide their true identities, providing fans with “cosplay” business cards and alternate cellphone numbers.
In Tokyo Game Show’s cosplay alley, strict signs forbid onlookers from asking the costumed individuals questions that will invade their privacy.
Technorati Tags: cosplay, cosplayers, Tokyo Game Show
0 comments | | categories : Culture, Japan
