Cosplay in Denmark

Japan's ambassador to Denmark, Masaki Okada had the bright idea to hold a Cosplay Tournament in what NHK calls "the land of fairy tales". Japanese anime and manga are already very popular in Denmark and the event was planned as an opportunity for cultural exchange. Or, hrm, lets make that "cult" exchange. 300 kids participated in the event.

Ambassador Okada wants kids in Denmark to like Japan: "The question is how much we can encourage young people to take an interest in Japan, how much experience of Japan we can give them. These things are very important. It is an investment in the future, ten and twenty years ahead."

Most Japanese anime are broadcast on Danish TV these days, and quite a few people can sing the theme songs in the Japanese language.

The Cosplay tournament's grand prize went to two girls who had spent two months preparing their costumes. They dressed up as characters from a Japanese anime called "Trinity Blood" that features a war between vampires and humankind, no less.

You can listen to the program on the NHK World website from May 14 (Monday).

Lots and lots of Cosplay photos here (US site) and here (Juergen Specht - great photos from Harajuku, Tokyo).

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