Subculture

Anime, games, manga and other culture connected to cosplay.

For articles on cosplay itself, see Cosplay

Articles (13)

FFXIV Fan Festival 2026 runs October 31 and November 1, and cosplay is limited to FFXIV works. Changing rooms need a booking at 1,140 yen a day, and costumes over 180 cm may not get through
Guide · October 26, 2026
Cosplay at FFXIV Fan Festival 2026 starts with booking a place to change. Changing rooms and cloakrooms are not inside Makuhari Messe but at Cross Wave Makuhari near Kaihimmakuhari Station, by reservation only, at 1,140 yen a day each. Inside the venue, cosplay is limited to Final Fantasy XIV, and costumes taller than 180 cm may not get through the halls. Here is what the official cosplay guidelines set out for the two days, October 31 and November 1.
Tokyo Comic Con 2026 Celebrates Its 10th Anniversary at Makuhari Messe from December 11 to 13: Celebrity Guests, Cosplay Passes, and Gathering Applications
News · October 18, 2026
Tokyo Comic Con 2026 marks its 10th anniversary over three days from December 11 to 13 at Makuhari Messe. Nine visiting celebrity guests have been announced so far, with photo and autograph tickets currently on sale. Cosplay participants will need both an admission ticket and a cosplay pass (2,500 yen per day), and applications for the Cosplay Gathering photo sessions are open until 19:00 on November 15.
Next summer Comiket C110 is set for August 14–15, 2027, returning to the full venue after renovations; winter Comiket C109 runs December 29–31 with its venue layout and cosplay areas decided
News · October 17, 2026
The schedules for the next two editions of Comiket are taking shape. Winter Comiket C109 will run for three days from December 29 to 31, with circles in East Halls 1–3 and 7, and cosplay areas inside and outside East Hall 8, on the rooftop exhibition area and in the garden. Next summer's C110 will be held on August 14 and 15, 2027, across all halls of Tokyo Big Sight following the completion of the renovations.
"The anime market is 4 trillion yen" vs. "466.2 billion yen": telling apart the two numbers in Anime Industry Report 2025
Guide · October 14, 2026
Same year, same report: two numbers appeared — 'the anime market is worth 3,840.7 billion yen' and '466.2 billion yen.' Both are called 'the anime market,' yet they differ by more than eight times. The Association of Japanese Animations' preliminary 2024 figures, read closely, separate the industry market from the production market — plus where growth is coming from overseas, and what to watch for when you quote the numbers.
AnimeJapan 2026 results: a record 156,000+ visitors, and two cosplay areas, indoors and on the rooftop
Report · October 14, 2026
AnimeJapan 2026 drew a record crowd — more than 156,000 visitors (an estimate). From the organizer's closing report and the official site: the number of exhibitor booths, the registration fee and rules for Cosplayers World, and the move to Osaka from 2027.
Comic Market 108 results: 260,000 people over two days, and C109 runs for three days at the end of the year
Report · October 14, 2026
Obon and the year-end holidays are both when I go home, and Comiket overlaps both — so I've never made it there. The organizer's after-report, then: C108's attendance of 260,000 over two days, the circle space count, and the changing room registrations — plus C109, three days at the end of the year.
What kind of event is COMITIA? The basics of a doujinshi market for original work only, and what's next at COMITIA158
Guide · October 14, 2026
'What is an event that only allows original work, anyway?' That question sent me through the COMITIA Executive Committee's official site: how often it is held, how the catalog doubles as your entry pass, the sample copy reading sessions, and what is planned for COMITIA158.
The 23rd Hakurei Shrine Reitaisai (May 4, 2026) at a glance: venue, circle applications, entry tickets and cosplay rules
Report · October 14, 2026
May 4, 2026: the 23rd Hakurei Shrine Reitaisai. From the official site — the date and venue, how many circle spaces were on offer, entry tickets, and the rules for cosplay and photography — a first pass for anyone curious about Touhou Project events.
Magical Mirai 2026 results: over 90,000 people across Hamamatsu, Osaka and Makuhari, with the theme "Sonare of the Lake"
Report · October 14, 2026
More than 90,000 people across three cities — Hamamatsu, Osaka and Makuhari. Adding first-time host Hamamatsu, that is the scale Magical Mirai 2026 reached. Crypton Future Media's announcements and the official site cover the dates and venues, the theme 'Sonare of the Lake', the exhibition, 18 concerts, the cosplay rules, and Hiroshima in 2027.
How much does manga piracy cost? The published estimates, and the ABJ mark that shows a service is official
Guide · October 14, 2026
Big numbers circulate as manga piracy losses — but can they simply be quoted? ABJ's and Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's published materials show that each estimate means something different: how to read them, the ABJ mark that shows a service is official, and the 2021 change that made downloading pirated copies illegal.