NAGOYA —

Japan won the title of the world’s top cosplay costume role player Sunday with a pair from the host country clinching an annual international competition for the first time since its launch in 2005. The colorfully dressed pair defeated contenders from 14 other countries in the World Cosplay Championship, a key part of the three-day World Cosplay Summit which began in Nagoya, central Japan, on Saturday.
   
The two Japanese females appeared at the event dressed as renowned samurai warriors, main characters in a PlayStation game titled ‘‘Sengoku Basara’’ (Devil Kings). A pair from Spain won the second prize in the competition. The contenders were among some 500 so-called cosplayer participants in the summit who were dressed as key characters of Japanese animated films, widely called anime, games and manga comics.
   

© 2009 Kyodo News. All rights reserved. No reproduction or republication without written permission.

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11 Comments

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  DeepAir65 at 07:45 AM JST - 3rd August

  some photos would be good

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  wanderlust at 09:13 AM JST - 3rd August

  Sounds like the Taliban winning the world burqa-wearing championship... so many Japanese there that they were odds on to win it...

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  TokyoGas at 09:14 AM JST - 3rd August

  Photos please.

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  TSRnow at 11:07 AM JST - 3rd August

  No wonder Aso wants that "Manga and Anime Museum". Won for the 1st time since 2005? Seems kind of late, doesn't it.

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  terebiko at 11:18 AM JST - 3rd August

  I guess having the contest in Japan would limit the number of foreign participants. Second place Spain, Third place America. Here is a link to some so-so photos.

  http://www.tv-aichi.co.jp/wcs/2009/e/news/090802a.php

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  KingSaint at 12:23 PM JST - 3rd August

  I guess having the contest in Japan would limit the number of foreign participants.

  They have preliminary rounds in the representive counrtries, althought they only have one in the United States, that's kind of unfair.

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  smithinjapan at 01:05 PM JST - 3rd August

  This is indeed one field Japan excels in -- cosplay -- and so it seems only natural they would rank high, if not win. Not my cup of tea, but it IS fun to go to and/or see this kind of event and talk to some of the people.

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  stirfry at 06:38 PM JST - 3rd August

  "championship"...yeah, right

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  Potsu at 08:19 PM JST - 3rd August

  Gee,something to be really really proud of...

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  usaexpat at 12:36 AM JST - 4th August

  Uh, because they pretty much invented this weird fetish game.

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  Fadamor at 04:52 AM JST - 4th August

  Ummm, how long has it been around in Japan? I remember kids dressing up as Luke Skywalker in the States the week after Star Wars was released in 1977. I think kids all over the world always dressed like their movie heros since the days of Errol Flynn. That seems to fit the definition of "Costume Roleplay" and I'm not sure it qualifies as a "fetish".

  I DO like this quote...

  were among some 500 so-called cosplayer participants

  Only "so called" cosplayer participants? So it was uncertain whether they were participating, or whether they were in costume?

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