Shopping Guide
Comiket is a WAR.
This is Mikoto from Tokyo Otaku Mode (TOM)’s Creator Support Team. My day job is to provide support for TOM Special Creators from all around the world. Today, however, I am here as a 10-year Comiket veteran to tell you all about this legendary annual summer event for anime and manga fans.
“What exactly is this Comiket I keep hearing about?”
**“I’d love to go to Comiket, but it sounds so scary…”**
**“I don’t have friends to go to Comiket with…”**
If you have ever said something like any of the above, then this article is for you! That said, I am not a super Comiket expert (I was only 5-6 when I went to my first one) so please do let me know if you have better tips or things that I might have forgotten!
First, let me tell you about my experience with Comiket. The one thing I learned from my decade of attending Comiket is that there are “Hidden Rules” that everyone at Comiket and other doujinshi sales know, and you have to know.
If you don’t follow those rules, you will not survive.
That’s right.
You will perish!!!!!
You will perish on the battlefield!!!!
Comiket means war!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You can’t go to Comiket as though you’re going to meet your friends at Starbucks. Be prepared like you’re going to New York’s Times Square on New Year's Eve.
How should you brave the titan that is Comiket? Here’s a survival guide for the adventurous souls.
“You are not a guest, you are a participant!”
Check the Official Website
Official Comiket Visitor Support Site - Japanese only
Comic Market started in 1975 and is Japan’s largest annual doujinshi fair. It is held twice a year (summer and winter, 3 days each) at Tokyo Big Sight. Winter 2013 marked the 85th Comiket. Each round, the event draws in about 500,000 attendees with about 35,000 doujin circles as well as 20,000 cosplayers participating.
(http://www.comiket.co.jp/info-a/WhatIs.html)
Understanding the Scale of the Event
A lot of people ask me, "How big is Comiket?" or, "Isn't it nothing compared to the World Expo held in Aichi?" To give you a better context, I made a graph comparing the number of attendees with various statistics in Japan.
Yep, that many people. Can you imagine all of these people gathered together indoors under the sweltering 95-degree hot sun? Do you seriously think someone will help you when you get lost? You’re on your own! You’ve got to be really prepared to survive in this gigantic battlefield that is Comiket. Every year, the building goes up to 110 degrees with 98% humidity in the summer. It is literally a burning hell. Of course, the organizers try to prepare visitors...but just last summer about 1,000 people required medical attention due to heatstroke. Surprisingly, that is only 0.16% of all the attendees. Attendees must be responsible for themselves, otherwise organizers would not be able to hold Comiket next year. As one of the sensible attendees, you have to be prepared for yourself and the others at Comiket.
Now that you have grasped just what you are trying to tackle, let’s get you prepared.
1. Mental Preparation
It’s all about the mind.
Don’t Be Overconfident
If you become too proud and complacent, you’ll lose out in this rat race. There is no such thing as perfection. There is definitely something you don’t have enough of, or something you’ve forgotten. Check, check and check again. Also doubt yourself.
Share and Care
All of the other attendees are your fellow comrades. Instead of disliking one another, treat one another as fellow fans of art and work together. Mark the 3 “Don’ts”: Don’t push, Don’t pull, Don’t give up.
Do Not Criticize the Creators, Their Creations, or the Pairings
One man’s meat is another’s poison. It doesn’t matter whether what you like is canon or not. Be friendly to those around you and keep your opinions to yourself, especially in such a crowded and agitated environment.
2. The Day Before
Calling all warriors. The battle is about to begin.
Get Plenty of Sleep
If you don’t get enough sleep, you won’t be able to enjoy the event! Furthermore, it’s dangerous because you might not be able to hold up. Let’s avoid you collapsing at Comiket because you didn’t get enough rest the day before!
Freeze Your Water Bottle
Prepare 2 PET bottles of water. Freeze one of them, and have at least another chilled for drinking. Wrap your frozen bottle in a towel so that you can use it to cool yourself down, and have a ready supply of ice cold water on the day of the event. Apart from water, tea and sports drinks are also highly recommended. The risk of dehydration is very high as Comiket attendees have to spend a lot of time indoors or lining up outdoors, so stay hydrated at all times.
Withdraw Cash on a Weekday
Be sure to withdraw cash from a bank or ATM machine before the event on a weekday. (In Japan, most banks are closed on weekends) There are no ATM machines near the event venue, and most of the vending machines take only coins or 1,000 yen notes. The convenience stores near the event venue will be extremely crowded so you will not be able to get change there.
Come prepared with 1,000 yen notes and small change (500 and 100 yen coins). Pay for your purchases with the exact amount. Try to avoid using big notes before noon because the vendors will not have change yet. The pamphlets usually cost between 300-500 yen, although there are also some that cost between 700-1,000 yen. There are very few items that cost above 1,500 yen apart from sets or adult-oriented material. There are also CD-ROM, goods, accessories and more available. Most of them are exclusively available at Comiket so they will sell out. If you see something you like, don’t hesitate!
Don’t Bring Suitcases with Wheels (For Attendees Only)
Some people like to bring suitcases with wheels to stoll around for convenience. However, these might trip other attendees and there is no space for you to put them or take things out of them. Furthermore, it actually takes more effort to drag a suitcase around.
Don’t Count on the Lockers
The lockers from Shimbashi Station to Kokusai-Tenjijo Station (where Tokyo Big Sight is) tend to be taken up. Furthermore, there are many recreational facilities in the Odaiba area, so in general don’t count on using the lockers.
3. What to Wear
Dress for Activity
[Ladies] It’s ok to dress up, but make sure you wear clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty.
[Men] Wear clothes you don’t mind getting wet so you can pour water on yourself when it gets too hot.
Dress Light
[Ladies] Bring a cardigan in case you get cold.
No Open-toed Shoes
If you get stuck in the escalator, you run risk of a stampede. In which case, you might actually die. So don’t do it.
[Ladies] No Heels!
It impedes movement. And gives you pain.
Avoid Black or Dark Clothing
It is really obvious when you sweat. On top of that, dark colors also absorb heat.
[Ladies] No Umbrellas
You might stab someone in the eye. It would hurt. You would get a warning from the staff. Everyone around will roll their eyes at you.
Wide-rimmed Hats
For the same reason why you wouldn’t bring an umbrella.
[Ladies] No Mini-Skirts!
It is dangerous for you, and distracting for everyone else around.
Do Not Use Sprays
Even though it might make you more comfortable, the mist or perfume affects everyone around.
If you have to use it, go to a restroom or where there is less of a crowd. If you can, use wipes or creams instead.
Do Not Bring Watches or Other Metallic Objects
You might get burned under the hot sun! Furthermore, your device might overheat.
A Simple Packing List
Cooling Sheets
Cooling Packs
Summer Scarves
Sunscreen
Anti-perspirants
Coin Pouch (for shopping)
Your ID (in case of emergency)
Raincoat
4. On the Day Itself
Now for the big day itself!
Don’t let your guard down and get up early to prepare! Remember: don’t stay up all night the day before! However, I don’t recommend beginners to start lining up from early morning. For first-time attendees, I would recommend you to aim to arrive at the event venue at 10 a.m. You should be able to enter the event hall between 11 a.m. and 12 noon.
Eat at Least a Light Breakfast
Eat before you enter the event venue. If you can, eat before you leave the house or while waiting. Something handy like an onigiri is perfect for the occasion. If you are the type that doesn’t eat breakfast, at least have some nutritional jelly to stay energetic. Never go to Comiket without eating anything beforehand.
Take Two Trains Before the Scheduled One
Because of the crowd, you might not be able to get on the train that you had planned to take. Therefore, try to go on an earlier train than planned.
You will take either the Yurikamome, Rinkai Line or the bus to Tokyo Big Sight. For those taking Yurikamome, I recommend getting on at Shimbashi Station. Rinkai Line tends to be less crowded. If you have to take Yurikamome, the train that comes from Toyosu station is usually less crowded. There are also water taxis available.
Get a Map
Invest in the Comiket Catalogue. Remove the map from the catalogue and keep it with you at all times. You can get it at shops in Akihabara or on Amazon before the event. They also sell it near the entrance at Comiket itself, but lines are extremely long.
You will get lost. Sometimes there will be restrictions for crowd control, and before you know it you will end up in the middle of nowhere.
Reception is often poor. Be prepared to be uncontactable. If you are going to Comiket in a group, decide on a meeting place and time to avoid not being able to contact one another.
Be Prepared to Line Up at the Restrooms
You will often have to wait for more than 15 minutes to use the restroom, so don’t wait until you can barely hold it in to go to the restroom.
*Put at Least 2,000 yen on Your SUICA/PASMO Cards
SUICA and PASMO are prepaid cards for public transportation (and more). It will be equally crowded at the station when returning from the event, so be sure to charge your cards beforehand. You can charge your cards at your local station or at convenience stores.
Maintain Your Electrolyte Intake
Salt tablets
Sports drinks
Salt candy
Trash
Trash goes into trash cans. Enough said!
5. Things You Should Never Do
Don’t Run
On escalators, don’t even walk. It is very dangerous.
For example, Wonder Festival 2009 was cancelled because people were injured in the previous Wonder Festival.
Follow the Staff’s Instructions
The orders from Comiket staff are absolute. Do everything they say. (Yes, sir!)
Take Care of Your Belongings
The crowd is insane, so be prepared to never see that Free! keychain you loved so much once you drop it. Also, in order to not lose the goods you’ve just bought with you blood and sweat, never put them down. They might be stolen just like that. Lastly, beware of pickpockets as well.
No Photography
Do not take pictures except in areas where you are allowed to. Some people might not want to be photographed. (Would you want to if your face is melting from the heat?) There are specially dedicated areas for taking pictures of and with cosplayers. No pictures should be taken of the cosplayers outside of the designated area.
Be sure to check with the cosplayers before photographing them, and thank them after taking their picture. If a crowd gathers, always follow the staff’s instructions. Do not spend too long on taking a picture. Be ready to leave once your time is up.
Do Not Sit Around
You will be blocking the way. If you feel unwell, go to the First Aid Station. Savor your bounty after you get home, and hang out with your friends outside the venue instead.
6. For Advanced Comiketers
Make Yourself Sweat in Hot Baths 3 Days Before
Your sweat will smell less and your circulation will improve.
Bring a Scented Handkerchief
Or spray a little of your favorite perfume on it. Smell it and cover your nose and mouth when the heat and surrounding smell gets to you.
Bring Food for the Artists When Visiting Them
However, avoid raw food, perishables, things that need to be refrigerated, and strong-smelling foods. There are also artists who do not want gifts from fans as it can be scary getting food from strangers. Choose things that don’t melt and are light and individually wrapped. If you have a few items, bundle them together so you will not make a mess at the booth.
7. Celebrate Your Victory
I highly recommend the Oedo Onsen.
Soak yourself in different types of onsen and leave completely refreshed. If you need to meet up with your friends after the event, there are many places to do so near Shimbashi Station where it is less crowded and convenient to get to. Remember, Comiket doesn’t end until you get home, so keep your purchases to yourself till then (don’t try to unpack them in crowded trains).
Congratulations! You made it through the Comiket Survival Guide!
Now, on a more serious note, you might ask, “Why are there so many rules?”
A lot of these rules and things to note that I have mentioned are not written down anywhere. Even though many of these things seem to be common sense, they are things I have learned through my years of attending Comiket.
Why do you have to follow the rules?
Because that is what Comiket is about.
For big events like Comiket, many people get the impression that because there are a lot of attendees, the organizers and vendors profit a lot from the attendees’ suffering. If this were a commercial event, that might be the case.
However, Comiket is a Doujin Sale Event.
That means it is about people with the same hobby, same goals and same aspirations coming together to do things they love. There are no guests at Comiket. Every one from industry partners, artist circles, staff and visitors are referred to as “participants.”
At Comiket, everyone is equal. There are no “VIP guests.”
Everyone Participates and Together They Make Comiket.
Attendees are participants and are treated equally, so everyone has the responsibility to make Comiket a great event.
Comiket is a Doujin Event, Not a Commercial Event.
What exactly is doujin, you may ask.
*Doujin* activities are when people who love the same works and artists gather and express their love and respect through their own creative ways, and then share their creations with other fans while deepening their own love and respect for art. It is because we have fellow fans who appreciate these creations that Japan’s doujin culture has flourished. Comiket is a product of that love and respect.
Which is to say, we have the utmost respect for the creators and their creations.
**We think that creations are priceless.**
We might be able to buy love with money in the real world, but in the 2D world, money can’t buy love from your waifu.
A lot of the publications from the doujin circles are completely self-funded and self-produced. These creators take everything from packaging to design to content into their own hands. Many of them are so particular about their creations that they don’t care if they lose money in the process. Sales and profits are not important. What is important is whether they were able to deliver creations that everyone could enjoy.
It is exactly because we value creation over monetary value that the doujin culture has been able to continue to this day.
Creators and fans, let us spread this culture with all our might, and with the utmost respect!
This is the essence of the Doujin Culture!
In order to protect the doujin culture, everyone is treated equal and has the responsibility to protect one another’s right to enjoy the event fully. Let us be considerate to one another and create more doujin events!
You are no longer a guest, you are one of us!
Here at Tokyo Otaku Mode, we’re looking for fellow comrades who love and respect the doujin culture like we do. Want to join us? Click here for more info.
Source: TOM Tech BLOG
This is a Tokyo Otaku Mode original article.