World Cosplay Summit 2007 Highlights

The World Cosplay Summit 2007 was held in Nagoya, Japan earlier this month (August 5, 2007). A few days before the competition, the 14 teams from 12 different countries (Japan had 3 teams) attended a press conference at Akihabara’s Tokyo Anime Center. Also attending was singing idol Shoko “Shokotan” Nakagawa who was this year’s World Cosplay Friendship Ambassador as well as a guest commentator for the competition. She posed with the competitors for some photos before she and 5 of the teams went to visit Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

© 2007 Reuters

The Ministry under the leadership of Foreign Minister Taro Aso, has been using Japanese popular culture as one means of promoting Japan to the world community. They were one of the sponsors for this year’s competition. Unfortunately, the Foreign Minister was unable to meet the teams. He had to attend a meeting of Asian foreign ministers in Manila. In his place was Vice Foreign Minister Katsuhito Asano. He commented to the crowd of reporters:

“My boss is a total manga geek. He must be sorry to miss this,” he said, adding: “When we talk about serious foreign policy, we don’t get this kind of media response.”

© 2007 SPORTS NIPPON NEWSPAPERS

He then gamely posed with the cosplayers using some “classic anime moves”:

As I mentioned earlier, teams from 12 countries competed. They represented Brazil, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Japan (3 teams), Korea, Mexico, Singapore, Spain, & Thailand. Each team consists of two people. Some of the rules for the competition:

• The costumes must be from Japanese anime and manga.
• At the preliminary competitions, costumes from Japanese video games are permitted.
• At the cosplay championships to be held in Japan, Japanese manga, anime and costumes only.
• Costumes are to be hand made. Pre-made costumes are not allowed.
• It is preferable that costumes are hand-made by the contestants themselves, but it is permissible for family and friends to help.
• Purchase and then re-making of ready-made goods to use in costumes is permissible.
• Team costumes at the cosplay championships are to be characters from within the same anime or manga.
• Participants must be 18 years and older.
• It is possible for those under 18 years of age to participate, but permission from a guardian must be obtained.
• The representative cosplayers who are chosen are to cooperate in a positive manner at the World Cosplay Summit 2007 (Parade, Championship, media and other events).

The competition was held at Nagoya’s Oasis21, which is a combination bus terminal, shopping mall, and event venue.

Unfortunately, it would take too much space to show everyone. Here are the three winners:

In First Place was the French team of Damian Ratte and Isabelle Jeudy as Tsugiri and Myobi from Alichino:

They were presented with a trophy from Judge Monkey Punch, a return trip ticket to Japan from Judge Ken Nagata, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs Prize (this prize is for those who promote friendship between Japan and other countries in the world) presented by Judge Hiroshi Tokita.

Second place went to the Tokyo Venue team (Japan Team B) of Naoki Shigure and Kikiwan as Death Note’s Light Yagami and Misa Amane:

They received an assortment of manga and anime goods worth ¥100,000 from Judge Ichiro Mizuki.

The third team won an award called the Brother Award. This was the team from Mexico…Linaloe and Alejandra Rodriguez Rivera performed as Eternal Sailor Moon and Sailor Galaxia from Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon:

They received a Brother super-slim digital ‘MyMio MFC-850CDN’ Multifunction Machine from Judge Essai Ushijima.

ANN Stories:
Cosplay Summit Convenes at Japan’s Foreign Ministry
French Team Wins 5th World Cosplay Summit

Additional Sources and Photos:
Reuters – Anime fans mass in Japan for cosplay fest
World Cosplay Summit 2007
otasuke.new-akiba.com (Japanese)
Sports Nippon (Japanese)
animeanime (Japanese)