acosta! at Daigo, Ibaraki

acosta! is a cosplay event run by the Osaka company Hacosta, held in cities around the country and centred on Ikebukuro in Tokyo. It draws more than 300,000 people a year. This is the first time it is held in Daigo, a town in the mountains of northern Ibaraki. It is put on with the prefecture, as part of a project to bring people into the northern hills, where the population has been falling. Instead of one hall, the town itself is the setting, and a costume can be worn from one location to the next.

Where the photographs are taken

Five places are open to it. The shopping street in front of Daigo station has kept the look of the Showa years. Junisho Shrine and the Konnyaku Shrine beside it are reached by a stairway of a hundred steps, through trees. The Fujita orchard has rows of apple trees in fruit at that time of year. The Daigo Oyaki School is a closed school, still in its wooden buildings, where oyaki are made and a canteen serves school dinners. The Okukuji Cha no Sato park is laid out among tea fields. Each place sets its own rules on tripods, lighting and where a camera may go, and shops and restaurants around the town take part as well.

On the day

A shuttle runs free between the hall and the three outlying places, going round in a circle. There is a stage for cosplay dance, and photographers working for the event, in marked vests, who will take pictures for those who want them. One train is chartered on the Suigun Line for the day, running from Mito to Hitachi-Daigo. A separate ticket covers the train and entry to the event.

There are two admission times: early entry from 11:00 and standard entry from 12:30. Each is cheaper bought in advance than on the day. Tickets go on sale on 2 September. The apple orchard charges 500 yen of its own.