National Nov 1, 2020
Photo essay: This is Halloween ... in Tokyo 2020
by Ryusei Takahashi
Despite officials’ pleas to stay home, crowds of revelers — with and without masks — converge for a costume street party in Shibuya.
Style & Design Jul 21, 2019
Untapping the power that lies between fashion and costume
by Linda A. Gould
"Fashion and costume can offer freedom, protection, power. Sometimes they can even change the world." So says Chiaki Shimizu, a textile designer who is on a mission to prove that fashion is an underutilized resource for social change. Pull on a favorite sweater and feel the ...
Lifestyle Jul 6, 2019
by Andrew McKirdy
The art of dressing up as characters from anime, manga, video games or TV shows has evolved into a global phenomenon.
More Sports / Track & Field Mar 3, 2019
In pictures: The rain, the pain and the fun of Tokyo Marathon 2019
Low temperatures and persistent rain put a slight damper on the celebratory aspect of the 13th Tokyo Marathon but at least it didn't harm the runners' overall performances. The winner — Ethiopia’s Birhanu Legese — clocked the event's second-best time ever, and a record ...
Our Lives | TELLING LIVES Feb 3, 2019
From cosplay fan to idol, Yuriko Tiger's journey has been a colorful one
by Gianni Simone
It was 1964 when 19-year-old ye-ye singer Sylvie Vartan captured the hearts of Japanese cinemagoers in the French film "Cherchez l'idole," released here as "Aidoru o Sagase" and in English as "The Chase." Her track from that film, "La plus belle pour aller danser," ...
National / History | Defining the Heisei Era Nov 24, 2018
Defining the Heisei Era: Examining the rise of otaku culture
by Alex Martin
With the number of children shrinking, popular entertainment naturally began targeting the otaku population that didn't hesitate to open their wallets for material many considered juvenile.
National Oct 29, 2018
Halloween revelers overturn small truck near famed Shibuya 'scramble crossing' in Tokyo
Separately, five people were arrested for alleged groping or similar offenses over the weekend, police said.
National | FOCUS Oct 28, 2018
Halloween in Tokyo's Shibuya: Where did all the wicked wackiness get started?
by Yuka Nakao
Japan's rowdy, cosplay-themed Halloween celebrations have become famous around the world, with young people congregating in city hot spots and theme parks where they snap selfies in outrageous outfits and ghoulish get-ups. In recent years, thousands of revelers — dressed up in supergraphic costumes to ...
National Jun 23, 2018
Japan's cosplay culture proving a hit in typically conservative India
Cosplay culture is gaining popularity in conservative India, where the Japanese hobby has drawn comparisons with a Hindu festival tradition. Comic Con India, a cosplay and pop culture event, has been held since 2011 in major cities and proven to be a hit, especially among ...
Culture Dec 1, 2016
Tokyo Comic Con calls on Hollywood's big guns for star power
by Ryotaro Aoki
As we sit down for an interview, Tokyo Comic Convention Committee Chairman Mitsuaki Munegumi casually points to a glass case in the center of the room. "There's actually a real 'Star Wars' lightsaber in there," he says, and reaches over. He pulls out a hilt ...
Food & Drink Nov 4, 2016
Tokyo's first Russian-style maid cafe
by Patrick St. Michel
Twelve men sit in silence at a new cafe in Tokyo's Shinjuku district as three women dressed in Russian attire start serving a sour-looking plate of borscht. The men have each paid ¥15,000 to attend this soft opening of ItaCafe, which bills itself as the ...
Digital Sep 15, 2016
by Jason Coskrey
Twenty years ago, two new video game trade shows launched in Tokyo with the hopes of capturing the attention — and yen — of gamers in Japan. The first Tokyo Game Show (TGS) took place from Aug. 22 to 24, 1996, and was followed ...