Wonderful school festival / cultural festival

Costume and cosplay ideas to heat up your school cultural festival

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSICsasashina
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSIC. JFC-certified fact-checker. I’m Sasashina, a mom currently raising an elementary schooler and a preschooler. During my student years at Kyoto College of Science and Technology, I studied a wide range of fields including sound, lighting, and video technology, building a foundation in comprehensive stage production and creative expression. After graduation, I joined a music production company, where I still work, consistently building experience in production and engaging in a variety of music-centered tasks. Currently, I mainly handle articles for children, drawing on what I’ve learned about parenting and what I feel and discover through daily interactions with my kids. I hope my work can be of help to you, even in a small way!

At school cultural festivals, there are all kinds of events—exhibitions, food stalls, and even stage performances! Among them, many students probably want to stand out and have fun in free-style outfits, such as stage performances or costume contests.

Since it’s a once-a-year event, you want to make it a memorable day by dressing differently from usual, right? In this article, we’ll introduce recommended ideas for those looking for costumes and outfits for cultural and school festivals.

We’ve picked a wide range, from classic outfits to slightly more elaborate cosplay, so please use it as a reference.

Costume and cosplay ideas to excite your school culture festival (21–30)

Butler

The classic of all classic costumes—a butler—is highly recommended.

As you can tell from the popularity of butler cafés around town, butlers are a big hit.

Why not try playing a butler at your school’s cultural festival? If your class is running a café, it’s the perfect outfit.

Although butlers are often associated with men, women can do a cross-dressing take as well.

It’s a special occasion, so try a look that’s different from your everyday style.

And to really sell the butler vibe, don’t just focus on the outfit—make sure to use polite, refined speech too.

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dress

[Instagrammable] Just like Cinderella!? Three girls tried becoming princesses! <Candy Castle> Suzu Yamanouchi / 8467 / Naenano [Cho-Tokyo Teens]

dress

At school festivals, you might wear a dress for things like beauty pageants, but how about trying a dress for more refined performances too—such as singing, dancing, or playing the piano or violin? You probably don’t get many chances to wear a dress at school, so the outfit alone could catch the audience’s eye.

Costumes often change how a performance is perceived, and if you look stunning in a dress, your instrument performance, singing, or dancing is sure to come across even more beautifully!

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Chibi Maruko-chan

Stage play “Chibi Maruko-chan” opens! The boys of Class 3-4, eight years later, take the stage—does the friendship between Sugiyama-kun and Ōno-kun still hold strong!? A string of classic hits and a song show, too. Chibi Maruko-chan THE STAGE: “High School Days.”

Chibi Maruko-chan

Let individuality shine! Here are some ideas inspired by Chibi Maruko-chan.

When you think of Chibi Maruko-chan, it’s not just the classmates—each family member and local resident has a unique personality, which makes it so entertaining.

In particular, some characters have distinctive catchphrases or sentence endings, which should be easy to incorporate.

The gap of high school students playing elementary school kids could also be a great hook to capture the audience’s interest.

Try acting while weaving everyday, ordinary moments into your script.

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Mysterious Candy Shop Zenitendo

Packed with songs and dance! Stage adaptation “Fushigi Dagashiya Zenitendo” open dress rehearsal | #EnterStage

Mysterious Candy Shop Zenitendo

Create a world and perform it! Here are some ideas inspired by The Mysterious Candy Shop Zenitendō.

Hugely popular from children’s novels to anime and film, The Mysterious Candy Shop Zenitendō is known for its thrilling, heart-pounding stories and distinctive worldbuilding centered on sweets.

The characters are unique, of course, but focusing on the worldbuilding above all might be the key to creating a wonderful play.

Adding clever twists within the story will likely capture the audience’s attention.

Be sure to give it a try!

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Doraemon

Rehearsal and message video for the stage play Doraemon: Nobita and the Animal Planet has arrived!

Doraemon

Let’s put on a performance based on a beloved national anime! Here are some ideas inspired by Doraemon.

When you think of Doraemon, it’s an anime and a set of characters cherished by people of all ages, from children to adults.

Many viewers get excited about the secret gadgets that pop up in its everyday-life stories.

Because it portrays daily life, it’s easy to adapt into original stories, and with its large cast of characters, it seems perfect for creating a play with the entire class.

Be sure to give it a try!

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Ai Hoshino (Oshi no Ko)

How about trying a cosplay of Hoshino Ai, a character from the popular anime Oshi no Ko created by Aka Akasaka? Oshi no Ko began airing in 2023 and is also known for having its theme song performed by YOASOBI.

As you can tell from the music video for the theme song Idol surpassing 100 million views, it has garnered a high level of attention and recognition.

Plus, since Hoshino Ai is an idol, her outfits are super cute.

I also recommend fully becoming Hoshino Ai and performing the dance to Idol.

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denim

https://www.tiktok.com/@hyemss17/video/7340290465478053122

Let’s coordinate to match the song’s concept! Here are some ideas for denim styles.

When you think of denim items, many people probably imagine pants first, right? But there are also plenty of options like jackets, bustiers, shirts, and skirts.

By matching the fabric material, you can create a cohesive look while still expressing each person’s individuality.

Give it a try and incorporate denim into your outfit!

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