Japan's Comiket Prohibits Low-Angle Cosplay Photography

[roseofbattle]

Japan's Comiket Prohibits Low-Angle Cosplay Photography

Comiket keeps creepy photographers away and asks that they always ask for permission to take someone's photo.

Last weekend, a large event in Japan known as Comiket - or Comic Market - enforced rules for cosplay and photography to keep cosplayers safe and advise photographers to be polite. Taking pictures at a low angle, or upskirt photos, is expressly forbidden.

Comiket also states photographers shouldn't be a "nuisance" when taking photos. This means photographers should politely ask for permission to take someone's photo and to avoid taking pictures of the same person for too long. Doing so starts to wade into creepy territory. Not to mention, Comiket asks photographers not to crowd around cosplayers. [https://www.flickr.com/photos/tokyofashion/6040171165/]

This year, the Cosplay is Not Consent movement has grown in the United States since 2013. Signs at New York Comic Con in October were emblazoned with the white and red letters of "Cosplay Is Not Consent" [http://thinkprogress.org/culture/2014/10/11/3579097/new-york-comiccon-promotes-consent/] and asked attendees to keep their hands to themselves and to ask before taking a picture as well as respecting people's right to refuse.

Cosplay Is Not Consent states just because someone is cosplaying it does not give anyone permission to touch them or take their picture. Geeks for CONsent, founded by former team members of HollabackPHILLY, collects stories of harassment at conventions [http://www.geeksforconsent.org/ariel-belle-2013/] and campaigns for conventions to enforce anti-harassment policies.

At Comiket, the new rule banning upskirt photos seems to have been followed, according to RocketNews24, which attended the event last weekend. While there is not a Cosplay is Not Consent movement in Japan, some events do advise photographers on proper behavior. Comiket reminded cosplayers to find staff members for help if they are uncomfortable.

An entirely different rule at Comiket for cosplayers specifically prohibits arriving or leaving the event in costume. This rule is much more common in Japan. Cosplayers register for Comiket and pay a small registration fee. They change in a dedicated area and have their picture taken in the cosplay area, but they are of course welcome to walk around Comiket in costume otherwise.

Source: RocketNews24 [http://www.comiket.co.jp/info-p/]


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[syl3r]

just to get it right.....
cosplayers have to pay more in japan, have to get dressed on lokation and even shoved into a cosplay area?
that doesnt seem right at all cO

 

[Soviet Heavy]

just to get it right.....
cosplayers have to pay more in japan, have to get dressed on lokation and even shoved into a cosplay area?
that doesnt seem right at all cO

They can walk around the con in costume, but people are only allowed to take their picture in the cosplay area and only after they consent.

 

[StriderShinryu]

Good stuff. It's nice to see one of the biggest cons putting these rules into place. If they can do it, there's little reason why smaller cons can't follow suit.

 

[Elfgore]

This is probably a great idea. Have you seen how short those anime girl skirts are? Maybe if them tsundere would invest in a longer skirt, she wouldn't have to worry about the wind blowing it up!

In seriousness, this is good. Just because a cosplayer choses to dress up as a raunchy character doesn't give you the right to take wank material photos of them.

 

[ryukage_sama]

The cosplay situation/culture differs significantly between American and Japanese conventions, so these new Comiket rules are distinct from the "Cosplay is not Consent" movement. Comiket has long had an entrenched and tolerated common practice of up-skirt photos which was actively sought by many female cosplayers. The new rules seek to improve the reputation of Comiket as a whole by reigning in the outrageous (and consensual) pictures that emerge by the thousands every 6 months. These rules also bar the pervy shots which were wantonly encouraged by their female models. I'm sure there have been plenty of harassment complaints, but that was not the sole motivator for the Comiket rule change.

I'm totally on board with the push at American conventions to protect the personal space of cosplayers. Molestation shouldn't have a home in geek culture.

 

[Dr. Crawver]

Well this sounds 100% fine to me. I went to a con earlier in the year dressed as Vega from street fighter, and was extremely pleased that everyone actually asked first to have my picture taken, so making it a hard rule seems like a great idea to me. As for the low angle stuff, I wasn't wearing a skirt so I can't comment on that for myself, but if you're having someone take your picture without asking, and then taking that sort of one? Must be incredibly uncomfortable to say the least.

 

[PerfectDeath]

Like Ryukage_sama mentioned, there is a 'gravure modeling' scene in these events and you could find on-street 'photoshoots' for the public where the girl takes particularly revealing poses for everyone.

I don't know much more to go into better details but a quick search shows that the low [http://images.sgcafe.net/2014/08/BvDXsMzCUAAXXbV.jpg-large-500x375.jpg] angles [http://images.sgcafe.net/2014/08/BvIosjACUAQsAcB-375x500.jpg] did not stop. Though, not sure if you would say anything when a crowd over 30 shows up.

 

[WouldYouKindly]

On one hand I don't care to be photographed. On the other hand, I do not cosplay.

Yes, it should be common courtesy to ask permission before photographing someone and to not be a fucking creep, but if you dress up like that you should not be surprised when some less polite people take photographs of you without you giving the OK. I'm not talking about creepy photographs, just the regular, look at what this person wore kind of photos. I, for one, would be annoyed if people kept coming up and asking for my photograph. I'd at least not be annoyed by people taking photos as I passed. However, unless you take a photo of my while I'm sleeping I can't think of a way you could make it creepy. But I'm a guy so there's that.

That being said, I've no problem with these rules. They merely enforce what should be done anyway and will probably end up getting a few creeps thrown out of a convention. That's a win in my book.

 

[Naqel]

This is an outrage!!!1 The whole event just lost any meaning to half the attendees1!!!!11

More seriously however, it's nice to see someone finally do something about what's probably the most disturbing aspect of such events.

 

[Sir Thomas Sean Connery]

Eh, seems kind of dumb and pointless to me, but if it really makes them feel better, I guess it can't hurt.

The touching thing is pretty shitty, but photos shouldn't be a surprise to anyone.

 

[VanQ]

All of these have been unwritten rules for years and considered general etiquette. I actually went to Comiket a few years ago and had all of these rules explained to me by a friend to make sure I didn't bother cosplayers unnecessarily. I suppose they've only just made it official etiquette then.

Now if only they could put rules in like this at Supanova Australia. I went in cosplay there once and decided to not go in costume the next day after getting sick of girls slapping my ass really hard all day long. I could care less if people took my photo without asking, I personally feel as though I consented to and encouraged that by showing up in costume. But girls, if you really must sexually assault guys in costume please remember the golden rule of ass slapping, tap don't slap.

 

[Dragonbums]

This is a-okay with me. Cosplayers, men and women should be able to dress however they want without the fear that they will get secretly photographed in a pose or area they did not consent too. And it's also good people aren't making a ruckus out of it.

The horror stories about how lacking some people are with consent and personal space in regards to cosplayers at cons is astounding and it's time to crack down on it.

 

[Dragonbums]

All of these have been unwritten rules for years and considered general etiquette. I actually went to Comiket a few years ago and had all of these rules explained to me by a friend to make sure I didn't bother cosplayers unnecessarily. I suppose they've only just made it official etiquette then.

Now if only they could put rules in like this at Supanova Australia. I went in cosplay there once and decided to not go in costume the next day after getting sick of girls slapping my ass really hard all day long. I could care less if people took my photo without asking, I personally feel as though I consented to and encouraged that by showing up in costume. But girls, if you really must sexually assault guys in costume please remember the golden rule of ass slapping, tap don't slap.

Eck man. I personally would of reported that shit. You didn't consent to getting ass slapped, and they did it hard. That would make me super grossed out. But like you said, you didn't go back there. Sounds like that place needs a crash course in basic etiquette.

 

[144_v1legacy]

The fact that no one is against this (nor will be, I imagine) makes me want to take the opportunity to remind us all of a recent Texas court ruling: https://news.vice.com/article/court-ruling-makes-taking-pictures-up-womens-skirts-legal-in-texas

(Do you feel progressive?)

 

[MrMan999]

All of these have been unwritten rules for years and considered general etiquette. I actually went to Comiket a few years ago and had all of these rules explained to me by a friend to make sure I didn't bother cosplayers unnecessarily. I suppose they've only just made it official etiquette then.

Now if only they could put rules in like this at Supanova Australia. I went in cosplay there once and decided to not go in costume the next day after getting sick of girls slapping my ass really hard all day long. I could care less if people took my photo without asking, I personally feel as though I consented to and encouraged that by showing up in costume. But girls, if you really must sexually assault guys in costume please remember the golden rule of ass slapping, tap don't slap.

Eck man. I personally would of reported that shit. You didn't consent to getting ass slapped, and they did it hard. That would make me super grossed out. But like you said, you didn't go back there. Sounds like that place needs a crash course in basic etiquette.

I've had a similar experience at a con once. I've been slapped with Yaoi Paddles on more than one occasion without my consent. And I fell down a flight of stairs due to being glomped. Again without my consent.

 

[ckam]

OK, this sounds good. Would decrease the amount of people doing bad things in cons.

 

[Ihateregistering1]

I get the 'no touching' thing, but I think I'd be more annoyed about having people constantly come up and ask to take my photo than I would to just have them take my photo.

I get the upskirt photo part, but taking issue with someone just taking a normal, everyday picture seems sort of strange to me. 'It's ok for you to look at me dressed like this, but I don't want you to take my photo, because then you might look at me dressed like this again.'

 

[direkiller]

I get the 'no touching' thing, but I think I'd be more annoyed about having people constantly come up and ask to take my photo than I would to just have them take my photo.

I get the upskirt photo part, but taking issue with someone just taking a normal, everyday picture seems sort of strange to me. 'It's ok for you to look at me dressed like this, but I don't want you to take my photo, because then you might look at me dressed like this again.'

It's more to prevent unknown ass shots, and shame shots. Not about taking pictures of con attendees doing con things.
Cos-play is not consent has an page talking about it
http://boingboing.net/2014/08/08/the-dummies-guide-to-cosplay.html
basicly it should be treated with a no harm caveat.