Costume players from Britain, Russia and Indonesia paid a courtesy call Tuesday at the Foreign Ministry, expressing their excitement about performing at the 10th World Cosplay Summit in Nagoya.
The three pairs of cosplayers, dressed as their favorite characters from Japanese animation, manga and video games, met with Senior Vice Minister Ryuji Yamane ahead of Saturday's contest that will draw performers from Japan and 19 other countries.
"I made a lot of friends through cosplaying, like my partner here," said Laura Sindall, a British representative dressed as Salsa from the "Eternal Sonata" video game. "It has been a fantastic experience."
Russian Margarita Romash, dressed as Lunatic from the anime "Tiger & Bunny," said she likes costume playing for its totality, enabling people to design and make their own clothing and artifacts, and to sing, dance and perform on stage.
Participants in the World Cosplay Championship, which has been held yearly since 2005, will be evaluated on their costume designs and the performance of their teams. The winning pair will be given the Foreign Minister's Award.
The Foreign Ministry, one of the sponsors of the cosplay summit, has been tapping costume playing and other subcultures as a major tool to promote Japanese culture abroad.
During their courtesy visit to the ministry, Sindall, one of the costume designers for the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics in London, offered encouragement for the Japanese athletes competing in the games.
"On behalf of myself and the rest of the Olympic team, we are wishing Japan the best of luck in it," she said.
