This article is an English translation of the following article. It was written using a translation tool.
The World Cosplay Summit (WCS) is a cosplay event held in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Along with Tokyo's Comic Market (commonly known as Comiket) and Osaka's Street Festa (commonly known as Stofes), it is sometimes referred to as one of Japan's 'three major cosplay events'.
Everything you need to know to participate in the WCS can be found on the official website.
This article explains some points that are not mentioned on the official website but that you need to know in order to enjoy the WCS.
I have been attending WCS for 10 years as a cosplayer and photographer, so I hope this will be helpful.
Note: I am not a WCS organiser. This is just advice from a participant.
【Table of contents】
- Weather measures in Nagoya, the host city of the WCS.
- Measures to prevent problems between participants.
- Atmosphere of interaction between participants in recent years.
Weather measures in Nagoya, the host city of the WCS.
Nagoya, Aichi, Japan, where the WCS is held, is famous for its extremely hot summer.
Here is some advice on how to survive the harsh August conditions in Nagoya.
Ensure drinking water.
Convenience stores and restaurants are available at Oasis 21 in Nagoya, Aichi, the main venue for the WCS, but it is very crowded on WCS days. Even if you get thirsty in the heat, you may not always be able to get a drink immediately. So always carry about 500 millilitres of drink with you.
It is preferable to have not only water but also a sugar and salt supplement such as a sports drink. It is recommended to carry powdered sports drinks with you, so that you can dissolve them and drink them even if you only have water available. Excessive consumption of sports drinks is also not good for the body, so be careful about the amount.
In previous years, the Nagoya City Water Supply and Sewerage Bureau has a booth at the WCS site. Here, Nagoya tap water is distributed. I often use it because it is well chilled and tasty. The number of bottles is limited, so if you want to sample some, please do so as soon as possible.
improve one’s physical condition
As already mentioned, temperatures at WCS venues can be extremely high - it is not unusual for temperatures to exceed 40°C. In addition to this, the unfamiliarity of cosplay costumes, fatigue from not being able to sit down for long periods of time and the stress of not having freedom can put a considerable amount of strain on participants' bodies without their knowledge.
The combination of these adverse conditions can lead to heat stroke. Ambulances are called every year in the vicinity of the venue. It is thought that a significant number of people suffer heat stroke every year.
The conditions for heat stroke are all right for this event, but to some extent you can reduce the risk of heat stroke through self-management.
Get enough sleep and eat well a week before the WCS. Although you may need to lose weight for cosplay, it is wise to eat breakfast on the day of the WCS.
And if you feel any discomfort, make the decision not to attend. There is no point in coming if you are unwell. If you fall ill, you will cause inconvenience to many people. Protect your own life.
Changing room waiting lines should also be guarded against heat stroke.
A blind spot in heat stroke prevention when participating in a WCS is the queue for changing rooms.
Depending on how long the changing rooms are available, the queues can be as short as 10 minutes and as long as over an hour. Often the queues are outside, so you have to stand still in direct sunlight. It is also difficult if you want to buy a drink in the middle of the queue, as you have to wait in line again.
To prevent heat stroke when in a waiting queue, I practise the following.
- Keep water for drinking in the waiting line in a readily accessible place.
Drinking water is heavy and it is tempting to carry it in a carry case, but it is almost impossible to expand a suitcase in a queue. Keep it in your handbag. Front-opening suitcases are convenient for quick access from the top.
- Block out the sun with parasols and hats.
Nagoya has little shade during the light hours. You need to make your own shade. It is best to use a parasol, but as it cannot be used in tight spaces, a wide-brimmed hat is also useful. Both hats should be foldable so as not to be bulky.
- Cool yourself down anyway.
Cool yourself thoroughly by wrapping a cold towel around your neck, hitting the wind with a handheld fan, or using cooling agents to cool your sides. The trick is to try out a variety of cooling products that are easy for you to use before the day of the WCS. I use a handheld fan with a mist function. I was impressed by how much cooler it was with the mist function.
Nagoya in summer melts the glue.
Are adhesives used on the costumes you plan to wear at the WCS? If so, please reinforce them where possible.
As I have said many times, August in Nagoya is incredibly hot. What happens in such extreme heat is that the adhesive melts at high temperatures. Of course, the glue does not turn to mush all over, but if it melts and peels off, even partially, it will peel off here and there from the frayed areas.
Particular attention should be paid to glue guns and old glue.
Glue guns, which melt plastic rods, have been used by many cosplayers in recent years, but on sunny WCS days the glue can melt. It is recommended that they are not used on critical parts. This is especially important if you are using cheap stick glue.
Second-hand costumes or costumes that have not been worn for a long time should be checked to see if the glue has become old, and if it is a year old, it is recommended to reinforce it. Adhesives lose their adhesive strength as they warm up.
The reinforcement that can be done is,
Remove the glued-on part and reattach it with new adhesive.
Fasten with thread or safety pins.
Use heat-resistant adhesive or double-sided tape.
Heat-resistant adhesives or double-sided tape can be used.
Photographers reading this article, you are no stranger to this. How old are the shoes you are wearing? Many mass-produced shoes have glued soles. Walking on hot asphalt can cause the soles to peel off.
Don't forget to take precautions against rain.
Oasis 21, the main venue for the WCS, consists of four main levels.
Of these, only the commercial ground floor and the area around the bus terminal on the second floor are covered, most of the second floor and three times the ground floor are uncovered and the fourth floor is on an uncovered roof.
If it rains during the WCS, all participants may gather on the ground floor, which is roofed. Even on sunny days, the ground floor is crowded, so it is easy to imagine how difficult it would be if it rained.
Therefore, consider rain protection. Carry a folding umbrella and choose non-slip shoes. Choose an umbrella that can be used as a parasol even if it is sunny. It is also a good idea to get to the changing rooms early and remove yourself from the hall.
Although no WCS has experienced serious wet weather in recent years, it is worth taking precautions.
Measures to prevent problems between participants.
Sadly, every year at the WCS there are problems between participants. I will write about what I do to avoid getting into trouble and to avoid becoming a perpetrator.
The official WCS website should be read three times.
The rules of the WCS are stated in the Terms of Participation and Facility Use Regulations available on the official website.
However, it seems that there are quite a few people who do not read the official rules carefully and interpret them in their own way, such as "XX is OK" or "XX is NG". While many people conveniently interpret rules such as 'where filming is allowed', 'occupying space' and 'costumes', others try to apply their own strict rules to others without permission.
The terms and conditions on the official WCS website say it all. If you have any doubts at all, read the terms and conditions as many times as possible. If you still can't solve the problem, contact the company as a last resort and ask for instructions.
Acting with more than one person.
This is written especially for people who are not used to cosplay in Japan.
Not only at the WCS, but also at cosplay events held at large public facilities, there are people who come with the intention of voyeuristically photographing, sexually touching people and verbally abusing them. Encountering such people can wreak havoc on an otherwise enjoyable event.
People who do not follow the rules often stay away from people who are acting in groups. Also, if you are acting alone, you cannot call staff or the police if you happen to get into trouble. Act with more than one person, with the intention of increasing your number of allies. It is best to work with people who are close enough to know each other's real names, even if they are fellow cosplayers.
Do not interact with people who do not have a participation card
The WCS used to be free to attend, but in recent years participation tickets have become necessary. The system involves purchasing a WCS participation ticket at a convenience store and exchanging it for a ticket at the reception on the day of CosSami. The participation card was a towel last year, but in some years it was a rubber wristband, depending on the year of the event.
The rule is to wear the participation card in a visible place, so if I see someone without one, I assume they are not willing to follow the rules and keep my distance.
This alone considerably reduces the chances of encountering dangerous people.
Of course, there are also suspicious people wearing participation cards, so you need to be careful.
As the CosSami towel is vertically long and a bit inconvenient to carry, we recommend attaching a towel holder to your bag. This will save you the trouble of putting the towel away in your bag.
Atmosphere of interaction between participants in recent years.
Some of you may attend a WCS and interact with the participants. This section describes the atmosphere of recent interactions at a WCS. Please note that this is only my personal impression and is not an accurate survey.
Cards are almost never exchanged.
In the past, cards were often used to exchange contact details between first-time attendees. Cards with names and SNS IDs used in one's cosplay activities were exchanged, but card exchanges have been on the decline at recent WCSs.
Contact details are generally exchanged by showing each other smartphone screens.
Difficulty in meeting acquaintances.
The number of participants in the WCS seems to be increasing every year; it can be difficult to find people you know from the large number of participants. If there is someone you really want to meet, decide on a meeting place. Send photos of your current location to share information.
Every year, volunteers publish a map of the Oasis 21 area. I use this map.
ちょっと見にくいけどコスサミのマップ作りました
— アカソラ (@akasora0208) August 2, 2022
フォロワーさんとの合流とかにご利用ください#コスサミ #コスサミ2022 pic.twitter.com/dkUFit4i7A
If you want to be sure of getting a photo, find a companion.
In recent years, cosplayers and photographers have tended to accompany each other at WCS. Fewer and fewer people attend because they want to socialise with people they meet from time to time, although they have not promised to anyone in particular.
Therefore, if you are attending alone and want to ensure that you are photographed or taken, it is a good idea to speak to prospective participants in advance.
It's not like they are all stuck with people they know, so you don't have to worry so much. This advice is only for those who "really" want a record.
I have written at length, but in short
Watch out for the heat.
Watch out for strange people.
We can still do it, although we don't interact with each other as much as we used to.
That's what I mean.
I've written a lot of bad things, but CosSami is an interesting event, so get yourself fit and try to attend.
If you have any questions or anything you don't understand or want to ask, please comment on this article or DM me on Twitter and I'll answer as much as I can.
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