The cosplay parade. (Photo courtesy of Aichi Television Broadcasting Co., Ltd.)

Manga has become an international lingua franca, winning fans among young people in Europe, North America, and Asia. Many enthusiasts are not content just to read these Japanese comics, however, and also enjoy dressing up as their favorite characters. This is called cosplay, an abbreviated form of the English words costume and play. "Cosplayers" from around the world, each dressed in a unique costume, gathered in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, this summer to take part in the World Cosplay Summit (WCS) 2008.

Becoming a Manga Character
The WCS was first held in the fall of 2003 as part of a special TV event by the local Aichi Television Broadcasting Co. Since then, the numbers of participants and of the countries from which they hail have grown every year; the summit became widely known both in Japan and overseas when it was held as part of the Expo 2005 Aichi Japan. It has become a major event, attracting support not just from local businesses and the local government but also from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism; and the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry.

The cosplay parade. (Photo courtesy of Aichi Television Broadcasting Co., Ltd.)

One of the highlights of the summit is a cosplay parade through a shopping district in Nagoya featuring not only the summit participants but also cosplayers from the general public. Another is the intense competition among the teams from various countries for the title of cosplaychampion. In the parade that took place on August 2, 2008, there were 28 cosplayers from the teams of Japan, France, China, the United States, and nine other countries, and they were joined by about 300 participants from the general public. The parade stretched about 100 meters. When the championship was held the next day on August 3, the venue was buzzing with excitement as some 12,000 spectators gathered to watch.

The championship was won by the team from Brazil, who dressed as two manga staples—a robot and a girl—in the characters of Jango and Jo from the anime Bakuretsu Tenshi (Burst Angel). Second prize was claimed by the team from China, which dressed as Lady Butterfly and Venus from the anime Sengoku Basara (Devil Kings). Honorable mention went to the team from Osaka, Japan, which dressed up as characters from the anime Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion.

The runner-up Chinese team. (Photo courtesy of Aichi Television Broadcasting Co., Ltd.)

Teams Judged on Performance and Faithfulness
The teams from each country had two players. (There were two teams from Japan.) In their national qualifying competitions, they were judged comprehensively on such criteria as their performance, the quality of their costumes, and faithfulness to the original works. In order to be eligible for the contest, costumes must be based on a Japanese manga or anime and must be handmade. In 2009 Australia will join the list of countries taking part in the summit.

Demonstrating the popularity of Japanese manga and anime, the national competitions in the participating countries drew tens of thousands of spectators. At the venue in Brazil, which this year celebrates 100 years of cultural exchange with Japan, there were a number of special guests, including singer Toshiko Ezaki, who is well-known as the voice of the closing theme song for the anime Pokémon. The preliminary competition in last year's championship and perennial entrant France, which is marking 150 years of exchange with Japan this year, was held at the Japan Expo, the largest manga and anime event in all of Europe. The hard-fought competition was one of the highlights of the Japan Expo, which drew a total of 120,000 visitors. (October 2008)