Welcome to Sakaisuji Avenue! Better known colloquially as “Den-Den Town” (short for “Denki no machi”), this long street is Osaka’s answer to Tokyo’s Akihabara. Lined with stores like Animate selling toys, Kamen Rider figurines and various kinds of anime goods, it’s a Kansai otaku’s wet dream. It’s here that the annual Nipponbashi Street Festa takes place – a ten-block-long congregation of cosplayers, a veritable celebration of anime, creativity, and… more than a little kookiness.

This year, more than 22,000 people showed up for the parade, either to see or be seen. The overall quality of cosplay was pretty high, and according to a regular attendee it keeps getting better every year. Obviously, it’s fun just to gawk at all the pretty (or weird, sexy, amazing, stunning) costumes, but if you’re into anime at all, a cosplay festival like this turns into a Name-That-Anime game. Very, very fun.

Sailormoon! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sailor_Moon

Kotetsu from Tiger and Bunny! https://tigerbunny.wikia.com/wiki/Wild_Tiger

Rikka from Chuunibyou demo koi ga shitai! https://chuunibyou-demo-koi-ga-shitai.wikia.com/wiki/Rikka_Takanashi

America: we see your Disney princesses, and raise you Ghibli heroines. https://studioghibli.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Heroines

Western fandoms are not left out – here’s Woody the Cowboy taking a call from Jessie.

This is the graduation photo you wish you had taken in high school.

Who knew goats could look coy?

Dancing tiger’s just doing his thing.

Enter Hentai Kamen. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ky%C5%ABkyoku!!_Hentai_Kamen Whether he acquired anyone’s underwear that day remains unknown.
Believe it or not, he’s a character from an actual movie. Watch the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1Ek7LQ9wWA

Even the cars came out to play, decked out in cartoon characters. Here’s a fabulous Hero TV (https://tigerbunny.wikia.com/wiki/Hero_TV) car with Blue Rose (https://tigerbunny.wikia.com/wiki/Blue_Rose) all over it:

Clearly, though, it’s not enough to have anime on your car. You’ve got to drive as a character, too…

Haruhi Suzumiya (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haruhi_Suzumiya_(character)) and Shizuo Heiwajima (https://durarara.wikia.com/wiki/Shizuo_Heiwajima) of Durarara!! (https://durarara.wikia.com/wiki/Durarara!!_Wiki) having a moment.

Here is an adorable mother-and-son duo, teaming as Mario-and-Peach…

…but the award for Best Princess Peach (https://www.mariowiki.com/Princess_Peach) has to go to this guy. Crossplay is fabulous.

Kona-chan from Lucky Star. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucky_Star_(manga)

All this was just the tip of the iceberg. Visit Osaka in 2014 and witness the festivities for yourself!

Come back next year: https://nippombashi.jp/festa/2013/