A major festival of heroes and heroines embodying fantastic creatures!

"Cosplay," the portmanteau of "costume" and "play." A hobby with legions of adepts all over the world. And every year all those fans set their sights on Nagoya, keenly watching the whereabouts of arguably the most important event of this genre in the world, the World Cosplay Summit. What started as an obscure event in 2003 grew exponentially in the following years, finally gaining great media exposure in 2006 when Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MLIT) started to support the event. Its consolidation as a major event of Japanese culture came in 2008 when the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) engrossed its supporters' ranks. Nowadays, the event sees great numbers of participants, spectators, and fans, moving a multi-million yen industry that promotes culture, tourism, and international friendship.