Aichi is the home of the Japanese Cosplay boom sweeping the world. Every year the World Cosplay Summit is staged in Nagoya, drawing thousands from overseas, and many, many more from across Japan to take part in dressing up as your favorite anime, manga, or game hero or character. In Aichi, you can dress up as a samurai, or in Meiji Period costume, and much more, all year round. Here’s what and where…
Experience wearing samurai armor at castle town Inuyama’s Showa Yokocho area, where the locals have studied under a true armor craftsman to create lightweight, but realistically shaped aluminum armor for events, and for visitors to try on. Available weekends only!
Alongside the Kiyosu Castle keep, in the Kuroki Shoin hall, are sets of armor hand crafted by the Kiyosu Armor Workshop. Visitors can wear samurai armor or the gorgeous women’s kimono of a Sengoku period princess, and walk the grounds and halls of Kiyosu Castle. Take pictures of yourself in front of the imposing keep in full samurai armor, and register to become an International Samurai and receive a printed certificate!
Open from 9am to 4pm, the Mikawa Bushi and Ieyasu Museum in the Okazaki Castle grounds provides an opportunity for visitors to wear samurai armor for free (museum entry fee required). Get dressed ready for battle, and take a picture in front of the Okazaki Castle panel on display!
Meiji Mura is an open-air museum of historical architecture, structures and items from the Meiji Period (1868-1912) arranged in a theme park-like village in historical Inuyama city. To make your visit all the more real, you can also rent Meiji period costumes to wear as you tour the park and see the old buildings, taking great photos and making great memories.
See the world, the Little World, in Inuyama! Little World is an open-air village theme park displaying architecture and culture from around the world! Some of the villages even have traditional costumes for you to try on for a nominal fee to really experience the various worlds you visit in Little World.
