Popular Japanese cosplayer Sumire Ojisan performed martial arts in public for the first time when she participated in the 13th Aozora Wushu Taigokuken Festival.

Seitenkyu Temple in Saitama Prefecture was the venue for this Chinese martial arts festival on Oct. 18. Sumire Ojisan, who also uses the names Purple Flower and Violet Sumire, started training a year ago. Apart from her skill in stick technique and stick turning, her cute costume delighted the audience.

Martial arts training

On the day of the event, Sumire participated in the performance in a black Chinese-style lolita dress. The audience cheered her on, saying “Cute!” and “Wow costume!”

“I chose the costume based on the image of a Chinese guest and the assassin that appears in the game. I prepared a Chinese-style braid that was colored in my favorite color to make a mask, and various costumes that did not interfere with the performance. It was fun to try and make mistakes under such restrictions because it felt like I was cosplaying for a long time and I was preparing,” she said in a press statement.

Sumire has been training in martial arts since last year at the AAC STUNTS action gym. She wanted to reproduce the movements of the characters, aiming to improve her skills as a cosplayer.

Director Makoto Yokoyama, who is the action director of live action movies such as the Garo and Tokyo Ghoul series, runs the gym. It offers a full range of courses for beginners, actors, and professional stuntmen.

Starting in July, special lecturer Junya Iwamoto, chairman of the Nigetsudo Martial Arts Association, also trained Sumire in Chinese martial arts, including Changquan and sword technique.