Comic Market 100, the 100th iteration of Japan’s biggest “doujin” (fan/amateur/hobbyist-made content) event, Comic Market, was held on the weekend of 13-14 August 2022. This was the first summer Comic Market (“Natsukomi”) to be held in three years because of cancellations stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Official website (ENG): https://www.comiket.co.jp/index_e.html
Though seeing a far greater number of attendees than Comic Market 99, which was held in December 2022, Comic Market 100 was held amidst a new spike in COVID-19 infections in Tokyo, and the first day coincided with Tropical Storm Meari hitting the metropolis.
Participants’ temperatures were measured and usage of masks was mandated for the event to combat the pandemic as in C99, but little could be done about the tropical storm, which brought recurring bouts of strong wind and rain down on the queues of people lining up outside to enter the event.
Comic Market is typically an enormous event: Comic Market 97 saw a grand total of 750,000 attendees over four days, making for an average of 187,500 people showing up each day. As part of anti-COVID measures, however, C99 limited attendees to a mere 55,000 per day by requiring ticket purchases and also staggering entries to the venue. Comic Market 100 continued with this, but increased the number of attendees per day to 85,000, adding up to 170,000 attendees over two days.
Like with C99, this had the positive side effects of completely eliminating cases of people camping outside the venue overnight (which is against the event’s rules and had long been a thorn in its side), and also alleviated congestion that the event had traditionally brought in public transport.
While Comic Market is known primarily for its doujin (fan-made content) side, consisting primarily of doujinshi (fan-made comics, books, and magazines) but also including doujin games (both digital and analog), doujin music, and other things like keychains, stickers, and various accessories, the event also has a significant corporate presence with numerous game companies promoting their latest games and selling merchandise, and we compiled an assortment of photographs of the corporate area below.
The event saw a total of 20,000 doujin circles (groups or individuals distributing doujin content), 108 corporate entities, and 4,359 cosplayers attending.
While Comic Market might seem confusing to the point of being impenetrable to foreign visitors, the event does in fact have an international desk that can provide aid in English, Chinese, and Korean, and the official website also has a section to help foreign visitors.
Comic Market is something truly special, and anyone interested in otaku culture, manga, anime, Japanese video games, or cosplay should definitely check it out.
Looks like fun, I didn’t know they had guides for tourists! When Japan opens up again I might try to go myself.