日本のコスプレイベントガイド Cosplay Event Guide for Gaijin

[haruna]

I'd been toying with the idea of creating a guide to Cosplaying in Japan for all the gaijin who are currently living there and frequenting this forum.
Eleryth kindly scanned the latest Comic Market rule book for me and I've photoshopped and translated the manga.
Links here:
http://img49.imageshack.us/img49/9282/comiketbookmanga17ua.jpg
http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/7030/comiketbookmanga24cl.jpg
http://img108.imageshack.us/img108/576/comiketbookmanga35do.jpg
http://img131.imageshack.us/img131/6627/comiketbookmanga42pa.jpg

Summary of Comiket's cosplay rules in English, Japanese, Chinese and Korean:
http://www.comiket.co.jp/info-a/TAFO/C69TAFO/

I'd also like to add sections on how to find an event near you, what to expect, what can you do, etc.

Feel free to discuss.

[siril]

Hmm some different rules I noticed:

- Always change into costume @ changing room; NEVER go outside of the con w/ costume.
- some events, you must register for cosplay
- cosplay photoshoot is @ designated area for most major events
- some events, you must register your camera

[Michi]

Oh wow, this is great. ^^ Thank you, haruna. I'm probably not going to be able to attend any events til maybe Winter Comiket '07, but this is still very helpful. ^_^v

[nightko]

I also noticed there are many events in which 男性の女装禁止。
(No Crossplay for guys)

[haruna]

Oh wow...I had going through all of the text in the Comic Market rule book on the backburner for some time.

Eleryth was kind enough to scan Comiket9's rule book for me but I haven't finished since I thought no one was interested.

I did not see the No-Men-In-Women's-Costumes rule in Comic Market 69's rule book. I know a lot of smaller events tend to be stricter in strange ways like that(some just forbid cosplay outright.)
Back in 01 when I went to Comiket, I met a few very kind male crossplayers. One of them was a staff member, so at that time, Comiket definitely didn't have that rule!

My guess is that the rule was created to keep guys from going into the women's changing room.

[Kazenokibou]

I don't think Comiket has no-guys-crossplay rule. I believe nightko was just saying that some events do, not Comiket in particular.

I've seen staff crosspaly too. They had shinigami costume last time, but the year before, they had maid costumes and guy staffs were wearing those too.

[nightko]

:) Staff in maid costumes, definitely is eye catching.

Yes, I was referring to those other events.
Also, I saw some events have stated that soldiers uniform that really exist/use nowadays are forbidden.

[emeraude]

hey, im now in japan and im coing back to mexico in 2 months y would like to go to a cosplay event again... so that i can wear my merle's costume again..... does someone know about an event at the beggining of june???

[haruna]

hey, im now in japan and im coing back to mexico in 2 months y would like to go to a cosplay event again... so that i can wear my merle's costume again..... does someone know about an event at the beggining of june???

See what the sites in this thread have to say:
http://forums.cosplay.com/showthread.php?t=74616

[emeraude]

thank you, i was looking there but i just can see this weekend events i can't see june events u.u...

[Squall_009]

WOW I thought the conventions here were strict. I just am afraid to go (if I had the money) to a Japan convention because I dont speak Japanese and cannot read the language(though I am learning).

[Kazenokibou]

Adding on to nightko, I'm pretty sure that at comiket your not allowed to wear police uniforms, and army uniforms that are put in use now. If it's older, I think it was allowed...

emeraude: I found a "all Genre Cosplay event" on 6/11/06 at Tokyo Joypolis (I kinda figured you live in Tokyo). Their site is here: http://www.cosplayheaven.net/ if your interested.
Joy polis is in Odaiba, near were Comiket is held, and this seems to be "theme park" cosplay event. It's 2500 yen to buy a ticket to get in, and to enjoy all atraction.

Squall_009: I'm also the type that's kinda afraid to go to Japanese cons, but if you have any troubles with Japanese, if I'm here (sometimes I don't check here often, but if I indeed check it) I'm glad to help with some translations. :)

[Neko-Ryu_Lander]

No Crossplay? guess that leaves me out....no serously is that a rule? cause girls do it all the time in the photos i have seen.

[haruna]

No Crossplay? guess that leaves me out....no serously is that a rule? cause girls do it all the time in the photos i have seen.

The rule is banning males from wearing female costumes.

[Inglaterra]

Hi everybody!
Does anybody know if a cosplayer can be ok in a cosplay convention just speaking english? (I have a very poor japanese, but I would like to visit a con in Japan soon).

[emeraude]

hello everyone, yesterday i went to tft hall in tokyo (odaiba) to the cosmode event and there were 2 or 3 gaijin ! i would like to know if they were some one from this forum jaja i went with my merle's costume.......

INGLATERRA; Hola yo estoy viviendo en japon y yo voy a los eventos de cosplay aqui, lo que te puedo decir es que si no entiendes japones si es algo dificil al momento de preguntar por donde te cambias o cuando te dan instrucciones..... y las personas que trabajan en los eventos no saben hablar ingles :s asi que creo que si es algo dificil!

[Inglaterra]

Ups! Bueno, entonces tendré que quemarme las pestañas un rato O_oU, te agradezco el dato, Emeraude :)

[Sparks Padfoot]

I think that all this is a good idea. I would like to be a part of it. I have good japanese but bad kanji, i think that this would be useful....more info plz.

[mrskalal]

I don't speak much Japanese at all either, but I've never let that stop me. Maybe I'll force one of my Japanese friends to come with me. Haha. This sounds like fun and I'm definitely going to mark it on my calendar.

Also, does anyone know anything about Tokyo Game Show? My husband says there's some cosplay there and he's a gamer and wants to go for the games.

[zotaro515]

I don't think Comiket has no-guys-crossplay rule. I believe nightko was just saying that some events do, not Comiket in particular.

There isn't a rule about crossplaying for comiket.
I've seen a lot of guys as maids or in sailor outfits there!

For anybody who's thinking of going, I think Comiket is a crowded but gaijin-friendly event compared to the other cosplay events.
You don't really have to be able to speak Japanese, but it's nice if you know basic stuff like how to ask for directions etc.

As for other cosplay events to go, there usually is an event going on
every sunday in Tokyo. Some are all-nighters where you dance the night away in your costume :)

[haruna]

AX has passed so I'm not so crazily busy so I'm going to start doing some more on my preliminary comiket-based guide.

To the JP folks here: what would be the top 10 cosplay events in Japan? If that's a difficult/semi-irrelevant question, then what are other types of events people cosplay at?
comiket/other doujin selling events/dances/specific series events/etc?

Thanks!

[-Naraku-]

sorry, where I can register me per internet for the comiket? Can it be possible?

[Eleryth]

Naraku, you don't have to register for Comiket. You just show up the day of and go in. It costs 600yen to enter the cosplay changing area, otherwise it's all free.

[-Naraku-]

only 600 Yen? cool thanks! ^^ I know that its fro free without the cosplay zone, but I don't know how much it cost. thanks! ^^

[Lisandra]

Hello!
I`m going to Tokyo this november.
Can you tell me if there will be some events?

[haruna]

Yay Cosmode issue #12!
There's a Cosplay Event Guide in there that lists popular event locations + stores in the vicinity, some popular sites to hit up and so forth.

[nadesico81]

Im going to Winter Comiket in December and I am going cosplay.In fact I just bought the plane ticket today. I am looking forward to seeing some of the perfection of Japanese cosplay. I have lived in Japan for a while on the island of Okinawa. However there was hardly any cosplaying done there.

[Fo-]

2zotaro515

As for other cosplay events to go, there usually is an event going on
every sunday in Tokyo. Some are all-nighters where you dance the night away in your costume

Wow! I 'd love to go to such event!!!

[tenjouusagi]

Im going to Winter Comiket in December and I am going cosplay.In fact I just bought the plane ticket today. I am looking forward to seeing some of the perfection of Japanese cosplay. I have lived in Japan for a while on the island of Okinawa. However there was hardly any cosplaying done there.

REALLY?! I live in Okinawa now. Is there anything at all to look forward to here, or should I just hold out until next year for Winter Comiket? We're trying to go back to VA for Nekocon in Nov, so if we can do that we won't have the money for Winter Comiket this year. =3

[nadesico81]

REALLY?! I live in Okinawa now. Is there anything at all to look forward to here, or should I just hold out until next year for Winter Comiket? We're trying to go back to VA for Nekocon in Nov, so if we can do that we won't have the money for Winter Comiket this year. =3

Are you stationed there for the Military? If so are you Air Force or USMC? Honestly the plane ticket to Tokyo and the Hotel would be cheaper then buying airline tickets to go back to the states.

As for Okinawa there is not a whole heck of alot there when it comes to Anime and Cosplay. Most of the decent anime stuff is bought at flea markets and small comic shops. There is only one or two good comic/Anime shops on the island.

[Hokutochan]

As for other cosplay events to go, there usually is an event going on
every sunday in Tokyo. Some are all-nighters where you dance the night away in your costume :)
Ooh please tell us where! I'm currently all alone in Tokyo and I want to go cosplay with other like minded individuals! All I have around me are old people [Nerima] and fashion snobs [Shijuku].

Any events any manga loving anime watching fan should know about in September?

[Karisu-sama]

I have cosplayed in Japan (Worldcon), and had nothing but pleasant times with my fellow Japanese cosplayers, and made new Japanese friends. Other American friends of mine have had similar experiences at Comiket.

[Validar]

I believe that Proud Asian Guy is talking on a more local level. I have yet to deal with it myself, but i have heard stories of small secluded incidents.
On a happier note, I am very happy to find more people here in Japan! I personally have just recently picked up interest in cosplay, but have been a fan of not only anime, but Japan as a whole for as long as I can remember... I guess my Japanese grandmother helped a bit with that huh? XD

[-Edo-]

Cosmode has a very extensive listing of cosplay events throughout the country:

http://www.cosmode.net/pc/event/

Run it through a web page translator:

http://babelfish.yahoo.com/

You can get the general idea of where and when the event is taking place but allow some liberties with the English translation of the events (consider "trust in grommet south Osaka" one of those very loose translations!)

[Gunso]

I made my first attempt to brave the crowd in the cosplay area of Comiket this year, since on day 3 I had plenty of time while one of my friends picked up his millions of porn doujinshi. I'd say it looks like any other event in the West, only with the more strict rules about props. Saw plenty of men crossplaying, too. Even a huge gaggle of guys dressed as Touhou charas. So, my friend and I are going to return in winter crossplayed as Rozen Maidens.

Even with my earlier statement of the high turnover rate of shows getting old, there were still plenty of Sailor Moon cosplayers there at Comiket 74. I think if you happen to be going to Comic Market and are a mature adult, feel free to cosplay, just don't expect it to be a hyper fun lose-your-mind-go-crazy party like american conventions tend to be. It's a very relaxed time.

If you don't know japanese, just look around, your fellow gaijin stand out well enough.. ask them for directions. :)

[Gunso]

I scanned the cosplay rules from the Comiket 74 catalog, since the post that started the thread was from a couple years ago. Maybe someone will translate this for us. *puppy-dog eyes* I have about a kindergarten level reading comprehension, so I am missing the important stuff. (I can read Yotsuba&! because of the furigana for every kanji, but far from reading a japanese newspaper)

If nothing else, this should help those that can read japanese to see what differences there are to the rules from past CMs.