KYODO NEWS - Aug 8, 2017 - 10:48 | All, Arts, Lifestyle

The annual World Cosplay Summit was held between July 29 and Aug. 6 in Nagoya, central Japan, and its vicinity as people from around the globe shared their passion for dressing up as their favorite anime and manga characters.

The 15th event since its launch in 2003 was organized by Japan's Foreign Ministry and other bodies to promote international exchange through Japanese pop culture.

"Cosplayers" donning the costumes of their favorite characters gathered for photos in front of Osu Kannon temple in Nagoya during a parade.

A swarm of fans surrounded cosplayers during one of the parades. Various related events, including stage performances and a symposium, were held across Aichi Prefecture and other parts of Japan during the period.

For the main event, the World Cosplay Championship, cosplayers representing 34 countries and regions competed over the quality of their outfits and performances.

A total of 17 pairs of performers proceeded to the second stage of the championship.

The Japanese team performing. Each pair is given 2 and half minutes to perform.



The Chinese team performing in the second stage. The team became the winner of this year's championship.

More popular galleries:

GALLERY: Pikachu takes over Yokohama

GALLERY: Digital art exposition attracts thousands in Beijing

GALLERY: Hong Kong street scenes come to life in Tokyo miniature show