Nov 23, 2016 | Cosplay, International Cosplay Contests, Japan, Travel, Travel Reports |
I really need to say, that the World Cosplay Summit was a bit chaotic, because the schedule for the next day were missing or people just didn’t know what to do.
But still it was a life changing and great experience. I experienced so many awesome events, could meet so many great and talented people and had so many moments, which I want to remember forever.
I never expected to make so many friends and to have so much fun in these 2 weeks.
A lot of people told me it is stressful. For me only the championship itself was stressful. You had so much time at the other days and events, could take your time and feel the spirit of all the people who shares the same passion as you. Actually I rested and ate more than the last 7 months before the WCS…
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| One of my most precious memories. |
I never met so many Anime fans at once in my life and I really would recommend everyone, who loves Cosplay as me to go there, to meet the people and to feel the spirit of this community.
I wasn’t sure if my efforts would pay off. I am not a really good Cosplayer, nor a very good performer. I just gave my best in order not to regret it. These 7 months were very hard, where I pushed myself to my limits and barely met any friends or family. I know that other could do much better, but I am satisfied, because I know I gave my best. I don’t regret anything and just to experience this support during the end of the 1rst stage, it was worth it! Every single minute I spent into this costume, skit and preparations. Everything it was worth it.
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| Thanks Eriko chan and Yuuka chan for all your work! |
It was great and I am so happy and grateful for this experience.
I really miss the people and want to go back. I will try my best to meet them again, to have fun with them again and to create more great memories with them.
I am also grateful to have Chiko as my partner, because I never could imagine experiencing this life changing event with someone else as her.
I also was so grateful how much effort Patrick, Iris, Mo and Laura spent just in order to make the trip as comfortable as possible for us. Thank you so much for this support!
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| Thanks Chiko for being an awesome partner! |
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| Thanks Patrick for all your hard work! |
I don’t know if I did a good job as representative, but I honestly don’t care. I gave my best, I am happy with what I could achieve, it was more than I ever expected. And I also nevery expected to gain so much personally.
I am just so so grateful for this.
Thank you! And thank you for all your support!
It really kept me going and I nearly cried when I red all your messages and Tweets after the WCS. Thank you so much for being with us and for thinking about us. I never though that you guys would support me so much!
This was one of my best time in my life.
Thank you for being part of it!
Sep 29, 2016 | Cosplay, Japan, Photoshootings, Travel, Travel Reports |
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| Picture by Hazuki |
The Cosplay studio crown is a studio located near to the Akihabara train station in the center of Tokyo. It is about 5 minutes walk from the station. The studio offers 6-7 different settings, which you can use to make pictures in your Cosplay. You also can rent goods, cameras or camera equipment there and also Cosplays, if you didn’t bring an own one. You are allowed to use the pictures for your personal promotion and Cosplay goods.
The operating times from the studio are 10 am to 10 pm. You pay for the entry once for a designated time and can use the location you like to, as long as they are not occupied by other Cosplayers.
The fees for the 3 hours time frame are quite cheap compared to other studios:
| Timeframe |
Working day |
Weekend/public holiday |
| 3 hours |
1.700 en |
2.400 en |
| 6 hours |
2.980 en |
3.980 en |
| 9 hours |
4.580 en |
5.500 en |
The beginning:
The Studio is located at the 5th floor of a grey building. If you don’t know the address or notice the small sign of this studio, you will most likely pass it. If you found the building, just go into the elevator and get to the 5th floor. Stepping out from the elevator the studio is located to your left.
If you go in you need to put out your shoes first and go to the counter. Just tell the counter which time frame you desire, pay and you will get a number. The staff keeps track of the time with this number. You need to give it back at the end of the rental in time. This means you need to change in this certain time frame.
As everywhere in Japan, it is not allowed to come in Cosplay to the location or the studio. You are required to bring the costume with you and change at the studio or the event. After paying and getting your number you go to the changing room and change into your costume.
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| The counter |
The changing room:
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| Changing room |
The changing room has a lot of space, some mirrors, a cloth racket, dryer, tissues, cotton pads and Q tips. They also provide a comb or bobby pins for a small fee. There is also a board where you can put your belongings into. Sadly there are no lockers like in the Hacostadium. But because it is Japan, I doubt someone will steal your belongings as long there are no valuable things inside.
After changing I put my normal cloths into my back and put it into the board. If you want to use shoes, which you also wore outside once before, you are supposed to wipe them clean before stepping out to the locations. So I wiped my shoes and got my wallet and Smartphone and left the changing room.
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| Changing room |
Shooting:
The Studio Crown is compared to the other studios I ve seen so far quite small. But they still have some nice settings. You can choose between 6-7 different settings and also can rent some Cosplay items or camera equipment.
The most rental goods require a rental fee. Some goods can be rented for free. As far as I could see small ladders and reflectors are provided for free. If you want to rent something, take you number and go to the counter. Tell them what you want to rent and they give it to you. If you want to return it, show your number again. You pay when you check-out.
During the shooting you can take a break and get free tea or water.
I really like this service. You can sit down, check the pictures and rest.
I took some pictures of the different shooting locations:
Like at all the other studios, you have to bring your own photographer. But they also seems to offer an full experience course, where you can get make up, costume and also a photo shooting with a photographer provided by the studio. For this package you need to reserve beforehand.
You are allowed to use all locations to your liking and also to change between them.
Just be careful not to disturb other Cosplayers or to block for a too long time a location. Japanese Cosplayers don’t wait openly, but others might be interested in shooting at this location, even if you don’t recognize. Also be sure not to take pictures of other Cosplayers if you haven’t asked them for permission.
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| Rental goods |
If you have problems or need assistance you can always ask the staff. Just keep in mind they only speak Japanese. (But if you book the package, I guess there will be some English speaking stuff, because the package is targeting foreigners and is only available at the English website.).
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| Picture with the help of the staff by Hazuki |
After the shooting:
When you finished with your shooting, keep in mind that the time frame also includes your changing time. So you need to change about 30 minutes before your time runs up. You just go back to the changing room, change back and return your card with the number to the counter. If everything is ok, they will thank you for using the studio. If you overstepped your time or rented things, they will charge you.
If you still have time try out to write into their guestbook. You can put some pictures inside, draw something or just write a message. I really liked to go through it, because a lot of foreigners seem to visit this studio and wrote very interesting and nice things.
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| Guestbook |
My opinion:
What I really appreciate is the location and the easy system.
The studio is located in the center of Tokyo, just 5 minutes walk from the Akihabara JR station. You neither need to reserve, nor to get a membership. So even if you are a foreigner, it is super easy to use this studio. You don’t need to provide an ID card and also don’t need a Japanese address. Like everywhere the staff couldn’t speak English. But I saw that they are quite accustomed to foreigners, because I saw a lot of signs in English and Japanese. I also like the idea about the Cosplay experience package, where you can get Make up, a Cosplay and even pictures.
Compared to the other studios the 3 hours course for 1.700 Yen seems quite cheap. But it does not include a lot of free rental items and also don’t include amenities like bobby pins, brushes, wig sprays etc like the Hacostadium. I personally don’t need it, because I mostly bring my own things, but I saw that a lot of Cosplayers are making use of that service. They also only provide about 6-7 settings, this isn’t much if you compare it to Hacostadium. But you need to keep in mind, that space is very rare in Tokyo. Especially in Akihabara in the very center of this town.
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| Picture by Hazuki |
In my opinion it is a good choice for first timers, who want to experience the Japanese way of Cosplay and to try out a studio without the hassle of getting a member ship or getting through the language barrier. You don’t need to fight against the other Cosplayers for your space in the changing room and even have proper chairs and mirrors to get ready. Because of a limited number of settings you can concentrate more on one setting and get used to it. I also liked it, that you can go shopping and get some nice food with friends before or after the shooting. The location is a big plus!
Facts:
Operating hours: 10 am – 10 pm (no closing days)
Free: 1.700 en -5.500 en
Address: 2 Chome-4-6 Sotokanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tōkyō-to 100-8111, Japan (5th floor)
Map:
Feb 16, 2016 | Japan, Travel, Travel Reports |
Japan is not only famous for beautiful shrines and traditional culture but also for a very modern and unique pop-culture.
While being in Japan I always recommend visiting theme cafes/ restaurants. I guess the most famous ones are cat cafes and Butler or Maid cafes.
I visited different cafes until now and want to report this time about my experiences at a maid cafe.
What is a maid cafe?
A maid cafe is a restaurant where young waitresses are serving food while wearing a European style maid uniform. The original idea was to create a space likely to a rich household in Europe with maids and butlers who are taking care of their “master”. In Japan flats are very small and the daily routine can be very stressful. Maid cafes are supposed to be a space where people can relax and escape the daily routine.
You can find different types in Japan. At some cafes the waitresses are just serving the ordered items politely like at the Cure Café in Akihabara, while other waitresses are also entertaining their guests with games or live music shows.
You are not allowed to touch the maids and to take pictures of her. You can buy a picture afterwards, which is normally taken by another maid. Also calling her if you don’t want to order something is mostly prohibited.
Generally you are paying a certain fee (about 0-1.500 yen) for a certain time frame. Mostly it will be about an hour. At some maid cafes you are also obligated to order a certain amount of drinks or dishes.
Dishes and drinks are a bit more expensive than the average Japanese restaurant although the prices can differ a lot between the cafes.
Sometimes you also can buy merchandise or order stuff like a picture with your favorite maid or a live concert.
Which maid café would you recommend?
Maidremin
I always like to visit the Maidreamin maid café. Maidreamin is a Maid café chain and has stores through the whole Japan.
It is very easy to find the cafes because you can check out the locations at their homepage or just look for a maid in their uniform standing around at the street in Den Den Town (Osaka) or Akihabara (Tokyo).
Maidreamin is the only Maid café I could find where pictures, except of the maids, are allowed. Mostly you are not allowed to take pictures at all.
They also provide English menus and have sometimes English speaking staff (although we always needed Japanese, because the English was very basic).
Maidreamin is a maid café where maids are behaving like a “kawaii” (cute) maid. The maid uses magic spells to make your food tastier, talks with you, play games and sometimes sings for you at the stage (I visited 2 times and experienced 2 concerts).
I also like, that every Maidreamin café has another setting. My favorite so far was the Mario Café where you have Mario boxes hanging above you head.
The dishes are tasty and always arranged cutely. You are paying an admission fee about 500 yen (1.000 yen if you want a special seat, so be careful!) for an hour and are obligated to buy a drink and a dish.
Dishes and drinks are starting with 500 yen.
Set menus are starting with about 1.500 yen and are mostly including a picture with a maid, a drink and food.
@home
I have never been at the @home café before but I know it is very famous along foreigners.
They also provide English menus and have cafes especially for foreigners.
They own several stores in Akihabara, located at the Don Quiote with different settings and also have a traditional setting for where the maids are wearing Kimono orientated uniforms.
The follow the same “Kawaii” concept like the Maidreamin café but pictures are prohibited. So you can’t even take pictures of your food or your friends while enjoying the maid café expect paying a certain fee for taking a picture with a maid. The admission fee for an hour is about 600 yen and they have a strict ranking of their maids. You can see at the ribbon they wear which ranking they have.
Food and drinks are starting with 500 yen.
The reason why I never visited this café before was, that you need to line up. Waiting can take until 3 hours. I tried to visit this café 4 times and always needed to wait between 2-3 hours.
So be prepared to wait or visit the café at 10 in the middle of the week to prevent lining up for hours.
Cure Maid Cafe
Café cure is the first Maid café in Akihabara located in a side street in the 6th floor. Everything started with this maid café.
This café is very different compared to the other two maid cafes mentioned before.
The waitresses are wearing traditional Victorian style maid dresses and the setting is based on a typical European café.
The waitresses are extremely polite and very well mannered (it was very embarrassing how they talked to me…).
The food is very good, priced average and if you are looking for a place to enjoy and relax in the busy and bursting city Tokyo, this is the right place!
You don’t have an admission fee but you are expected to leave the café after an hour.
The coffee is very good and the drinks are starting with about 300 yen.
Pictures are not allowed, even if you want to pay for it.
My opinion:
I really like visiting theme cafes and it is always a great experience to visit a maidcafe.
It is a unique but still important part of Japanese cultur.
Sometimes it is very difficult to go without any Japanese knowledge. So I would recommend to take at least a Japanese speaking friend.
If you have questions don’t hesitate to ask.
Jan 13, 2016 | Cosplay, Cosplay Tutorial, Japan, Photoshootings, Travel, Travel Reports |
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| Picture by Meermiau |
I wrote an blog about Cosplay photo studios in Japan:
Some people asked me if I could write about specific Cosplay studios which I visited and would recommend to other Cosplayers.
If you can speak fluently Japanese and read/ fill out forms I would recommend the studios of
Hacosta. If you cannot speak Japanese you should bring a fluent speaking Japanese friend with you. If not you might be in trouble.
Although the staff is very kind, they don’t speak a single word English. They searched several times for me in order to explain things to my not Japanese speaking friends. The rules in the Hacosta studios are quite strict and you may get kicked out.
You also should not come dressed in your Cosplay. Always dress and change back at the studio itself. If you are coming dressed they might refuse your entry.
Hacosta
is a company which owns several studios in Japan:
Hacosta only owns share studios. You are paying an entry fee for a certain time frame (1.900 yen (5 hours)- 4.800 yen (10 hours)) and can use every photo setting which is not occupied freely. The time frame includes your changing and Make-up time.
You are allowed to use the pictures freely as long is it for your own promotion. Even making photo books/ print items and selling them is permissible.
The studios are offering lockers, changing rooms, a small restaurant, Cosplay goods, rental services and free Cosplay amenities. Hairspray, combs, bobby pins, cotton pads, scissors and more can be used for free.
The rooms are equipped with artificial day lights and can be turned off. You can find reflectors and ladders scattered all over at the studio. They are for free usage.
Hacosta only offers the studio settings. I haven’t seen any photographer service. So if you want to visit this studio always take a friend with you, who will make the pictures.
In Japan it is quite common just to go with a group of friends (all Cosplayer) and to take pictures of each other.
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| Ticket counter (Picture by Hacostadium.com) |
Hacostadium Tokyo.one
claims to be the biggest Cosplay photo studio of his kind and offers more than 40 different settings. This studio is the newest one of Hacosta and has been opened at the end of November in Funabashi.
You should be aware that traveling to Funabashi will take at least 1 hour or more from Tokyo Station. If you are looking for an easier accessible studio, go for Ikebukuro or the studios in Osaka.
We decided to go for Tokyo.one because we wanted to enjoy such a studio as much as possible. So why not trying out the biggest studio in the world?
Presale:
I highly recommend buying a ticket before head. It will make things much easier and you can be sure to get an entry ticket. Hacostadium announces daily at twitter if tickets are still available. I noticed that you definitely should use the presale if you intend to go on Friday – Sunday, public holidays or event days.
On normal weekdays it shouldn’t be a problem. But you should try to be there at 9:30 am (opening time), to be sure to get a ticket.
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| Staca (Picture by Hacostadium.com) |
If you want to reserve you need to create a Staca account. Staca is the membership of Hacosta and you need this membership for everything you going to do in these studios.
After you created an online account you can just go to the calendar and buy your desired ticket. Be sure to fill out the forms correctly (the Google website translator don’t work on this side), it might cause trouble afterwards.
Be aware that you are booking the right studio/ day and time, because the tickets are not refundable. If you are going with friends everyone needs an own account. You can buy tickets for other people but need to pass the tickets to your friends online. So if they don’t have an account buying two tickets won’t help you because you cannot pass the ticket to your friend.
You will be named as ticketholder and the entry of your friend might be refused.
Also going to a Hacosta studio before head without a membership won’t help you, because you need a Japanese phone number for a presale ticket. If you already have a membership just going to the nearest Hacosta studio and buying a presale ticket works.
Ticket:
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Ticketprice
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Time frame
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Normal
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Presale
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Weekdays
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9:30-20:00 (10,5 hrs)
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3.500 yen
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3.200 yen
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9:30-14:30 (5 hrs)
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2.300 yen
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2.000 yen
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15:00-20:00 (5 hrs)
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2.300 yen
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2.000 yen
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Weekend and public holiday
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9:30-20:00 (10,5 hrs)
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4.800 yen
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4.500 yen
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9:30-14:30 (5 hrs)
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3.200 yen
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2.900 yen
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15:00-20:00 (5 hrs)
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2.900 yen
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2.600 yen
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I already got an account on Staca but because my friends couldn’t manage to go through the Japanese page I didn’t bought a presale ticket online (because a refund is not possible).
So we checked if day tickets were still available and just went there.
The studio is located in a shopping mall. Hacostadium opens 30 minutes earlier than the mall so you have to wait at the main entrance (there is a Hacostadium flag). The staff will fetch you up and bring you to the ticket counter.
If it’s your first time you have to fill out some forms and than move to the ticket counter.
They will check your address and personal information’s. So be sure to bring an ID card which also contains your address. Because the staff couldn’t speak English she gave up asking my friend for an ID card with address…. So I am not sure if maybe a passport will just be enough.
In my cased they told me an ID card with address would be required.
I realized that the staff where panicking when they saw us and looked relieved after I started to translate. If you Japanese aren’t that fluent just give them a bit time. They have prepared English sheets for the ticket sale (but I guess only for the ticket sale…). They will do the registration silently while they are speaking to other costumer’s non stop.
After checking our personal information’s they will hand out your Staca card and give you a badge with a locker number.
From now on you are a Staca member and can earn Staca points. Which everything you are buying (even food and items) you can earn points and get a discount on the next ticket.
Changing:
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| Female changing room (Picture by Hacostadium.com) |
You can use your locker freely the whole time frame. You can place your whole things there and don’t need to drag them around with you.
Next to the locker are private changing rooms. You can use them but normally you are using the big changing room. It is a big hall with some mirrors. You also find cotton pads, bobby pins etc there.
You just go there, sit down and make your make up and changing. It is quite common for Japanese to undress in front of others from the same gender. So don’t be bothered.
I would recommend to bring an own small mirror. We were lucky, because we were one of the first costumers there. But after a while the places with a mirror have been occupied.
Just try not to spread your things to much in order not to disturb others or to take too much space. Pictures are forbidden at the changing area. Also refrain from cutting your wig. Hacostadium provides an extra room for wig cutting which are equipped with scissors, combs and hairspray.
After changing you just put your things back to the locker and are ready for a shooting.
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| Studio settings (Picture by me) |
Shooting:
Hacostadium Tokyo provides over 40 settings which are greatly designed and maintained.
Be aware that some shooting locations are the hallway which everyone uses. Try not to disturb other Cosplayers. If you want to cross a room or a hallway while people are shooting, please ask politely.
If a room is occupied, don’t just go to another corner and make pictures there. Wait until they are finished, but try not to wait too obviously.
Before entering a setting there are wet tissues for your shoes. Please clean your shoes before entering the settings in order to keep them clean.
At some settings shoes are not allowed. You can recognize these places with a shoe shelf at the entry (of course there is also a sign in Japanese). Put your shoes into the shoe shelf and go in. Even if you are wearing clean “Cosplay shoes” please refrain from taking them in.
You are allowed to use everything in the room you can find and to change the setting to your liking, just be sure to put everything back to his place.
Generally drinking and eating at the shooting area is permitted. But you are allowed to drink and eat at the café settings. I saw a lot of Cosplayers bringing their McDonalds breakfast to the café setting and to make pictures while having breakfast.
As a Cosplayer:
Try not to wear Cosplays which are taking up too much space. Also wear shorts if you are wearing a short skirt.
As a photographer:
Regarding to flashes and photo equipment there are a lot of rules, because you may block the way while shooting at the hallway. You are only allowed to bring a limited number of flashes, soft boxes etc. Please inform yourself before head to avoid trouble.
Don’t just take pictures of other Cosplayer. Please ask politely if you want to make a picture.
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| Free rental items (Picture by Hacostadium.com) |
Rental services:
I really like, that you can rent Cosplay accessories for free. You can rent as much items you want, as long as you want and just return them after the shooting.
Next to the service counter you will find a wall with paper cards. Just take the paper cards which are showing the desired items, take them and go to the service counter.
The staff will gather your items, give you a bag for an easier transportation and scan your Staca card. When you are returning, they will check if you have returned everything and scan your Staca card again.
Afterwards you can rent new items for free.
You also have the possibility to rent a Nikon or Canon camera for free (2 hours) afterwards they will charge you 300 yen for the rest of the day.
They also provide flash, soft box, lens, SD card etc. renting service. A lot of items are free for the first 2 hours. You won’t pay more than 1000 yen for a rental (mostly about 500 yen). I think this is a good an affordable choice if you cannot bring your own equipment or just don’t have any space in your baggage left.
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| ACos shop (Picture by Hacostadium.com) |
Hacoplus:
Hacoplus is the restaurant and ACos area which you can find directly at the entrance,
The food is very affordable and tasty. You can also get the food and bring it to the café area setting to make pictures with it. The staff always tries to let the food look good. That’s why you can use it as a shooting accessories without hesitation. The restaurant also provides free water.
If you forgot some Cosplay items like wigs, contact lenses etc. you can buy them at Hacoplus. They only have a small corner with Cosplay goods but still enough to rescue yourself last minute.
Personal opinion:
I was a bit shocked how helpless the staff was regarding to my non Japanese speaking friends. My friends had a lot of trouble with communication and they were always searching for me. I was even surprised how much you need to communicate at such a studio (otherwise I would say; Ok just don’t communicate).
But all in one the staff was super polite and friendly, always gave their best to make it as comfortable as possible and were cleaning non stop. It was so clean…. Japanese toilets are great and clean but the most luxurious toilets I have seen in Japan were at Hacostadium and the Butler Café….
The settings are just amazing and very well maintained. The variety of free rental objects are great. The possibilities are just awesome and not even a bit comparable with the situation we have here in Germany.
The light was very good (although you really need a flash) and the other Cosplayers where always very considerate. Although we saw a lot of Cosplay groups it was always very silent and everyone tried their best not to disturb others, even if someone blocked the whole hallway. They just waited patiently.
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| Picture by Meermiau |
The food was very good and we really enjoyed the affordable flash rental service.
You could feel that the studio do his best to fulfill every need a Cosplayer might have during a shooting.
It was an amazing experience and I would recommend everyone to try it out once!
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.
Jan 7, 2016 | Cosplay, Cosplay Tutorial, Japan, Travel, Travel Reports, Uncategorized |
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| Picture by Meermiau |
Japan is the wonderland for every Cosplayer.
You have shops where you can get wigs, Cosplays and accessories. You have Cosplay events and even photo studios with a Cosplayerfriendly environment.
For Japanese Cosplayer, using a Cosplay photo studio is very common.
Instead of wandering around and searching for the perfect location you just look up a photo studio with a suitable setting and just booked it.
Cosplay photo studios in Japan have special furnished rooms with a themed setting (and if you need; just a white/ black wall).
Most of the studios are providing several settings to fulfill the needs of their customers. They also have changing rooms, lockers and are equipped with amenities like hairspray, bobby pins and more. Most of the studios also provide camera (equipment) and Cosplay accessory rental.
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| Share Photostudio |
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| Picture by Meermiau |
The most important things you should know:
1. Cosplay photo studios are not made for foreigners.
If you cannot speak Japanese, you should learn it or take a Japanese speaking friend with you.
At some studios you need to fill out Japanese forms to get in.
English speaking staff is very rare (like everywhere in Japan). I once visited a studio with friends and the staff where searching non stop for me, because they wanted to speak with my friends. Although my friends are very considerable they nearly got kicked out. Japanese studios have a lot of rules and most of them aren’t obvious. Of course the rules are displayed but only in Japanese.
I also red that even Japanese students or people who lived several years in Japan had problems regarding to the forms and communication. So be prepared.
If you cannot bring a Japanese speaking friend or speak Japanese there are a few studios which are used to foreigners. You can recognize them easily: they offer an English website and reservation. But be aware that English website doesn’t mean that the staff can speak English.
I would recommend Studio crown in Akihabara (Tokyo). A friend of mine owns this studio. She can understand German and speaks fluently English, because she lived abroad.
Her studio also offers a special Cosplay dressing and photo service for foreigners.
2. Also be aware that you need to book some studios before head.
The website is mostly Japanese and due to security reasons and pictures as buttons you cannot translate via Google translate (or other services) easily.
My Japanese friend recommends always reserving the studio before head. At some studios you need a membership to get in. The reservation progress can be very complicated and might require a Japanese address or phone number.
We couldn’t reserve before head, because my friends couldn’t create an online account so we just walked in. I guess, as long it is a share studio and you are going for a normal working day it should be fine. If you want to get a private room or to shoot on holidays you should reserve.
Of course it depends on the studio itself.
3. Always dress up at the studio and change back to your normal cloths after the shooting.
In Japan there is an unspoken rule to change at the location itself.
If you come dressed in Cosplay they might refuse your entry.
The studios are providing a changing room, lockers and a Cosplay friendly environment. You should know that the changing room will be a big hall where everyone will sit on he floor and change.
You should bring a small mirror and try not to spread you things too much in order to leave as much space as possible for other visitors.
4. Don’t cut your wig in the changing room and always clean your shoes before entering a setting.
Sometimes you even have to put off your shoes.They mostly provide special tissues for the shoes, a shoe shelf and rooms for wig cutting. Some studios also have rules regarding to the skirt length or that you have to wear a shorts under your shirt.
If you are the one taking pictures, be aware that there are often regulations regarding the camera equipment. Because some settings are the hallway itself (which everyone uses to move around) you are maybe not allowed to use more than one soft box and only a limited number of flashes.
5. The most studios don’t provide a photo service.
Japanese Cosplayers are mostly visiting the studios in a group and are taking pictures of each other.
It is quite uncommon to come with your own photographer.
You can rent a camera + equipment at the studio itself. Cosplayers at a studio normally don’t communicate much with other Cosplayers and are staying in their group.
So if you want to make new friends a studio might be the wrong place.
The studios
Japan has a big variety of Cosplay photo studios. You can mostly rent them for 1 hour, 3 hours, half a day and a whole day. Some rental time does include your changing time some not. Just be careful to check it if you are going for a Cosplay that takes some more time to change in order not to use up your precious shooting time.
You can divide the studios into 3 different main types:
1. The share studio
At the share studio you are paying an entry fee per person and are free to use every setting which is not occupied.
You are paying an affordable fee and can use a lot of different settings. It is kind of “all you can shoot”. If you forgot to reserve you can try to get a ticket right on that day and hope that there are still tickets left.
The disadvantage: If you want to use a certain setting you might have to wait and you cannot occupy a space for several hours, because other people might wait for this certain setting (Japanese people won’t wait obviously).
Because some settings are placed at the hallway and you are sharing the space with other foreign people. You have to obey a lot of rules and always have to consider other Cosplayer using this studio.
Price range:
About 1.000 en (1 hour) to 5.000 yen (10 hours)
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| Picture by Meermiau |
2. Private studios
You also have the possibility to rent a private studio.
You are paying a fee per room (or a group of rooms). Because you are renting the room for your usage only, be prepared to pay for it.
Because you are paying per room, you have the possibility to invite friends for a shooting and to share the costs. Although it is expensive at the first glance it might become affordable. If you want to rent a private studio, a reservation is required and a reservation in Japanese might become very challenging.
It might be more expensive than a share studio, but you can use the place more freely without worrying about other foreign Cosplayers and disturbances.
Because the share studios are cheaper, you will find a lot of pictures taken at the same setting again and again. So if you are searching for a more unique setting, I would recommend going for a private studio.
Price range:
About 3000 yen (1 hour) to unlimited
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| Shooting at a Hotel |
3. Hotels
Some Hotels are offering a Cosplay photo studio service next to their main business. Or if you are going to stay in a very special hotel /Ryokan just ask them if you can shoot there.
You are just booking a room (mostly special furnished ones or with features like a pool) and just use it as a shooting location. Some hotels are offering their rooms for rental at the day time and for staying at the night time. Some Hotels also offer both.
Normally you are paying per room (or per person if you also want to stay in this room). They are mostly not equipped with rental services, don’t have Cosplay related staff and changing rooms.
Bear in mind that their main business is not to be a Cosplay studio. But these rooms are mostly equipped with an en suite bathroom. So changing and getting ready is possible in a private environment.
You also can share the hotel room to save money and to stay over with friends after the shooting. It is a nice combination if you want to spend a night in a nice Hotel and to take some pictures.
Price range:
About 4000 en (1 hour) to unlimited
Renting things:
In Japanese Cosplay studios you can rent camera equipment, light equipment and a variety of accessories.
So you don’t have to bring more than Cosplays and Make-up. It is a quite comfortable service particularly if you are coming from oversees and struggle with your limited baggage space.
1. Cameras and equipment:
The most studios offer free reflectors and are using artificial day light to light up the studios. But if you still want to use a soft box or flash you can rent it right at the studio itself. Nearly every studio also offers a camera rental.
Some studios are only providing Nikon or Canon equipment. So it might be difficult to get a fitting flash.
I also saw that the prices are varying from studio to studio. Some studios are offering a free rental for 2 hours, some 300 yen per hour, and some 300 yen for a whole day. So be sure to check the prices in order to get the equipment you want and not to spent a fortune.
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| Rentel items at studio crown |
2. Cosplay accessories:
Most of the studios are offering a rental service for Cosplay accessories like micros, schoolbags, fake food, umbrellas etc.
This service also varies from studio to studio. While one studio might offer a very limited choice the other studio might have so many accessories, that you have difficulties to choose. Some studios tend to give them out for free, while other studios charge you per item.
I really love to use accessories so I tend to choose my studios (next to the entry fee and settings) based on the variety of accessories. Until now I only used studios which are giving their Cosplay accessories out for free.
Also be careful when you are choosing a studio. The entry fee might be very cheap but if you intend to rent equipment or additional items it might be cheaper to go for a more expensive one.
I hope that this guide might help you for your next time in Japan.
I really recommend every Cosplayer to visit once a Cosplay photo studio. Compared to Germany the shooting possibilities seem unlimited.
It is really a great feeling to shoot at a Cosplayerfriendly environment and to shoot at special locations freely without worrying about publishing rights, unaffordable fees and people who are not familiar with Cosplay.
Next time I will right about the Cosplay studio and the Hotel I used during my last Japan trips.
Dec 30, 2015 | Cosplay, Cosplay Tutorial, Travel, Travel Reports |
Japan is the country of Anime and Manga.
And of course of Cosplay!
One of the main purposes of my last trip was to go shopping for my World Cosplay Summit Cosplays for next year in Japan.
We not only visited several Cosplay related shops in Japan but also in Taipei and Dubai.
All countries have a large choice of fabrics, wigs and other small materials like laces or gemstones.
Part 1:
Cosplay shopping in Taipei:
Taipei is well known for cheap and good quality fabrics. We visited the
Yongle Fabric Market and found a large choice of fabrics and dry goods such as laces or gemstones.
The most fabric shops are located directly in the market at the 2nd floor. If you are looking for dry goods you should leave the market and take a look in the side roads.
Be aware that nearly no one speaks English
and that they are making different prices for foreigners. If you can
speak Japanese you can be lucky. We communicated mostly in Japanese or
just pointed the fabrics we wanted
to buy (this only works if you don’t have any questions…). You can
bargain if you are buying a bigger amount of fabrics, because there are
no prices shown. Special fabrics, like embroidered ones or Chinese ones
where quite cheap. But if you want to buy normal
unicolor fabrics be aware that it could be more expensive than in Japan
or Germany.
Generally speaking: Fabrics in Taipei are more expensive than in Japan-
But if you are looking for high quality and special fabrics you can make a good deal.
The dry goods had all price tags. Bargain
wasn’t possible, but if you are buying a bigger amount they just give
you some free dry goods. We could found a lot of awesome stones and
special accessories for Cosplays for
a very good price. We weren’t satisfied with the choices of laces and
most of the shops sold the same items. Also be aware that high quality
stones and gold laces are easier to get in Dubai for a cheaper price.
We were very disappointed regarding to wigs in Taipei. We only found one shop who offered cosplay wigs for order.
Because we had only a limited time in Taipei we didn’t looked further for Cosplayshops.
But we got the advice that you can buy good Cosplay accessories in Ximending.
Yongle Market Taipei
Operating Hours: Mon-Sat 10-18 hr
Next MRT Station: Beiman Station
