Yesterday I had the pleasure of catching the annual 日本仮装大賞 or The Japan Costume Competition on the television. Simply put, groups and solo contestants wear costumes and perform skits to compete for prizes. But it is much more than that. The costumes are more like contraptions, and the skits are more like special effects for a live audience. The engineering, choreography, and creativity that goes into these performances ranges from stunning to stupid.

The skits are judged by the usual panel of celebrity male idiots and beautiful women, but the performers are amateurs, which is a rare treat for Japanese game shows.

I couldn’t find any clips of this years show on the internet, but movies of past winners can be seen here. You really have to see these to believe them.