So cosplay started in the States? Well I'll be damned. As popular as it is here in Japan I just assumed it started here first.

One correction tho: cosplay is not just in conventions in Japan, it takes play outside them too, at least in my city. Near the local castle, there are people cosplaying every day. The city is actually kind of unsure how to deal with it because while tourists do like it, it kind of distracts from the historic setting of the area.