For 30 years, fans of all ages have been on the prowl for Martin Handford’s iconic character in the Where’s Waldo? children’s books. But Waldo has never been easier to find than at a recent gathering in Japan, which brought together thousands of fans who dressed as the iconic traveler, setting a new world record.
Via Laughing Squid, 4,626 men, women, and children descended upon the Huis Ten Bosch theme park in Sasebo, Nagasaki, Japan to set a new Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of people dressed as Waldo. As Guinness noted on its official YouTube page, this was actually the third attempt by the organizers to break that record. However, the two previous tries were ultimately unsuccessful.
Judging from the footage, it appears that this event drew fans from all over the world. And it has to be acknowledged that Waldo is immensely popular no matter what name he goes by. In his native United Kingdom, Waldo is known as Wally, while Japan calls him WÅrÄ«. The video also runs down many of Waldo’s alternate names, including Walter, Willy, and Charlie.
We’re naturally curious to know if anyone dared to show up as Waldo’s rival, Odlaw, just to stand out in this crowd. Regardless, it was an impressive display of group cosplay. Finding any single Waldo in that event would have been like finding a particular needle within a haystack made up entirely of needles. But that sounds like a fun challenge, if there is ever a Where’s Waldo? book based on this occasion.
What do you think about this gathering of the Waldos? Wrap your opinions in a red-and-white striped sweater, and then share them below!
Images:Â Guinness World Records
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