Comic book exhibition in China excludes cosplayer in kimono imitating Japanese ‘Demon Slayer’ character

A woman who wore a kimono to portray a popular manga character and attend an anime exhibition in eastern China has been refused entry and told that wearing traditional Japanese attire is not allowed.

The incident occurred on July 20 at the entrance of the Huanying Cartoon Exhibition in Jinan, Shandong Province.

A Chinese visitor dressed in a kimono like Nezuko Kamado, the main character in the manga series Demon Slayer, was denied entry to the venue where the event was taking place, news portal Net Ease reported.

“Please come out. We have this rule and it’s my duty. Please understand it,” the security guard said in a video that has gone viral.

“What nonsense! What company made this rule? Can you take me to speak to your manager?” the woman replied.

The security guard shouted at him: “Who do you think you are?”

“It’s just forbidden to wear a kimono here. This is China. Wearing a kimono is not allowed, you know?” he said.

The visitor then left.

The Demon Slayer manga series, published between 2016 and 2020, tells the story of a young boy Tanjirō Kamado who becomes a demon hunter after his family is brutally murdered by demons.

He sets out on a journey to find a way to turn his younger sister Nezuko into a human.

The books and videos translated into Chinese have been well received on the mainland.

It is unclear whether the Huanying event had issued any dress code restrictions in advance.

A similar case occurred in the central province of Hunan, where two Chinese women wearing kimono were banned from attending an anime show.

A security guard showed them a sign stating that visitors were forbidden from wearing the garment because it is linked to sensitive political, ethnic, historical and religious issues.

The controversies have sparked discussions on social media across the continent.

“I don’t understand. The anime show is all about Japanese manga culture. Why do they prohibit visitors from cosplaying characters in kimonos?” asked one online observer on Douyin.

Others expressed a different opinion, as one netizen wrote: “I side with the security guard. Kimonos are not just Japanese clothing. This traditional Japanese garment reminds us of a humiliating period in history.”