It’s not just dressing up. Costume play enthusiasts spend months planning, and sometimes making, the perfect outfit for one of Sydney’s big pop culture conventions like Oz Comic-Con, SMASH and Supanova. The trend has been adopted from Japan by niche communities in Australia, who meet and share ideas online as well as at large festivals and events throughout the year. That community is growing too; the first First National Cosplay Championships in Australia took place six years ago, and in 2015 another nationwide competition is launching that will provide a second chance for fanatics to compete as their favourite anime, manga, tokusatsu or video game character. Whether its Sailor Moon or Elsa from Frozen, cosplayers flock to these top conventions.

SMASH: Sydney Manga and Anime Show

The annual J-pop exhibition sees as many as 13,500 fans travel from across the region for celebrity appearances from the worlds of anime, cosplay, Gundam and gaming. The weekend convention is home to Sydney’s first maid café, a concept born on the streets of Tokyo in 2001, which typically involves staff dressed in French maid outfits who address their customers as ‘master’ or ‘mistress’. And SMASH fans are very passionate about cosplay – gender roles are bent and subverted as anime characters dine next to Harajuku girls and superheroes. Last year’s convention featured guest star Reiko Nagato, an internationally renowned cosplayer from Germany.

Link: SMASH: Sydney Manga and Anime Show

Supanova

A hot date on the cosplay calendar, Supanova hosts Australia’s Madman National Cosplay Championship. The pop culture convention travels around the country, attracting crowds of film, TV, manga and anime fans thanks to its line-up of high-profile speakers. In June, the original black and red Power Rangers from the 1990s TV series will be making their way to Sydney, joined by the voice leads from the first eight seasons of Pokémon, Veronica Taylor and Eric Stuart. Cosplayers strut their stuff on stage on both days of the festival, showcasing their best impersonations and comedy skits. The rules are simple: if you bought your outfit, you’ll only be eligible for the skit category. All costumes must be tasteful (it’s a family-friendly affair) and no weapons.

Link: Supanova

Matsuri Sydney

Supported by the Japan Foundation, Japan Board of Sydney and local tourism agencies, Matsuri is the largest and most focused festival of Japanese culture in the city. It’s function is to celebrate the cross-cultural friendship between Japan and the Australian people, and the one-day event takes place in the centrally-located playground at Darling Harbour. Though it doesn’t have the same traction as the big conventions, you’ll find plenty of Lolitas, Rei Ayanamis and Haruhi Suzumiyas in amongst the anime content, karate demonstrations and calligraphy workshops. Each December the event grows and grows, with the latest head count coming in at 20,000 visitors.

Oz Comic-Con

The pop culture conference that out-geeks all other pop culture cons made its way to Sydney last year with William Shatner in tow. This year’s guests are still to be announced, but as ever there’ll be a floor filled with exhibitors, a chance to get your picture taken with TV and film celebrities and panel talks. The Oz Comic-Con Australian Championships of Cosplay makes its debut in 2015 – aiming to become the largest and most prestigious costume contest in Australia. Competitors will step up to the challenge at each regional event in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth before fighting it out in the final round at Oz Comic-Con Sydney in September.

Link: Oz Comic-Con

You’ve mastered the anime scene in Sydney, and have now come to Japan in search of new influences and the latest goodies. Here’s where to head for everything from inspiration to jealousy-inducing character merchandise…

Suginami Animation Museum

Get a crash course in the history of Japanese anime at this free Nishi-Ogikubo museum, where you can immerse yourself in a number of fun exhibits. The museum also offers the opportunity to learn about the production process of anime, and even lets visitors draw and shoot their own little flick.

Link: Suginami Animation Museum

Nakano Broadway

Walk down the cathedral-like shotengai (shopping street) in Nakano and you’ll reach the covered Broadway section with its 300-plus shops. A popular haunt for Tokyo’s otaku community, this five-floor complex contains numerous branches of Fujiya Avic, the secondhand CD/DVD/anime store offering rarities and bootlegs, as well as plenty of other quirky haunts worth exploring for anime fans.

Link: Nakano Broadway

Akihabara

Tokyo’s mecca for geeks hosts countless anime shops and maid cafés, while cosplayers dressed up as familiar characters roam the streets. Fans of stupefyingly popular mega-group AKB48 can see their idols perform live at the group’s own theatre close to Akihabara Station.

Link: #034 Act like a geek for a day