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Female Photographer Launches Successful Cosplay Studio in Japan

Self-made entrepreneur Marika Oyama took her love for cosplay and anime to new heights when she opened Studio Angle in Okayama City, Japan. Oyama, a formally trained illustrator and computer graphic designer, discovered her love for cosplay after attending an anime event. After trying her hand at cosplaying, she realized that onsite cosplay photography often had distracting elements in the background. Traditional studios were far too expensive for the average cosplayer, so Oyama decided to open her own business.

"I thought what cosplayers needed was a studio that caters just to them," Oyama said.

To prepare, the burgeoning photographer took a one-month entrepreneurship course. She took the tools from the course and presented a convincing proposal to her local bank which lent her the money to start up Studio Angle.

The studio includes two rooms with a white and black backdrop. Each room is equipped with a dressing room, dresser, hair irons, makeup removers and other items provided by Oyama.

Most of Studio Angle's clientele are girls and women in their teens and 20s. A customer pays US$70 for a three-hour session which gives them access to props.

"It's been fun to be able to turn what I love into a job," stated Oyama.

You can check out Studio Angle's website with examples of her work here.

Source: The Asahi Shimbun
Images © Studio Angle