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Event Report: 14th Nippombashi Street Festa in Osaka

posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
150+ photos of Osaka's biggest anime event

Spring is in the air in Osaka. The plum blossoms are at their peak in Osaka Castle Park, and the cherry blossoms should start blooming next week. And it's time again for Osaka's biggest anime event: the Nippombashi Street Festa. This year was the 14th festival, held in Den Den Town, Osaka's equivalent of the otaku paradise of Akihabara.

For those unfamiliar, the Nippombashi Street Festa is less of a formal anime event, and more of a free-for-all cosplay extravaganza. The main thoroughfare in Den Den Town is shut to traffic, and for three hours people gather to people watch and take pictures of some of the best cosplay Japan has to offer.

The event can be a bit hectic for those who don't like crazy crowds, but it's always worth it for the crazy, cute, amazing, and hilarious cosplay available each year.

The event starts with an opening ceremony featuring local government officials, committee members, celebrities, and mascots. Osaka is bidding to host the 2025 World Expo, and members were holding up signs to cheer on the city in the bid.

Those who paid to attend the event (the event is free to attend otherwise) get to participate in a cosplay parade.

Afterward, attendees are free to walk around and take pictures of cosplayers who have found space along the street to pose. Some of the biggest franchises at the event this year include Fate/Grand Order, Pop Team Epic, Kemono Friends, and the perennial Madoka Magica.

Some of the stars of the festival though were cosplaying pets, such as these strollers of dogs all dressed in Survey Corps outfits.

And this pug in a sailor school uniform.

The full gallery of more than 140 pictures of the opening ceremony, cosplay parade, and a sample of some of the cosplay on display is below.

If you're curious about past festivals, we have writeups from 2017, 2016, and 2014.



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