short for "costume play",
is a type of performance art
whose participants outfit themselves.
A recent trend at Japanese cosplay events is
Cosplaying as characters of the opposite sex
is called "crossplay", and cosplaying as
characters who dress as the opposite sex
is called "cross-dressing".
As the cosplay culture becomes
more dominant in the Japanese street fashion
and Japanese popular culture,
many businesses are seeking opportunities
to profit from this new phenomenon.
