Winter Comiket

The Comic Market (“Comiket”) is an event held in August and December where groups and individuals sell self-published comic books known as dojinshi. It has its roots in the 1970s when manga fans were frustrated at the lack of diversity among established publishers and the difficulty new authors faced in getting their work seen. In 1975, a manga review club called Meikyu (“Labyrinth”) organized the first event, featuring 32 “circles” or groups of fans and attended by about 700 people. Today, those numbers have increased to approximately 30,000 circles and half a million attendees, making Comiket a major event on the calendar for fans throughout the country. The event also receives significant media coverage because many of those attending do so in “cosplay.”

The dojinshi area is open from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM each day. While historically free, entrance now requires the advance purchase of a ticket or wristband; these must be secured through designated retailers as they are typically not sold onsite. For those wishing to take photographs of cosplayers, it is requested that you kindly ask for permission beforehand. To secure limited-edition items from popular circles, obtaining an early-entry wristband via the official lottery system is highly recommended.