JP | EN

EVENT OVERVIEW

What is the World Cosplay Championship?

The World Cosplay Championship is a competition where cosplayers perform on stage to determine the No.1 cosplayer in the world. Teams that win the official preliminaries hosted by WCS partner organizers in each country/region advance to the finals in Nagoya. These representative cosplayers often appear as guests at pop culture events or are featured in the media, making participation in the WCS finals a gateway to success. These representatives are called “WCS Alumni” and often stay involved in WCS-related events even after their participation.

Venue

Aichi Arts Center

Date & Time

The webpage is currently in progress.

 

Participating Countries/Regions

Live Streaming (Planned)

Tickets

Special Live

Judges

Venue Address

1-13-2 Higashi-sakura, Higashi-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi 461-8525, Japan

Access

Subway

  • Higashiyama Line: Get off at Sakae Station, approx. 5-minute walk
  • Meijo Line: Get off at Sakae Station, approx. 5-minute walk

Bus

  • Nagoya City Bus: Get off at Sakae Bus Terminal, approx. 5-minute walk

From Tokyo (Shinkansen)

  • About 1 hour 40 minutes from Tokyo Station to Nagoya Station via Tokaido Shinkansen.
  • Take the Higashiyama Subway Line from Nagoya Station and get off at Sakae Station. Approx. 5-minute walk.

From Osaka (Shinkansen)

  • About 50 minutes from Shin-Osaka Station to Nagoya Station via Tokaido Shinkansen.
  • Take the Higashiyama Subway Line from Nagoya Station and get off at Sakae Station. Approx. 5-minute walk.

Google Maps

Basic Rules

  • Costumes must be handmade
  • Eligible works: Japanese manga, anime, games, and tokusatsu characters
  • Stage performance time: 2 minutes 30 seconds
  • Background screen usage allowed for performance
  • Ranking is determined by total score from character evaluation and stage performance

How to Participate in the World Cosplay Championship

To represent your country/region in Nagoya, Japan, you must win a preliminary round held by official WCS partner organizers. Those who wish to participate should enter the “Representative Selection” held in each country/region. Please check the schedule for national and regional preliminaries from the “Preliminary Schedule.”

Participation Requirements

① Each team consists of 2 cosplayers
② Must generally hold nationality of the country/region they represent
③ Must be 18 years or older
④ Must be able to stay in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan during the WCS period
⑤ Must choose a Japanese manga, anime, game, or tokusatsu title, and both team members must cosplay characters from the same title
⑥ Costumes for the finals must be handmade by the contestants themselves (in principle)
※ Participation requirements and rules may vary depending on the country/region’s preliminary organizer.