An Interview with Stephanie Snowheart and Takahan Tan
LOCAL COSPLAY CONVENTION ATTRACTS OVER 20 THOUSAND ATTENDEES
Article Published 28 June 2015 (Sunday)
Sin Ming Daily
English Translation Provided
Cosplay is an incredibly popular culture in Singapore, indeed so much so that the cosplay club
members has increased over 140 times in these 15 years and the cosplay convention attracting
over 25,000 attendees with the Singapore Cosplay president of the Club receiving words of
encouragement from Founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.
In the beginning of the year, at an event MinnaCon coorganised with NTU and NUS, the
Singapore Cosplay Club invited the famous Sailor Grandpa. One of the most popular internet
sensations in the world, Sailor Grandpa came forth to be a guest and got a lot of attention all
over Singapore.
Singapore Cosplay Club President Loh Wan Jing, Stephanie (32) expresses in an interview with
us that in 2000, she started the Singapore Cosplay Club with a group and friends and
henceforth pioneering the Cosplay Culture in Singapore.
Cosplay is popular in many countries in Asia; Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea etc. However,
Cosplay is relatively of a commercial nature in quite a lot of countries and mainly for the
promotion of products or services.
Singapore Cosplay Club Vice President Tan Yueh Han (40) believes that Singapore is perhaps
the only country in the world still organising pure CosplayOnly conventions or events. These
pure cosplayonly events is not created for commercial reasons and the cosplayers or attendees
come forth solely fuelled by their love and passion for Cosplay.
In 2001, the first Cosfest attracted 200 attendees but last year in 2014, 25,000 attendees
swarmed the Cosfest convention hall.
To date, the Singapore Cosplay Club has 28,000 members including cosplayers, photographers
and supporters.
Loh Wan Jing, Stephanie expresses that one of the deepest and fondest memories she had of
Cosplay was in 2007 at a Town Council event.
At that time, the Founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew was the VIP and when he saw
Stephanie Loh Wan Jing cosplaying after he was introduced to her, chuckled "Oh! There's such
a thing in Singapore?" as he shook her hands happily.
"Yes!” Stephanie Loh Wan Jing said at that time. It's been really fun doing this so far!" She
replied Mr Lee Kuan Yew.
Upon hearing this, Founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew gave Loh Wan Jing Stephanie firm words of encouragement. “Keep it up!” he said.
To that, Stephanie is filled with infinite happiness and joy.
Sailor Grandpa On Singapore:
Singapore is a more openminded society than Japan
Japan’s Sailor Fuku Grandpa expresses that he walked the streets of Singapore freely in his
Sailor uniform without being scrutinised by the public, referring that Singapore’s society is much
more openminded than Japan.
Loh Wan Jing Stephanie explains that in Japan, where Cosplay is popular, cosplayers do not
have themselves in costumes in public,on trains or in restaurants as this is not considered polite
manners in the Japanese society. In Korea, cosplayers do not even dare reveal that they are
involved in Cosplay. However, in Singapore, Cosplayers have not encountered such situations
or scrutinised by the public.
Mr Hideaki Kobayashi(Sailor Grandpa) expresses that all the way from Tokyo Japan to
Singapore’s Changi Airport and the three days he was in Singapore, that he was in his sailor
uniform costume all the time, and instead of inviting judgemental looks or comments, many
members of the public all over Singapore recognised him and was happily requesting to take
photos with him. Such a situation would not have happened in Japan.
In the 15 years of organising Cosplay conventions, events and activities in Singapore, Loh Wan Jing Stephanie has seen cosplayers ranging from 2 years old to 68 years old!
Loh Wan Jing Stephanie says that currently cosplayers are around 14 to 38 years old, although
she has personally seen a 68 years old cosplayer and a young cosplayer child of 2 years old
coming together with her cosplayer parent to a cosplay event.
Cosplaying may require you to have many different costumes and accessories and may not be
a very economical hobby. The price range of a costume may be between 150 dollars to 300
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