Shopping Guide
Japan holds numerous otaku-related events throughout the year, enticing anime and manga fans alike from all over the country and even around the world. The biggest and most popular of these is Comic Market (コミックマーケット), also known as Comiket (コミケ), which is held twice a year at Tokyo Big Sight. While comparable in size to US conventions like Anime Expo or Comic Con, Comiket isn’t quite the same. In Japan, it’s classified as a doujinshi sokubaikai (同人誌即売会) or doujinshi sales event.
Doujinshi (同人誌) are non-commercial self-published bound works. They often include comics, short stories, and art books. Although one hall for Comiket now houses booths for major companies like Good Smile Company and Bandai Namco selling event-exclusive merch, a separate hall contains doujin circles (同人サークル)—or “circles” for short—which are the groups or individuals selling doujinshi.
But did you know there’s more to doujinshi than just comics? Doujinban (同人版) is a catchall term for other works that might be found at these events. These include game software, drama CDs, music CDs, and other goods inspired by whatever anime, game, or character they’re into.
When attending a doujinshi event, fans of a particular circle or creator can get an event catalog to find their favorites easily. A lot of popular artists and writers in a fandom will often post their table number or circle name if they are participating in an event. In fact, sometimes even the original artists and writers of a commercially well-known series will form a circle to participate.
People who’ve been to artist alleys and dealers rooms at conventions in other countries might find this familiar. Is doujinshi basically like fanart? Technically, yes, since it’s fan-created work that’s derived from existing IPs. However, due to strict copyright laws in Japan, selling fan-made works like commissions and non-official merch are not allowed. So how do doujinshi events work?
Some events have doujinshi for VTubers and cosplayers
Doujinshi events are the only spaces where fans can sell their own work inspired by a series. But the caveat is that the makers of the work cannot make a profit from sales. That’s why a lot of doujinshi tend to have low prices and similar pricing as the money they earn would just be enough to cover costs like event registration and production fees. And while anime conventions in other countries allow attendees to roam around in cosplay, that’s not the case at most doujinshi events. At large ones like Comiket, cosplayers must register in order to dress up, and they have to follow guidelines like no cosplay during the commute to the venue. Smaller events strictly prohibit cosplay and only focus on selling doujinshi.
Doujinshi events can cover all kinds of works with some only allowing certain genres or series
Depending on the size and organizer of a doujinshi event, though, only certain types of doujin goods may be allowed. For example, some might only allow printed doujinshi and not handmade goods like keychains or stickers. Events labeled “all genre” (オールジャンル) are open to any fandom, while an “only event” (オンリーイベント) is for a specific genre or series. Fans of popular titles like Haikyu!!, the Fate series, and various 2D idol franchises can expect to find at least one event focused on those IPs. But even a lesser known series could have an only event, just not as often or as big as other doujinshi events. And even though it’s easier to attend comic markets in big cities like Tokyo and Osaka, some organizers still hold events in other parts of Japan.
Doujinshi events aren’t all limited to derivative works, though. Some events like Comitia (コミティア) focus entirely on original creations: manga, posters, keychains, music, etc. While you won’t find goods with your favorite characters at these events, they’re a great opportunity to discover entirely unique works by independent artists.
So next time you plan to visit Japan, be sure to check out what doujinshi events are happening during your trip! They’re a great way to support artists and creators who make fanwork for your favorite anime and to meet other fans. Comiket is held every summer and winter and smaller doujin events happen almost every month. Major events often have ticket info available in English on their websites while others might require some understanding of Japanese, though it is advisable to know a bit of the language or have a way to translate, especially if you plan on buying stuff.
Share your experience at doujinshi events with us and be sure to keep an eye out for TOM’s coverage of other conventions and exhibits!
Written by Alon Bramble for TOM News
