Masks, monsters and munchies: Get your spook on this Halloween
Halloween is an annual excuse for people of any age to dress up, decorate and eat way too many treats. Here’s how everyone can enjoy this frightfully fun holiday in 2021.
Hikari makes soft-power moves with anime and Vocaloid covers
In 2021, the performer launched Singing Cosplayer Hikari, a multiplatform project anchored by her YouTube channel, to harness the booming popularity of anime and Japanese music.
While wearing a costume of a character does not infringe copyright in itself, a violation could occur if an individual is paid to do so, such as to make an appearance at an event.
Photo essay: This is Halloween ... in Tokyo 2020
Despite officials’ pleas to stay home, crowds of revelers — with and without masks — converge for a costume street party in Shibuya.
Untapping the power that lies between fashion and costume
"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 ...
The art of dressing up as characters from anime, manga, video games or TV shows has evolved into a global phenomenon.
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 ...
From cosplay fan to idol, Yuriko Tiger's journey has been a colorful one
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," ...
Defining the Heisei Era: Examining the rise of otaku culture
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.
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.
Halloween in Tokyo's Shibuya: Where did all the wicked wackiness get started?
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 ...
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 ...
