Tokyo’s famous otaku neighbourhood was the place to be for some of the hottest characters this Halloween.

With Shibuya City cracking down on its unofficial Halloween street party this year, those looking for a safer alternative have been checking out some of Tokyo’s organised events, and one of the best every year is the Ikebukuro Halloween Cosplay Festival, or “Ike Halo” as it’s known locally.

This year, the event took place from 28-29 October, with a festival-eve night cosplay event held on the night of 27 October, at Sunshine Square, where the reception was located, and Ike SunPark, which was home to the main stage. When our reporter Egawa Tasuku visited on 28 October, the skies were clear and there were crowds of cosplayers around Sunshine Square, while families and children were enjoying the sunshine over at SunPark.

▼ Although it was crowded, the event area was spacious, creating a calm and laid-back vibe.

This year’s ambassador for the event was Japanese singer Sachiko Kobayashi, who appeared as Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba character Muzan Kibutsuji, dressed in the kimono he wears when he appears in the series in female form. It was one of many fantastic cosplays at the event, which showed trends for VTubers and Genshin Impact, popular for the past few years, are still strong amongst female cosplayers, with South Korean RPGs Blue Archive and Goddess of Victory: Nikke, rapidly gaining strength as well.

Amongst male cosplayers, aside from the Kamen Rider series — such an everlasting mainstay it could be considered a Hall of Famer — and male versions of Sailor Moon, Jujutsu Kaisen characters stood out as popular choices. The character of Satoru Gojo seemed to be particularly popular, with four present on the day, and there were also a few cosplayers waving the flag for series such as Chainsaw Man, Gundam, and Evangelion.

So, let’s get straight to it and introduce the best cosplayers from the first day of the event!

▼ Hatsune Miku (Cosplayer: @SayaScarlet01)

▼ Saber from key visuals for the Chinese version of Fate/Grand Order 4th Anniversary FES (Cosplayer: @moka_4416)

▼ Nekota Tsuna (Cosplayer: @rinyanpassan)

▼ Guillotine from Goddess of Victory: Nikke (Cosplayer: @suya0113)

▼ Homura Akemi from Puella Magi Madoka Magica (Cosplayer: @haru_no_inu)

▼ Umise Yotsuha from Nijisanji (Cosplayer: @kc_2_cos)

▼ Elaina from Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina (Cosplayer: @Hak_cacao)

▼ Ryuuge Kisaki from Blue Archive (Cosplayer: @XaiabP)

▼ Wakaba Hinata from Blue Archive (Cosplayer: @Yuyuxcos)

So there you have it — some of the best cosplayers from Day One of the Ikebukuro Halloween Cosplay Festival. Just like last year, this year’s festival didn’t disappoint, and we’d like to thank all the cosplayers who posed for us on Day One of the festival. Which one was your favourite? Let us know in the comments section below!

Related: Ikebukuro Halloween Cosplay Festival 2023
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[ Read in Japanese ]