Editing Cosplay (section)

===Cosplay in Japan===
[[File:Visual kei 1.jpg|thumb|The ''Jingūbashi'' ([[Jingu Bridge]]) which passes over the [[Yamanote Line]] south of [[Harajuku Station]], [[Tokyo]], at the [[Meiji Shrine]] gate is a famous gathering place for cosplayers. Pictured, a group of people dressed as [[visual kei]] style musicians in 2006.]]
[[File:20190217TokyoBigSiteItashaEria.jpg|thumb|Women cosplaying as [[Girls und Panzer]] in the [[itasha]] exhibition area of the fanzine sale at [[Tokyo Big Sight]]]]
Cosplayers in Japan used to refer to themselves as {{Nihongo|''reiyā''|レイヤー||}}, pronounced "layer". Currently in Japan, cosplayers are more commonly called {{Nihongo|''kosupure''|コスプレ||}}, pronounced "ko-su-pray", as ''reiyā'' is more often used to describe layers (i.e. hair, clothes, etc.).<ref name="Japanese Dictionary"/> Words like cute (''kawaii'' (可愛い)) and cool (''kakko ī'' (かっこ いい)) were often used to describe these changes,{{explain|reason=what "changes"?|date=January 2021}} expressions that were tied with notions of femininity and masculinity.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Skov|first1=Lisa|title=Women, Media and Consumption in Japan|last2=Moeran|first2=Brian|publisher=University of Hawai'i Press|year=1995|location=Honolulu|pages=220–54}}</ref> Those who photograph players are called ''cameko'', short for ''camera kozō'' or ''camera boy''. Originally, the cameko gave prints of their photos to players as gifts. Increased interest in cosplay events, both on the part of photographers and cosplayers willing to model for them, has led to formalization of procedures at events such as Comiket. Photography takes place within a designated area removed from the exhibit hall. In Japan, costumes are generally not welcome outside of conventions or other designated areas.<ref name="Kincaid">{{cite web |last=Kincaid |first=Chris |date=16 October 2016 |title=The History of Cosplay |url=http://www.japanpowered.com/otaku-culture/the-history-of-cosplay |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170413071320/http://www.japanpowered.com/otaku-culture/the-history-of-cosplay |archive-date=13 April 2017 |access-date=12 April 2017 |work=Japan Powered}}</ref><ref name="Winge">{{cite book |last=Winge |first=Theresa |title=Emerging Worlds of Anime and Manga |publisher=University of Minnesota Press |year=2006 |isbn=9780816649457 |editor-last=Lunning |editor-first=Frenchy |volume=1 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/mechademia1emerg0000unse/page/65 65–76] |chapter=Costuming the Imagination |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/mechademia1emerg0000unse/page/65 |chapter-url-access=registration}}</ref>

Since 1998, Tokyo's [[Akihabara]] district contains a number of [[cosplay restaurant]]s, catering to devoted anime and cosplay fans, where the waitresses at such cafés dress as video game or anime characters; [[maid café]]s are particularly popular. In Japan, Tokyo's [[Harajuku]] district is the favorite informal gathering place to engage in cosplay in public. Events in Akihabara also draw many cosplayers.

{{Nihongo|''Ishoku-hada''|異色肌||}} is a form of Japanese cosplay where the players use [[body paint]] to make their skin color match that of the character they are playing. This allows them to represent [[anime]] or video game characters with non-human skin colors.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Ashcraft|first1=Brian|title=Body Paint Makes For Colorful Japanese Fashion|url=https://kotaku.com/body-paint-makes-for-colorful-japanese-fashion-1796510000|access-date=27 December 2017|work=Kotaku|archive-date=24 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221024050857/https://kotaku.com/body-paint-makes-for-colorful-japanese-fashion-1796510000|url-status=live}}</ref>

A 2014 survey for the Comic Market convention in Japan noted that approximately 75% of cosplayers attending the event are female.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.comiket.co.jp/info-a/WhatIsEng201401.pdf|title=What is Comic Market? A presentation by the Comic Market Committee January, 2008|website=comiket.co.jp|access-date=21 May 2019|archive-date=28 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160328063710/https://www.comiket.co.jp/info-a/WhatIsEng201401.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>