Nazi Cosplay in Japan

Abstract

In Japan, Nazi cosplay, especially in the uniforms of SS officers, is the second most popular form of Second World War military cosplay after Imperial Japanese Army cosplay. Such cosplay attracts criticism from Western societies. However, interviews with members of the Japanese Nazi cosplay community reveal that cosplayers are knowledgeable about Nazi history and pay significant attention to historical accuracy, which is demanded for acceptance into the cosplayer community. Nazi history falls outside their identification zone. This allows cosplayers to treat Nazi history in a manner similar to fictional narratives. Their cosplay, therefore, focuses on an aesthetic level in the precision of their reenactments. This makes Nazi cosplay substantially different to Imperial Japanese Army cosplay, where there can be strong identification with Japanese militarism. These differences in perception allow Nazi cosplay to be seen as a more acceptable practice in Japan than it would be in European countries.

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