Japan Spring: not just cherry blossoms, but cosplay time

Japan Spring: not just cherry blossoms, but cosplay time: "Xeni Jardin: With springtime in Tokyo comes cherry blossoms both real and fake -- but warmer weather also brings out the cosplayers. Link to photos by Alexandra Roberts. (thanks, Chad Arsenault)

Reader comment: miah says,

This isn't cosplay, most of the people there are EGL (Elegant Gothic Lolita). Cosplay is all about dressing up as Anime characters and I see no cosplay in those pics. Harajuku is a common area for teens to hang out in clothes they've designed themselves or thrown together from thrift shops. See Fruits for more info: and an introduction to Harajuku.

Reader comment: Mizer says,

Miah's comments are incorrect. Cosplay (kosuperu, in Japanese) is a portmanteaux of the English words 'Costume' and 'Play.' It simply means the act of dressing up in costume, whether it be a costume of your own design, or an imitation of an anime character, rock star, tv celebrity, video game character, etc. True, a large number of cosplayers do choose to dress up as anime characters, but the t"