Eto

Eto (as in Japanese animal zodiac) has twelve signs like the Western zodiac. The signs are yearly which come into 12-cycle. This year is the Year of the Tiger which is called とら　tora (tiger). It symbolises family values and denotes forgiveness.

Let there be 'cosplay!

Is this a message from the future? Well, one of the wackiest trends in Japan would have to be ‘cosplay’. The actual definition if we break it down is ‘costume play’ and it’s pronounced コスプレ, kosupure if you wanna be understood in J-land.

It is now perhaps one of Japan’s most popular arts. Yep, I said arts as it is classified as a type of performance art. It can be said that it is becoming a global phenomenon. Fans from all walks of life from school girls to fifty year old ojisans dress up in their favourite anime characters. Then, they’ll most likely act if they were the characters and fool around or go berserk. I'm telling you, they think they are some sort of superheroes. That’s where the art comes from. But one essential must have item to your collection of cosplay costumes would have to be wigs. And sales of wig are booming apparently. Before you queue up and order your wig size and choice of colour, all these are probably fairly unusual to the gaijin eyes. Don’t get me wrong, it is usually accepted here or considered ‘not unusual’ as one said. But others describe it as not normal nor abnormal so where does it belong exactly. Without a doubt with no particular genre, cosplay is branching out from cosplay English schools in Akihabara district to major cosplay events or even expo across the country or abroad where participants are entered to a free draw of who’s wearing the best cosplay costume of the day. So, what’s next? Who knows, maybe a cosplay World Cup? Don’t say I didn’t warn you.