Now in its 13th year, the Den Den Town event is one of the biggest otaku gatherings in central Japan.
While Tokyo’s Akihabara is the worldwide center of otaku passion, anime and video games are big enough parts of the Japanese pop culture landscape that fans assemble in other parts of the country as well. One such congregation occurs every spring in the neighborhood of Osaka called Den Den Town, when the streets are closed down for the annual Nippombashi Street Festa cosplay extravaganza.
This year, the 13th iteration of the event was held on March 19, where for three hours cosplayers and fans flooded the pavement to mix, mingle, pose, and photograph.
ここ(大阪)で死んで頂きます#ストフェス #ストフェス2017 #shadowverse pic.twitter.com/AFc5RVFjrU
— misaco🐣6月も引きこもり (@oOsuyaaaOo) March 19, 2017
ストフェスでバサバサ翼😈👼#ストフェス #シャドウバース pic.twitter.com/8LUycmfieR
— 空綺 一愛💎.◌*❀新刊BOOTHにて販売中 (@HimeSoraki) March 20, 2017
While traditionalists may dismiss the business model as turning digital entertainment into a cheap, shallow, and entirely disposable commodity, free-to-play mobile games still inspired some impressive outfits. In addition to the Shadowverse swordswoman and winged creature above, Fate/Grand Order, a free-to-play offshoot of the Fate multimedia series, had a strong showing.
https://twitter.com/akagikuro/status/844183018830946305頂いたストフェスのデータに自撮りする私が入ってた。すごいキメ顔してて笑っちゃう😳 pic.twitter.com/aHPqve4gbs
— 沖田わせ (@wasse_ring) March 21, 2017
▼ This dedicated cosplayer was accompanied by a team of four assistants who helped him recreate the iconic Gate of Babylon magical assault.
Fateのギルガメッシュおったwwwww
— しずくβ (@siz33) March 19, 2017
#ストフェス2017 #ストフェス pic.twitter.com/vYOD59Ro6L
タグ付けるべきとの指摘ありましたので再掲
— 血尿@ストフェス現場猫㌠の予定でした、、 (@k2nyo) March 20, 2017
ストフェス終了。
英雄王御一行からお手伝いの褒美に完全版ゲートオブバビロンを動画撮影する栄誉を賜ったのでご覧下さい。#ゲートオブバビロン#FGO #FateGO#日本橋ストリートフェスタ #ストフェス2017 #ストフェス pic.twitter.com/R7N0FOKM9M
▼ A sharp-dressed spellcaster from mobile game Granblue Fantasy
https://twitter.com/165_ponu/status/844195541151961089Characters from full-priced console games were also represented, though, such as Persona 5’s Anne…
ペルソナ5 高巻杏
— みいすけ🐰 (@huji_mi1113) March 18, 2017
少しだけデータ触りました…
明日はストフェスこれで行くのでフォロワーさん写メ撮りましょ💓よろしくです🙏✨
Photo・@ebi_D_A #ストフェス2017 pic.twitter.com/5Rsj4KYIkY
…and Metal Gear Solid’s Raiden.
https://twitter.com/exlo123456789/status/844040175932100609Even foreign-produced games got some love, like with this cosplay of D. Va from Overwatch.
https://twitter.com/makimelo_1005/status/843715999782199296On the anime side of things, one of the biggest hits among otaku during the current TV season has been anthropomorphic moe-fest Kemono Friends, which meant cosplayers dressed as series mascot Serval…
https://twitter.com/monico_PC/status/843798857527918592…and the surprisingly scantily dressed Emperor Penguin.
https://twitter.com/cute_petrarca/status/843733314129154048日本橋ストリートフェスタ
— エル (@OtherLhurgoyf) March 20, 2017
けものフレンズ / コウテイペンギン
五木あきらさん( @itsuki_akira )#ストフェス2017 pic.twitter.com/OqhVy9lLdJ
2017.3.19 日本橋ストリートフェスタ
— すぷ (@soup_photo) March 22, 2017
りっきゅん(@riku_cos_9)#ストフェス #ストフェス2017 pic.twitter.com/2lCrL7pJFq
Another popular choice from the recent crop of new anime: Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid.
https://twitter.com/Yuumeln/status/843821634486075393小林さんちのメイドラゴンのルコアさんをしてきました♪正式にはケツァルコアトル。元神か羽毛ある蛇か金星人がいい☆(*´∇`)
— 七青@C97お疲れ様でした! (@nanaonk) March 21, 2017
1枚目:たけさん(@take559)
2-3枚目:タカオさん(@tkake773)#小林さんちのメイドラゴン#ストフェス2017#ストフェス pic.twitter.com/nQ56qIGxBX
▼ A faithful recreation of Gintama’s Kagura, who wouldn’t look out of place in the upcoming live-action adaptation…
https://twitter.com/Hcyak3110/status/844031680620855301▼ …and a gender-switched version of the titular series star.
https://twitter.com/fallenangel0710/status/843279259946766336▼ A dynamic duo from My Hero Academia
みてみてみてみて…!!!💥
— ✦ゆめチカ🌏 (@B_Planet39) March 21, 2017
念願のオールマイトとの2ショット…!!!💥
最高に幸せすぎて普通に笑ってるワイ!!笑
こたつさんほんまにめっちゃかっこよかったですーーーッ( ´;ω;` )!!
有難うございました!!!#ストフェス #ストフェス2017 pic.twitter.com/EFAf44tHGR
Even anime fans from the animal kingdom got in on the fun, such as this pair of kitties dressed as San and Ashitaka from Studio Ghibli classic Princess Mononoke…
▼ Not cosplaying as Totoro’s Catbus seems like sort of a wasted opportunity, though.
https://twitter.com/you___rainy/status/843377367389110272…and this pack of pooches dressed as Attack on Titan’s Survey Corps, complete with miniature Three-Dimensional Maneuver Gear.
進撃のワンちゃんが可愛すぎた、立体起動装置ついてるし( ´∀`)b#ストフェス2017 pic.twitter.com/0hWaua9cX7
— mossi@もうすぐ春だね (@mossinyanta) March 19, 2017
But before you go declaring cute little pets doing anime cosplay to be the most Japanese thing since sailor suit Pikachu, consider this other contender: Godzilla doing an otaku-style ota-gei dance.
ゴジラのオタ芸
— yuyu (@FULLSCRATCHLOVE) March 19, 2017
#ストフェス2017 pic.twitter.com/MeaQ2k4Cd0
Street Festa really is a world unto itself, but with such colorful and creative participants as the ones seen here, it’s a world that we’re happy exists.
Featured image: Twitter/@cute_petrarca
Follow Casey on Twitter, where he’s pretty sure this is the first time he’s ever used the words “sexy penguin” in a professional capacity.
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