What is cosplay?

Cosplay comes from words `costume` and `play`. It means dressing up as characters from anime, computer or video games, manga, movies, cartoons and so on. But it is not only dressing up as the character. In cosplay, you also act as the character. That is why haistyles, make-up and accessories are important as well. Facial expressions, body postures and attitude of the character are shown too.
Important part of the hobby and subculture of cosplay is making and customizing of outfits. Many people make their own outfits by combining ready-made parts and parts made from the "scratch".
Cosplayers meet and share their culture in smaller and bigger happenings. Bigger happenings, cons, gather hundreds of cosplayers under the same roof. Smaller happenings can take place for example in `meidokissa` (maid-coffeehouses).
Famous places to see cosplayers and their culture in Japan is for example Harajuku area in Tokyo. Cosplayers gather there outdoors often on weekends.

Other terms used in cosplay are`skit`, which means putting up a show to express the personality of the character, `crossplay`, which means playing a character of the other sex (female plays a male character and vice versa), `groupcosplay`, which means that a group plays characters from the same source.

Cosplay has long roots in Japan, but as it is more of a subculture, it doesn`t advertise itself that much. There are cosplayers in other countries as well, from U.S.A to Europe and Asian countries. For example in Finland, there is a community dedicated to Finnish cosplayers called Cosplay Finland at http://cosplay.animeunioni.org
You can get a glimpse of cosplay in Japan in Cosplay Community Site Cure at http://cure.livedoor.com/