Cross-dressing, Cosplay and the Sex Industry

Cosplay is costume play, common to sex and sex work both. Connexions to the sex industry are highlighted in bold. This is an example of the blurry area between commercial and non-commercial sex, where ‘workers’ can be lovers and friends, and vice-versa.

Japanese Cosplay and the Sex Industry 

M. Kiromi

Japanese Cosplay is about the person becoming a chosen character or idea. The person looks and acts exactly like the character they are portraying. You become a specified character in order to become a cosplayer. The sky is the limit, if you can dream it you can become it. Cosplaying is about having fun.

Japan and most other countries have participated in cross dressing as well as cosplay in the sex industry. This is an age old practice where costumes have been used for sexual practices, and dressing up is used for sexual play which is commonly known as a sexual fetishism.

In Japan as well as other countries there are special facilities where you can rent costumes for a night of ecstasy and passion. Specialized facilities like hotels or inns cater only for the sex industry. The costumes you can hire for the occasion range from school uniforms, nursing outfits, or whatever suits your fetish they will accommodate you with the outfit you request.

The Japanese cosplay industry has long been the home to professional cosplayers since the rise of Comiket the Tokyo Game Show, as well as other conventions, there is a misconception that cosplay is specific only to Japan. The term Cosplay is from Japanese origin but this flamboyant occupation is now supported by practicing fans globally.

Terms and conditions have been set by cosplay groups, that whatever character you have chosen to dress up as, you have to become the character, in words, action and nature. Japanese cosplay is not only dressing up and acting out, there are also a rich culture as well as tradition behind the character they have chosen to portray.

However there are costumes worn without any conviction by Japanese cosplayers that westerners would not consider wearing as it would be culturally not correct like a Nazi uniform or any other uniforms worn by dictators in the past. Japanese cosplay does not only cover specified role playing but covers all kinds of obsessive fandom.

4 thoughts on “Cross-dressing, Cosplay and the Sex Industry

  1. Ted Cheng

    Japanese cosplay does not only cover specified role playing but covers all kinds of obsessive fandom.

    Cosplay is closed to fandom. When it is related to the sex industry, i guess the meaning of cosplay is different. in sex industry, i am curious if these cosplayers play any specific characters like the cosplayers in fandom (the comic, animation, games fan culture). the characters such as school girls, nurses mentioned above are very common characters in Japanese adult video as well as in daily life and do not attach to any specific role or character in the movie or texts. i think the cosplay here has two different practices. But it is interesting if there is a person cosplaying Spark of the star trek or Lara of Tomb Raider and have sex with someone.

    I know some motels in Taiwan offer sex toys, and some motels are really amazing, they create(or cosplay) scenes like a prison, an ancient empire’s room, famous movie themes (e.g. TITANIC), etc. The following link is from someone’s blog I found on google, she offers the picture of the room of the motel. Motel in Taiwan’s case is more like a place people having fun, particularly having sex, rather than an accommodation for staying.

    Reply

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