Thousands of Valley residents gathered at Steele Indian School Park in Phoenix this past weekend for the Arizona Matsuri, the annual celebration of Japanese culture.
The two-day event, featuring a range of vendors, artisans, and performers, also saw dozens of local cosplayers dressed as their favorite anime, manga, and video game characters.
Yuhki Kanetani, a Phoenix comedian and anime enthusiast known as “Uncle Yuhki,” has hosted the Arizona Matsuri’s cosplay contest since 2003. He says interest in anime-inspired costumes at the event has grown significantly over the past two decades.
“When we first did the costume contest, cosplay was just beginning to become popular,” Kanetani recalls. “One of the anime vendor booths wanted cosplayers to be represented, so we started the contest, and it just stuck.”
Kanetani explains that while cosplay and anime are often seen as niche interests, Arizona Matsuri has been supportive of the community by providing a space for them to shine. “Matsuri has been very gracious to us. Anime and cosplay are sometimes seen as counterculture since they’re not as formal or graceful as other aspects of Japanese culture,” he says.
As anime has grown in popularity in the U.S., the turnout for Arizona Matsuri’s cosplay contest has increased dramatically. Kanetani notes, “It’s amazing how much anime is becoming part of American culture. I couldn’t feel better about it. Back in the day, I had to fill an hour with games like ‘Simon Says’ onstage. Now, I’m rushing to get all the contestants through. Last year we had about 30 contestants, and this year, over 40. It just keeps getting bigger.”
The quality of costumes at the event continues to improve as well. “With more participants, it gets harder to pick a winner each year,” Kanetani says.
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