is an international and multi-lingual cosplayer /costumer, published author, costume designer, pin-up model and Gamer based out of St. Louis. She grew up with an incredibly artsy background, loving theater and costumes the moment she could comprehend the world around her. She got into costuming, gaming and conventions when she was 12 and that love just continued to build over time through projects, friends and exciting travels. Her costumes and travels have granted her great opportunities and she has been invited to appear as a guest, panelist, a judge in multiple countries.
In college, she focused her studies around the cosplay community and Japanese culture; graduating with a BA in Anthropology and Japanese from Webster University. She lived in Osaka and studied at Kansai University for Japanese culture and language studies. During this time, Mimiru got the opportunity to get involved in various Japanese anime and cosplay festivals as a costumer, group member and judge.
In 2011 Mimiru got the amazing opportunity to participate in the AsiaNetwork Student-Faculty Fellowship research program with Webster University. She traveled to Japan for the first time (before living there for school a couple months later) and studied the March 2011 disasters and how the media/government covered and took care of the people after the devastation. The impact on the lives of the Japanese and the rest of the world was eye opening.
For 8 years Mimiru has also learned the study of Nihon Buyou, traditional Japanese dance and has had the opportunity to dance at multiple festivals in Japan and has performed at festivals in solo and group at the Japanese Botanical Gardens in St Louis.
Mimiru uses her experiences as a costumer, designer and Anthropologist to help others in the community and to try to help bring more positivity and awareness. Her panels include cosplay tips and tricks, acting exercises, theatrical performances, and many topics on cosplay and the community. Her panel “Controversies in the Cosplay Community” has opened up opportunities for cosplayers and convention goers to discuss in an open forum various issues such as body image/shaming, disabilities, bullying and how to minimize it in the community, sexism, racism, and other harmful stereotypes. She strives to help create an open and accepting community for cosplayers, congoers and people alike!
She has also written and had several stories published for a textbook written for a Japanese college English studies curriculum. The book is called Modern English Fairy Tales (現代の英語おとぎ話) and is sold in Kinokuniya bookstore.
Other experiences include judging for cosplay contests (performance and craftsmanship), teaching sewing techniques at various shops and sewing clubs as a guest, & appearing in the upcoming steampunk webseries Antediluvian by RetroHawk Productions.
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