NATIONAL REGULATION
WORLD COSPLAY SUMMIT
NATIONAL・REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE REGULATIONS
One team of two cosplayers will represent each country or region.
■ Eligibility and Participation Restrictions for Representative Selection
Eligibility Requirements
In order to participate in a national or regional representative selection event, applicants are, in principle, required to submit documentation to the relevant country or region’s organizer proving that they hold the nationality, citizenship, or permanent residency of the country or region hosting the preliminary event.
Applicants who are in the process of obtaining permanent residency may also be permitted to participate as representatives of the relevant country or region, provided that the organizer or an equivalent authority confirms that they hold a valid residence status under the legal system of that country or region.
If neither member of a participating team holds the nationality of the relevant country or region, prior confirmation and approval must be obtained from the World Cosplay Summit Executive Office through the relevant country or region’s organizer.
In cases where regional affiliation is more relevant than national affiliation, or where participation is conducted under a unified system such as a confederation, applicants may participate as representatives of the country or region to which they reasonably determine they belong.
Restrictions on Re-participation, Change of Residency or Nationality, and Former Organizers
- Anyone who has served as a national or regional representative cannot participate again as a representative of the same country or region for two (2) years following their participation.
- Any individual who, after participating as a representative, changes their country or region of residence or nationality shall be ineligible to participate as a representative of the new country or region for five (5) years, including the year of their previous participation.
- Any person who has served as a principal organizer must wait one (1) year after ceasing to hold that position before participating in a representative selection event.
If there are any questions or uncertainties about eligibility, inquiries should first be made to the organizer of the relevant country or region. If a review by the World Cosplay Summit Executive Office is then deemed necessary, the decision of the Executive Office must be followed.
Participants shall be aged 18 and over.
※ If they are under 18, they must have the consent of a guardian. Participation is allowed only if the permission of a guardian is obtained, and they are able to come to Japan on their own. Age restrictions may vary from country to country.
Participants shall be able to travel to Japan and participate in activities during the period of the World Cosplay Summit.
The organizers of preliminary round events are granted the right to select the representatives by a method of their choice. In the event that a change of representatives cannot be avoided, the organizers of preliminary round events can appoint new representatives provided that they meet the requirements for participation. In such cases, the organizers of preliminary round events shall duly inform the WCS Executive Office of the change of representatives and the grounds for the selection of the new representatives.
In the World Cosplay Championship, each team must wear costumes of characters from the same Japanese work (manga, anime, game, or tokusatsu). In principle, all costumes must be handmade by the representatives themselves.
However, the following conditions shall apply:
- Characters originating from dôjinshi (fan-made works) or anthology works are not permitted.
- Characters must be from Japanese works. Characters from non-Japanese franchises, such as Disney or Star Wars, are not allowed, even if they are made in Japan.
- Even when the work is based on a novel or fairy tale created and published overseas, the use is permitted provided that it has been adapted into an anime, manga, or game in Japan, and that the character designs were created in Japan.
- Costumes must be created primarily by the representatives themselves; limited assistance from family or friends is permitted.
- You may use costumes from stage productions or live-action adaptations as references. However, costume judging will be based on the original source material.
- Costumes worn at related events held outside the Championship period are not required to be handmade by the representatives.
- Costumes for the World Cosplay Championship and official courtesy visits must originate from Japanese works. For other events (such as parades), non-Japanese works are permitted.
■ Conditions for representatives
Representatives shall cooperate in a positive manner in order to ensure the success of the World Cosplay Summit.
Media such as TV programs, internet sites, newspapers, magazines, etc., may use pictures of the representatives and images of the preliminary contests for the purpose of promoting the World Cosplay Summit. On these occasions, compensation will not be furnished.
Image rights in all media exposure such as the news from TV programs and other assorted media involved with the World Cosplay Summit, promotional activities in the print media as well as events and performances, announcements of the World Cosplay Summit during the World Cosplay Summit event period, will be attributed to World Cosplay Summit Executive Committee.
The representative cosplayers shall read the separate forms thoroughly and return them filled out upon agreement.
■ Rights of representatives
Representatives earn the right to be considered as past representatives (WCS alumni) in the World Cosplay Summit, being able to join the alumni group managed by the Executive Office and participate in programs addressed to them.
The following prizes will be awarded in the World Cosplay Championship. In case the received award includes secondary prizes provided by sponsors in addition to the commemorative items, these will be sent by mail to the winners later. Also, there is the possibility that prizes other than those listed below shall be added.
| Award | Prizes |
|---|---|
| 1st prize (Grand Champion) | Trophy, Certificate of Award, Commemorative items Secondary prize: Participation as guest judges in the “World Cosplay Championship” to be held in next year, including return flight tickets for transportation to Japan. |
| 2nd prize | Trophy, Certificate of Award, Commemorative items |
| 3rd prize | Trophy, Certificate of Award, Commemorative items |
Other additional special prizes are to be provided, such as Sponsor’s prizes.
* Prizes are expected to be shipped within the year.
■ Important points regarding participation
Besides respecting the Competition and Judging rules, the following points shall also be taken into consideration when shooting and producing video footage at the country or region of the participants.
- Representatives should make their best efforts to preserve the filming environment.
- In the case of filming on premises other than the private property of the members of the team, filming cannot be done without obtaining the corresponding permissions and authorizations. In case evidence of the obtaining of such permissions exists, it shall be provided.
- As specified in the Competition and Judging rules, dangerous actions and ethically dubious content are prohibited. Additionally, the representatives must respect the deadlines for the submission of each of the deliverables.
The Executive Office reserves the right to freely use the edited and original data of all the materials submitted to the Executive Office, including the costume construction reports and videos, for both commercial and non-commercial purposes.
Updated January, 2026
The World Cosplay Summit Executive Office
