NAGOYA: COSPLAYING in an anime paradise A trip to this Japanese city during the World Cosplay Summit is guaranteed to fill your little SD card with impressive visuals
Ahome away from home; Japan never ceases to leave me starry-eyed despite having visited six times already. An escape that is difficult to explain to those who have not visited, the country has a bit of everything I’m smitten with — from temple hopping, visiting themed cafés and digging through vintage goods at flea markets to indulging in delicious food, shopping for cute Lolitainspired outfits and gaming at state-of-theart arcades. Each city holds its own charm, and I tend to explore a different region upon every visit. This time I’d set my sights on Nagoya in the Aichi Prefecture, one of the largest cities in the Chubu region of Japan that was once the home of Nobunaga Oda, one of the most celebrated unifiers of the nation in the late 16th Century. History lessons aside, the main reason I was excited for this journey was to attend the annual World Cosplay Summit, a week-long series of events dedicated to the unique pop culture. As a cosplayer myself, this meant oodles of fun, an opportunity to represent the UAE community with friends, as well as to meet fellow cosplayers on foreign land. And so, I set off, carefully planning the trip so my time in Nagoya would not only coincide with the official event, but also give me enough time to explore the city. After booking flights and securing accommodation, I’d packed a simple cosplay (Olminu from the anime, Drifters) and jet off to experience a novel side of Japan’s pop culture.
the cosplay bit
The World Cosplay Summit is like the holy grail for cosplayers around the world; an ultimate goal that comes with its fair share of fame and bragging rights. The events held as part of the summit include exclusive photoshoot locations, a chance to roam designated public areas in character outfits, join parades, and attend anisong concerts featuring renowned anime music groups. While these activities are open for the general public to take part in, the main Championship is open to view as audience but exclusive to qualified teams of two that are hand-picked from all over the globe by organisers and flown to Nagoya to compete
against each other in a battle of craftsmanship and character performance to win the prestigious title. This year was the first time a team from the UAE participated and were up against 33 other countries. Even though they failed to make it through the primary stage due to stiff competition, their incredible armour-based cosplay, created with layers of craft foam and acrylics, were acknowledged by the staff and judges.
We’d decked ourselves for the Osu Parade in the city of Osu Kannon, a quaint little district that twisted and turned with shopping avenues, food stalls and an impressive temple of the same name. Lucky for us, our apartment was right behind the meeting point in Osu Kannon Temple, and the humidity (mind you, my wig would have slipped off from sweat if I didn’t secure it with hair clips!) was nothing compared to the heat of the moment. After organisers gathered all cosplayers, off we went, marching down the neighbourhood to show off our prized creations, while waving to excited residents and tourists.
Language was no barrier when it came to sharing the same passion. We’d met cosplayers from Italy, Spain, Sweden, Mexico, Korea, Vietnam, Finland, Japan, China, and many more! Each of us would recognise a familiar character and it’d automatically trigger discussions through excited squeals and flailing arms.
For the visitor who is oblivious to the cosplay scene, watching people roam the streets in costume may be intriguing. What differentiates cosplay from Halloween get-ups is the amount of time and effort an enthusiast puts into bringing a fictional character to life — from styled wigs and coloured contact lenses to gender-bending makeup skills and accuracy of the outfit design. The openness of the city’s residents as well as the summer celebrations centred on the hobby is bound to draw you in, especially when you come across hordes of enthusiastic cosplayers all dressed up and ready to pose.
A trip to Nagoya during the World Cosplay Summit is guaranteed to fill your little SD card with impressive visuals.