World Cosplay Summit

Infobox Anime convention
name = World Cosplay Summit


caption =
status = Active
venue = Oasis 21
location = Higashi-ku, Nagoya
country = Japan
first = 2003
organizer =
attendance = 12,000 in 2008 [cite news | url =http://www.tv-aichi.co.jp/wcs/news/080804a.html | title = チャンピオンシップ開催！優勝国はブラジル！！ | publisher =World Cosplay Summit 2003 official website | date =2008-08-04 | accessdate = 2008-08-04 | language=Japanese]
website = http://www.tv-aichi.co.jp/wcs/e/nihongo|The World Cosplay Summit|世界コスプレサミット|Sekai Kosupure Samitto, also known as WCS, is an annual international cosplay event that promotes friendly international exchange through Japanese pop culture. [cite news | url =http://www.tv-aichi.co.jp/wcs/e/preliminary/regulation.html | title = World Cosplay Championship regulation: Article 8. | publisher =World Cosplay Summit 2008 official website | date =2008] cite news|author=Associated Press|title=Japan hosts government-sponsored costume contest as diplomatic tool to promote culture|url=http://mdn.mainichi.jp/culture/news/20080731p2g00m0et015000c.html|publisher=Mainichi Daily News|date=July 7, 2008|accessdate=2008-07-31] The event is hosted by TV Aichi and held in Nagoya, Japan. Since 2005 the event has held a cosplay contest, the World Cosplay Championship, thus the preliminary contests for the championship have been held in the respective countries of the participants.

Because of the keen attention from abroad, as of 2008, three ministries of Japan give support to the event; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MLIT), and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI).

Since 2005, the event is held over a two day period; the Cosplayer Parade is on the first day and the Cosplay Championship is on the second day.

History

The first WCS was held in 2003, to introduce international popularity of Japanese anime and manga besides the fans through cosplayers, [cite news | url =http://www.tv-aichi.co.jp/wcs/e/what/index.html | title = What's WCS? | publisher =World Cosplay Summit 2008 official website | date =2008] and to brighten up Expo 2005 in Nagoya. [cite news | url =http://www.tv-aichi.co.jp/wcs/2003/ | title = World Cosplay Summit 2003 official website | publisher =World Cosplay Summit 2003 official website | date =2003 | language=Japanese]

2003

The first event was held on October 12 at Rose Court Hotel in Nagoya. 5 cosplayers were invited from Germany, France and Italy, and panels and photo session, etc. were done.

TV Aichi, the host of the WCS, covered the anime and manga circumstances of Frankfurt (Germany), Paris (France) and Rome (Italy), and produced a documentary of the event, nihongo|"MANGA is a lingua franca of the world"|MANGAは世界の共通語. The program was broadcasted on November 24.

2004

Held on August 1 at Ōsu shopping area in Naka-ku, Nagoya. 8 cosplayers were invited from Germany, France, Italy and the United States.

The Cosplayer Parade came to be held from this year. 100 Japanese cosplayers participated the parade at the first year with the abroad cosplayers.

2005

The event took two locations: the Cosplayer Parade was held at Osu on July 31 and the Cosplay Championship was held at Expo Dome on August 7 during Expo 2005. 40 people per seven country participate to the first Cosplay Championship, and the contest was won by Italy.cite news|title=World Cosply Summit Ends in Aichi|publisher=Anime News Network|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2005-08-30/world-cosplay-summit-ends-in-aichi|date=August 30, 2008|accessdate=2008-08-05]

A purpose of the event was to brighten up Expo 2005 in Nagoya therefore host organizer of the Expo (the Japan Association for the 2005 World Exposition) supported the WCS in 2005.

2006

The venue for the Cosplay Championship was moved to Oasis 21 in Higashi-ku, Nagoya.

From this year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MLIT) support the event.

2007

The venue for the Cosplay Championship at Oasis 21 in Higashi-ku, Nagoya.
The event became a part of the 2007 "Visit Japan" campaign of the MLIT.

*In this year have problem with the weather.

2008

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) joined the event to support.

World Cosplay Championship

Regulation

* Wear a costume that conforms to the concept of the event. (Japanese manga, animation or video game characters)

Results

Partner organizations or events

The following organizations have held the preliminary contests to select the representative of the country for the "Cosplay championship" since 2005.

* Editora JBC
* Howell International Trade Fair Ltd.
* J-Popcon ()
* Animexx / CONNICHI
* Japan Expo
* ROMICS ()
* Cosplay Festa in Tokyo Dome City (Tokyo)
* Cosplayers JAM Revolution (Osaka)
* Samsung Everland
* TNT GT
* SCC Square
* FICOMIC / Salón del Manga ( / )
* Negibose Thailand
* New York Anime Festival

Future partner organizations or events

* Animania (since 2009) [cite news | url =http://www.tv-aichi.co.jp/wcs/e/news/080702a.html | title = World Cosplay Summit 2009: First new participating country selected & applications now being accepted to take part | publisher =World Cosplay Summit 2008 official website | date =2008-07-02 | accessdate = 2008-08-04]
* Cosplay Finland Tour (since 2009) [cite news | url =http://www.tv-aichi.co.jp/wcs/e/news/080909a.html | title = World Cosplay Summit 2009: WCS2009 Second New Participating Country | publisher =World Cosplay Summit 2008 official website | date =2008-09-09 | accessdate = 2008-09-09]

Former partner organizations or events

* Hangzou True Design Company Ltd. (2005–2007)
* Epitanime (2005)
* Anime Expo (2005)

ee also

* Cosplay
* Anime convention
* List of anime conventions

References

External links

Official website

* [http://www.tv-aichi.co.jp/wcs/e/ World Cosplay Summit official website] - en
** Archives: [http://www.tv-aichi.co.jp/wcs/2003/ 2003] - ja
** Archives: [http://www.tv-aichi.co.jp/wcs/2004/e/ 2004] , [http://www.tv-aichi.co.jp/wcs/2005/e/ 2005] , [http://www.tv-aichi.co.jp/wcs/2006/e/ 2006] , [http://www.tv-aichi.co.jp/wcs/2007/e/ 2007] - en

Partner organizations' websites

* [http://www.wcsbr.com.br/ Etapa JBC Brasil] - (Portuguese)
* [http://www.cosplaysummit.dk/ Danish Cosplay Summit] - (Danish)
* [http://www.connichi.de/index.en.html World Cosplay Summit]
* [http://cosplay.animeunioni.org/ Cosplay Finland] - (Finnish)

Other reference sites

* [http://www.cosplayers.net/content/index.php/20080625406/world-cosplay-summit/wcs-2009-etapa-jbc-brasil.html Brazilian Preliminaries]