🎎

Cosplay Guidelines

The Hanami Festival is a family-friendly day out for all ages, where we want everyone to be able to enjoy sharing an appreciation for Japanese culture, including fashion and cosplay.

💃 What’s Happening?

Our 🌸Hanami Festival 2025 takes place outdoors from 12pm–4pm on Sunday 27th April.

We are delighted each year to see attendees wearing cosplay, kimono, and Japanese street fashions. It is a great opportunity to meet friends, and take photos in the beautiful grounds and gardens of Farmleigh House.

During this year’s festival, we are planning a cosplay segment on the Martial Arts stage. We will provide more details about this closer to the event.

As our event is outdoors, this is subject to weather conditions on the day.

🏠 Our Rules

Please observe the following rules:

No actual weapons and no mock weapons. ⚔

No airsoft guns, guns, bows, swords, knives, kunai, batons, clubs, or anything that could be mistaken as an actual weapon by a child or elderly person.
Even fantasy weapons are not allowed.
Not everyone at this event is used to cosplay, and there is a real risk of causing fright or confusion. We know this is strict compared to other cons and events.

Save your Resident Evil for GamerFest!

Costumes must have a minimum coverage of modest swimwear, and the content and appearance of costumes must be suitable for all ages.
Props must be modest in size, and designed as suitable and safe for an event that is attended by a large volume of people.

“Props break before people” must apply.

Props must be handled in a manner that is mindful of other people at all times, particularly while moving between areas or near crowds.
If your costume restricts movement or your own visibility, you must bring someone with you who can help you to move around.
Props are not to be used for dangerous horseplay, enacting scenes, or in a manner that threatens other attendees.
On-the-day rulings of Experience Japan staff in relation to cosplay, props, or use thereof are to be considered final.

🌞 Having a Great Day

We would also like to share these guidelines based on the experiences of previous attendees:

Consider your choice of costume and transport (see 🚶Getting There) so that you can enjoy your visit.
Experience Japan happens outdoors. Have a plan in case it rains! 🌧️
Any personal belongings are brought at the owners’ risk. Experience Japan will not be responsible for loss or damage of items.
Please understand that by walking outdoors in a public space, the general public will tend to take photos without asking permission first.
Experience Japan may use photographs taken at the event as part of our promotional material, or for sharing on social media.

💡

Last year, we provided a changing area on request. This is not yet decided for 2025. Please ask for this at the Info Desk.

We cannot provide storage space for your belongings.
Depending on demand there may be queues for the changing area.

Thanks for your cooperation!

💃 What’s Happening?

Our 🌸Hanami Festival 2025 takes place outdoors from 12pm–4pm on Sunday 27th April.

During this year’s festival, we are planning a cosplay segment on the Martial Arts stage. We will provide more details about this closer to the event.

As our event is outdoors, this is subject to weather conditions on the day.

🏠 Our Rules

Please observe the following rules:

No actual weapons and no mock weapons. ⚔

No airsoft guns, guns, bows, swords, knives, kunai, batons, clubs, or anything that could be mistaken as an actual weapon by a child or elderly person.
Even fantasy weapons are not allowed.
Not everyone at this event is used to cosplay, and there is a real risk of causing fright or confusion. We know this is strict compared to other cons and events.

Save your Resident Evil for GamerFest!

Costumes must have a minimum coverage of modest swimwear, and the content and appearance of costumes must be suitable for all ages.

Props must be modest in size, and designed as suitable and safe for an event that is attended by a large volume of people.

“Props break before people” must apply.

Props must be handled in a manner that is mindful of other people at all times, particularly while moving between areas or near crowds.

If your costume restricts movement or your own visibility, you must bring someone with you who can help you to move around.

Props are not to be used for dangerous horseplay, enacting scenes, or in a manner that threatens other attendees.

On-the-day rulings of Experience Japan staff in relation to cosplay, props, or use thereof are to be considered final.

🌞 Having a Great Day

We would also like to share these guidelines based on the experiences of previous attendees:

Consider your choice of costume and transport (see 🚶Getting There) so that you can enjoy your visit.

Experience Japan happens outdoors. Have a plan in case it rains! 🌧️

Any personal belongings are brought at the owners’ risk. Experience Japan will not be responsible for loss or damage of items.

Please understand that by walking outdoors in a public space, the general public will tend to take photos without asking permission first.

Experience Japan may use photographs taken at the event as part of our promotional material, or for sharing on social media.

💡

Last year, we provided a changing area on request. This is not yet decided for 2025. Please ask for this at the Info Desk.

We cannot provide storage space for your belongings.
Depending on demand there may be queues for the changing area.

Thanks for your cooperation!