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Cosplay Festa TDC was held on Dec. 8 at Tokyo Dome City in Suidōbashi. TDC is one of the world’s largest cosplay-only events. It started in 1997 and has an attendance rate of over 6,000 people every year. It also has a cosplay area that is roughly 30,000 ㎡. At the event, a huge number of cosplayers from all over enjoyed cosplaying as they pleased.
Tokyo Dome, which is home to this event, was opened in 1988 as Japan’s first domed baseball stadium. It was constructed to resemble the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In addition to baseball, the stadium is also used for American football games. The American Football All-Japan Championship (aka the Rice Bowl 1) is held here every year on Jan. 3. Many other large-scale events are also held here, including music concerts. The stadium is also home to many leisure activities, and there is usually no end to the daytime foot traffic of families and young people around Tokyo Dome. TDC also utilizes the Tokyo Dome City area (Tokyo Dome City Attractions & Prism Hall).
Regardless of the cold December weather, many cosplayers gathered in the cosplay area that was set up outside. Among them were cosplayers dressed in outfits that took the better part of a month to create holding giant swords 1 meter in length. It was an event at which you could feel the enthusiasm of cosplayers gearing up for Comic Market 85.
According to Mr. Murakami, a member of the Cosplay Festa Executive Committee who sponsored the event, “Of course there are veteran cosplayers at TDC, but there are also many beginners as well.” Regarding the noticeable changes in the long-standing event, Mr. Murakami explained an ongoing change in the trend: “Long ago, I caught sight of many people cosplaying on their own accord. Nowadays, there are many who like manga and get into cosplaying because their friends are doing it for recreation. There is an environment in which more than saying “I want to cosplay independently,” people cosplay as characters familiar to them as a way to represent their favorite manga and games. For that reason, more and more cosplayers are joining with friends to form units and groups.” He went on to share his aspirations for the future: “We want to continue providing a place where attendees can relax and enjoy cosplaying. We would also like to develop different content depending on the season.”
TDC prides itself on being one of the world’s largest cosplay-only events at which everyone from beginners to veterans gather. There is no doubt that it is playing a role in stirring up cosplay culture.
^1^ A championship game between Japan’s top American football teams that pits Japan’s top college team that won that year’s All-Japan College Championship (Koshien Bowl) against the top corporate team that won that year’s Japan Corporate Championship (Japan X Bowl).
This is a Tokyo Otaku Mode original article.
