For two days this summer, Tokyo Big Sight once again became a gathering place for fans of Japanese anime, manga and game subcultures.
Comic Market 108, better known as Comiket, took place Aug. 15 and 16 at Big Sight in Koto Ward. The event is one of the world’s largest twice-yearly dōjinshi (self-published print works)conventions. According to the Comic Market Preparatory Committee, which organizes the event, total attendance reached 260,000, up 10,000 from last summer.
The convention featured approximately 23,000 spaces across the weekend, where participating “circles” (individuals or groups that create self-published works) sold manga, art and other DIY offerings. Meanwhile, 121 companies set up booths with merchandise, exhibits and special activities such as panels and meet-and-greet sessions.
Comiket is also a major event on Japan’s cosplay calendar. About 9,000 cosplayers registered over the two days, roughly matching last summer’s figure. The outdoor cosplay areas attracted a steady stream of elaborately costumed participants, even as intermittent rain sent them scrambling for shelter. And with Comiket taking place in the height of summer, some attendees wore swimsuit versions of characters from video games including Goddess of Victory: Nikke, Blue Archive and Azur Lane.
The event was also more international than ever before. Participants came from a record 76 countries and regions, according to organizers, based on estimates from ticket sales and other data.
Comiket has come a long way since its first edition in December 1975, when 32 circles and an estimated 700 people attended. The next edition, Comiket 109, will run for three days, from Dec. 29 to 31, marking the first time the event has exceeded two days since Comiket 97 in December 2019, which drew a record high of approximately 750,000 people over four days.
The three-day format was revived in response to demand following last winter’s event, when large numbers of prospective attendees weren’t able to secure tickets in the lottery system. For fans, the convention is a space of possibility and communion, an energizing platform for hunting down dōjinshi, snapping cosplay photos and showing love for their favorite fandoms.
