Shopping Guide
Hinode 2013 was held in Moscow on April 28. The event began in 2012 as the preliminary round for the selection of the Russian team for the World Cosplay Summit (WCS) and is marketed as a "Japanese cultural festival" for fans to join in the celebration of Japan's subculture. The event gained much media attention for sponsorships from several Japanese and Russian companies, as well as a collaboration with the Japanese Consulate in Russia. Out of the 2,100 participants this year, about 200 performed as cosplayers and more.
Hinode was started in order to select the national representative for Russia to compete at WCS, the largest cosplay competition in the world organized by Aichi TV. The winning pair of the preliminary round in Russia will be offered a free trip to Japan to take part in the final round of WCS. For Russian cosplayers, Hinode is their best bet to win a trip to Japan.
In 2012, only cosplayers from Moscow could participate in the competition. This year, however, cosplayers from all over Russia could join the event. During the selection for the Russian representatives to WCS, cosplayers were judged by a panel of three judges based on their costume, performance, and story. The focus is on the quality of the costume, the expressions and emotions injected into the performance, as well as a storyline that could be enjoyed by all. The winning pair this year chose Trinity Blood as their theme and recreated scenes in gorgeous costumes, performing well-received dances.
On top of cosplay, Hinode also featured events such as a manga contest, games such as shogi (Japanese chess), as well as workshops for calligraphy and manga drawing, and a maid cafe. There were also demonstrations and merchandise from sponsors for sale.
Hinode has become an important event that introduces Japanese culture to Russia and forms a bridge for cultural exchange between the two countries.
Hinode Official Site:
http://www.hinode.asia/ (Russia)
