Cultural Exchange
The World Cosplay Summit 2021
August 10, 2021
- On August 7th and 8th, the 19th “World Cosplay Summit 2021” was held in Nagoya and live-streamed to all over the world. Last year, considering the impact of COVID-19, it was held online for 24 hours. On the other hand, this year's summit was held in hybrid format, under the catch phrase “We Can Start, again!!” As a result, both cosplay events (photo session, stage event, etc.) and “World Cosplay Championship Video Division” were held.
- In the “World Cosplay Championship Video Division”, a team of two representative cosplayers from each of 30 countries and regions, including Japan, who have won the preliminary rounds, created the performance video dressed in costumes from Japanese anime, manga and video games. These videos were judged on the stage on 8th, and the German team that won the Championship was awarded the Foreign Minister’s Prize by Ms. TSUDA Yoko, Director of the Cultural Affairs and Overseas Public Relations Division, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.
- Cosplay, a pop culture originated in Japan, expands the circle of interest to many people overseas, including young people, and helps vitalizing international exchange through Japanese anime, manga, and video games.
- "World Cosplay Summit"
- The World Cosplay Summit began in 2003 and the Summit is now in its 19th year. The event aims at contributing to the “creation of international exchange through youth culture originated in Japan”,such as Japanese anime, manga and video games. Since 2009, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been co-hosting the event with Aichi Prefecture, Nagoya City, Aichi Television Broadcasting and others as members of the World Cosplay Summit Executive Committee, and has awarded the winning team with the Foreign Minister's Prize.