“Ikebukuro Halloween Cosplay Festival 2025” attracts 161,000 visitors over three days! ~Increasing number of overseas visitors enjoying Japan’s cosplay culture~ Dwango Co., Ltd. Public Relations Department Press Release: October 27, 2025 161,000 people visit Ikebukuro over three days for the “Ikebukuro Halloween Cosplay Festival 2025”! ~Increasing number of international visitors enjoying Japan’s cosplay culture~ The Ikebukuro Halloween Cosplay Festival Executive Committee, which includes Dwango Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Takeshi Natsuno), Toshima Ward, Sunshine City Co., Ltd., Animate Co., Ltd., and Hacosta Co., Ltd., held the large-scale Halloween event for cosplayers, “Ikebukuro Halloween Cosplay Festival 2025 Powered by dwango,” now in its 12th year, for three days from Friday, October 24th to Sunday, October 26th, 2025, attracting 161,000 visitors.
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https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/96446/814/96446-814-aa4f82ac58fee517bfaeae4e27dc26c1-1920×1080.jpg Event details
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/96446/814/96446-814-c574e0a7a71ee5f51f38e9028e46992e-1620×907.jpg Parade On the first day of the event, Friday the 24th, “Ikeharo Night” was held at Sunshine City from early evening until night, where cosplayers and photographers enjoyed photo sessions and social gatherings that made the most of the night view. The underground parking lot photo shoot, a new addition this year, was bustling with visitors. The event kicked off at 10:00 AM on Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th, covering the entire east exit area of Ikebukuro. Cosplayers from all over Japan gathered in the photo-taking areas of Nakaikebukuro Park, Sunshine City, Ike-Sun Park, and Higashi-Ikebukuro Central Park. At the “Ikebukuro Hello Special Ceremony” held on Saturday the 25th, Toshima Ward Mayor Miyuki Takagiwa, Dwango Director Daisuke Yokozawa, Animate Holdings Executive Director Yasuhiro Niwa, and Sunshine City President and CEO Hidemi Waki appeared in cosplay as popular characters. The highlight of the event was a parade featuring approximately 400 cosplayers, marching along a route from Sunshine 60 Street to Hareza Ikebukuro accompanied by live marching band music. The spectacular spectacle, which brightened up the streets of Ikebukuro, drew cheers from the crowds of spectators gathered on both sides, despite the rain. On the main stage at Naka-Ikebukuro Park, a variety of stage events were held to appeal to a wide range of audiences, including “Nico Nico Cosplayction,” where participants showed off their cosplay, “Parent-Child Halloween,” and “Welcome New Cosplayers!”, a performance by a couple who got married after cosplaying. Many children were seen delighted to find their favorite characters. The first-ever “Ikebukuro Halloween Food Fest” was held at Higashi-Ikebukuro Central Park, attracting visitors and cosplayers enjoying Halloween-themed food like Halloween churros and monster lattes. In addition, the number of visitors from overseas exceeded last year, with an especially large increase in photographers. Many visitors were seen enjoying photographing Japanese cosplay culture, and others were seen enjoying programs that evoked a sense of Japan, such as rickshaw rides and matcha drinks, further enhancing the event’s international appeal. The Ikebukuro Halloween Cosplay Festival will continue to enable more people to enjoy cosplay, Japan’s leading subculture, safely and securely, while also working to further revitalize the local area.
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https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/96446/814/96446-814-c511f172e2eb6e74edaabc117e33a37b-2560×1706.jpg Halloween Food Festival Event Overview Ikebukuro Halloween Cosplay Festival 2025 Powered by dwango Date and time: October 24th (Friday) to October 26th (Sunday), 2025 └October 24th (Friday) 16:30-22:30 (Pond Hallonite) └October 25th (Sat) and 26th (Sun) 10:00-18:00 both days Venue: Ikebukuro area
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/96446/814/96446-814-d73622ff08bf69b175554ea4dd67e572-1280×480.png Organized by: Ikebukuro Halloween Cosplay Festival Executive Committee Co-organized by: Toshima Ward / Toshima Ward Shopping Association / Sunshine City Sponsored by: Toshima Ward Tourism Association / Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Industry Toshima Branch Management and Production: Animate Co., Ltd. / Dwango Co., Ltd. / Hacosta Co., Ltd. Sponsors: [Gold Sponsor] Zootopia 2 [Silver Sponsor] Canon Marketing Japan Inc. / We Are FLAI / Proxima Beta Pte. Ltd / Narushio / Daiichikosho Co., Ltd. / Kakaku.com Inc. / Vantan Co., Ltd. [Cloakroom Sponsors] Zenyaku Kogyo Co., Ltd. / Morinaga & Co., Ltd. / Nichiban Co., Ltd. [Sponsor] Kadokawa Dwango Gakuen / Uruma Halloween Cosplay Festival 2025 Supported by: acosta! / COSPLAY MODE / World Cosplay Summit / BTS Cosplay Club / Ikebukuro Inbound Promotion Association / Hareza Ikebukuro Area Management General Incorporated Association / COSPA Inc. / Niconico Official website: https://ikebukurocosplay.jp/ Official X: https://x.com/niconico_cos For more information about this release Press release attachments
