Fans of science fiction, anime, manga, and more have been dressing in costume for a long time, and nobody seems to know exactly when this activity began. Even as far back as 1939, a fan of science fiction named Forrest J. Ackerman dressed in a "futuristic costume" at the 1st World Science Fiction Convention:
However, the hobby was not called cosplay until 1984. A Japanese man named Nobuyuki Takahashi created the word "cosplay" by combining the English words "costume" and "play" while he was attending the 1984 Los Angeles Science Fiction Worldcon convention. He was impressed by all of the costumes he saw there, and began writing about "cosplay" in Japanese magazines, such as the one shown below:
In modern times, cosplay is seen as a primarily Japanese hobby with some Western "copycats," but it is interesting to see that the hobby seemed to develop at the same time in multiple countries! No one country can claim to be the place where cosplay began, although Japanese fans of the hobby are well known worldwide for their excellent costumes and enthusiasm for cosplay.
In Japan, cosplay is an extensive hobby that goes beyond yearly conventions. Young people in Japan who enjoy cosplay gather in certain regions of many different cities to wear their costumes, see other costumes, and have fun as their characters!
One such area is known as "Harajuku," and is comprised of the area around Harajuku Station in Tokyo. This area is a popular shopping district, and is also known for attracting many fashionable teens and cosplayers who come here to socialize and show off their outfits. Watch this video of the Harajuku area, which features cosplayers, street performers, music, dancing, and more!
One of the biggest conventions for cosplayers in the United States is the annual event known as Comic-Con. The event is typically 4 days long, and is held in San Diego, California.
The convention started in 1970, and was originally created to showcase comic books and science fiction. However, in recent years, the convention has also attracted fans of anime, manga, and pop culture in general. The San Diego Convention Center is filled to capacity for Comic-Con, holding 125,000 people.
In this video, you will get to observe some of the events of Comic-Con 2010. Pay close attention to the cosplayers throughout the clip. Do you recognize any familiar characters?
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