The sleek metropolis of Tokyo welcomes most foreign visitors to Japan, but bustling, friendly Osaka is making a bid to be a major international gateway and attraction for foreign visitors in its own right. With that goal in mind, they’ve just announced a Japanese pop culture event to be held in March of next year called the Osaka Pop Festival, and they’re looking for a few good designers and the best cosplay get-up you can muster.
The event is scheduled from March 21 to 30, with “cosplay” as this year’s theme. Exact details are still under wraps, but organizers promise the streets of Osaka will be turned into a “cosplay paradise” for the 10 days of the festival. Things will kick off with the first Osaka International Cool Japan Awards, organized to recognize the many overseas fans of Japanese pop culture, and awards will be presented in categories like Cosplay, Figures, Vocaloid Composition, Manga, and Anime.
If you fancy you have some serious cosplay skills, they will begin accepting photo submissions on their website beginning on December 20th.
And speaking of submissions, Osaka is currently seeking designs for its official mascots, Mio and Tsukushi. Amateurs and professionals of any age are welcome to enter. The design for the two girls should embody the omokawaii (funny and cute) esthetic and represent the city’s image. The winning design will get 200,000 yen (about US$2,000) and several honorable mentions will be awarded 20,000 yen ($200) each. The mascots will then make their official debut at the Osaka Pop Festival.
Submissions will be accepted until January 31, so put your thinking caps on and maybe you’ll be sharing some takoyaki with your own creations come March. Good luck!
Source: RocketNews24
Images: © Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau