COSPLAY - The latest fashion trend in Japan

日本人コスプレー　Japanese Cosplay: Costume Playing

Last week I was walking around Tokyo and noticed the latest fashion trend - cosplay: short for costume play. Near the Akihabara train station, I saw several young girls dressed in the latest cosplay fashions. The one in these two pictures was hired to hand out facial tissues advertising an electronics store.

So far as I can tell, cosplay is primarily an invention of Japanese teenage girls, also known as kogyalu 子ギャル or "cool young girls." The young people in Japan drive new fashions, trends, and new developments in culture and language. Perhaps the same is true in many countries.

The Tokyo area of Harajuku is the best place to see people dressed in their cosplay outfits. Every weekend Harajuku is chock full of young people dressing in their best, most exotic cosplay clothes and make-up. Also there are usually 10 or 15 music bands playing loud music - pop, heavy metal, hip-hop, or rock. The bands are located close to each other. They play with the volume as loud as the amplifiers will go. And all play different songs simultaneously. The result is a fantastic chaotic wall of noise that only young people would love. But it is certainly worth seeing as a tourist.

Japanese people are famous for conformity, discipline, and loyalty to the common good. A famous Japanese saying is, "The nail that sticks up gets hammered down." I love the imagination and daring of these young girls to be the nails that stick up. I enjoy seeing people express their individuality and their love of fun and adventure.

I wonder when cosplay will migrate to other countries like America. Will my sister Angela allow her clever daughters to wander around Anchorage dressed like these cool girls? What would people in my home state of Wyoming think of girls wandering around town dressed like this?

Even more horrible to contemplate: what will happen when the cosplay trend is adopted by men in America? Would this man have an opportunity to be the next governor of California? You never know...California already elected two movie actors to Governor. Why not elect Cosplay Fred?

For the record: no this is not me in disguise.