Subculture

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

For articles on cosplay itself, see Cosplay

Articles (10)

"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.
Niconico now: how it came back from the 2024 cyberattack, and the main moves announced through September 2026
Guide · October 14, 2026
From the 2024 cyberattack to the comeback as 'Kaettekita Niconico' — and on to Niconico Short, the price change and the 20th anniversary. Dwango's and Niconico's official announcements, in chronological order: the main moves announced through September 2026.
Tokyo Game Show 2026 results: Cut to four days by a typhoon, 257,642 visitors, and the cosplay area rules
Report · October 14, 2026
257,642 people over four days — that is where Tokyo Game Show 2026 landed after Typhoon No. 25 canceled day five. CESA's announcement covers the day-by-day attendance, the cosplay area rules, and the refunds for September 21.
Reading the Touhou Project fan work guidelines: What's allowed, and what to watch for, in doujin, commercial work, videos and games
Guide · October 14, 2026
How far does Touhou Project's tolerance for fan works extend, and where does it ask for care? Team Shanghai Alice's fan work guidelines and video posting guidelines, read in their original Japanese, scene by scene: doujin distribution, commercial use by companies, video streaming, and game making.