Comic Market's Ideals and IntroductionJapanese

http://www.comiket.co.jp/info-a/WhatIs.html

WELCOME TO
THE COMIC
MARKET
Comic Market
(Comiket) 87
Session Dates:
2014/12/28 (Sunday)
2014/12/30 (Tuesday)
Next Planned Session Dates:
2015/08/14 (Friday)
2015/08/16 (Sunday)

Location & Hours

of Operation
Tokyo Big Sight (Tokyo
International
Exhibition
Center)
For information regarding access
to the Tokyo Big Site, visit:
http://www.bigsight.jp/english/
Dojinshi Area:
All East Halls, West Halls 1 & 2
10:00am to 4:00pm each day
Dressing Rooms
Women: Reception Hall on 1st
Floor of the Conference Tower
Men: 6th Floor of the Conference
Tower
10:00am to 5:00pm each day,
3:45pm last day (Costume
Play Registration:
10:00am to 3:30pm, 2:30pm
on last day)
Costume Play Public Square:
Gardens near Restaurant Ave.
on 1 st Floor of Conference
Tower, etc. (Check map on pg.
28 for details.)
Corporate Dealer Area: West
Halls 3 & 4
10:00am to 5:00pm, 4:00pm
on last day

Entrance Fees
Entrance to Comiket is free.
However, purchasing the
Comiket Catalog (available in
both print, online and DVD-ROM

Comic Market's Ideals and VisionEnglish

http://www.comiket.co.jp/info-c/IdealsAndVision.html

versions) is highly recommended. Only dojinshi publishers (circle members) are given entry
passes to allow early entry to set
up their booths. All others must
get in line for entry.

How to use this

Catalog
This catalog is divided into the
following major parts: Basic
information regarding Comiket,
listings of all dojinshi circles in
attendance, a listing of all vendors in the corporate booth area,
procedures on costuming, and
other various articles. Most of
the catalog is in Japanese. The
section you are reading is a
barebone guide written in foreign languages for attendee from
overseas.
Please note this section is not
a complete translation of all
the information in this catalog.
Some information has been
abbreviated. If you have any
questions, we recommend you
ask a Japanese friend to
review the Comiket Catalog or
contact the International Desk
for more information. (See
below regarding International
Desk location.)
Overall Comiket map pg.4
Dojinshi circle listings:
Sunday's listings pg.60
Monday's listings pg.440
Tuesday's listings pg.816
Costume play information
pg.24 (Japanese)
See "Cosplay Activities and
Photography" below for more
information.
Corporate booth listings
pg.1185
A color guide of the all the
vendors operating at the corporate booths is separately
available during Comiket.
Information for first time
visitors to Comiket See
"Navigating Comiket".

37

What is the Comic

Market?
The Comic Market (Comiket)
is a marketplace where individuals can offer their own
self-produced creations to a
community that appreciates
and supports such creative
personal activities. Comiket
primarily focuses on acting as
a communal exchange place
for self-published books,
known as dojinshi. Japanese
dictionaries define dojinshi as
self-published material aimed
toward likeminded individuals
and the Comic Market invites
any publication (books, music,
films, software, etc.) published
by individuals that are not available through standard commercial outlets. Applications
for booths are processed prior
to the event. You cannot
apply for a booth at Comiket
itself.
One goal of the Comic Market is
aiding creative efforts conducted
outside the established commer-cial
realms, and thereby encourage innovation and interaction
within the overall community
revolving around manga, anime
and games. Comiket places
emphasis on community building that empowers individual
creativity, initiative, freedom,
and to that end we strive our
best to accommodate a large
and diverse collection of dojinshi
publishing groups, known as circles, to offer their dojinshi (noncorporate, limited distribution
publications). Comiket places
great priority on artistic freedom, subject to certain conditions necessary to ensure
smooth operation of the Comic
Market and retain compliance to
Japanese laws.
Comiket is a large scale, privately run exposition and marketplace. Comiket is neither a

commercial enterprise, nor a

governmental operation. The
operation of the Comic Market
is made possible by a volunteer based organization, the
Comic Market (Comiket)
Committee.

Comic Market: Its

History and Ideals
Comiket was established out of
frustrations regarding existing
manga fan events and disappointment at the lack of diversity in commercial publications in
the mid 1970's. Many venues
where manga fans could converge tended to be narrow-minded and outlets for experimental
young manga authors were limited in the commercial sphere,
thus a manga critique group
Meikyu ("Labyrinth") not only
started publishing a manga
review dojinshi, but also established an event where manga
authors and creators of other
mediums could share their publications. The small startup event
only featured 32 circles and
approximately 700 people attending, taking place in a relatively
small conference space, and yet
the basic constructs of the
Comic Market were already in
place. Namely, an event focused
on individual's personal creations, regular attendees supporting and encouraging such
creative efforts, a volunteer
group managing the operation
of the event, and all parties
involved doing their best to help
each other.
This cooperative emphasis continues to be part of the operation
of the Comic Market. Comiket is
an event of the fans, by the fans,
for the fans of manga in general
and other mediums of self
expression. All operations of
Comiket are designed to provide
the maximum degree of freedom

allowable while at the same time

maintaining order and safety so
that Comiket can continue to be
held year after year.
In recent years, the Comic
Market has grown to become an
event with over 35 years of history, boasting 35,000 d ojinshi
circles and 500,000 general
attendees at each session, usually held twice a year. Dojinshi
authors and fans from all over
Japan, and some from overseas,
converge upon Comiket to
directly intermingle among their
peers, with whom they share a
common devotion toward a
diverse and unique range of creative works, made possible by
independence, imagination and
self-expression.
In addition to dojinshi booths,
Comiket houses a corporate
dealers' area, attended by corporations who understand and
support the ideals of the Comic
Market. Numerous attendees
wear costumes at Comiket, an
activity known as cosplay. Other
events, such as symposiums,
exhibits, talk shows, etc. may
also take place.
For most dojinshi circles, earning profits is not the goal for
their activities, but instead they
aim to interact with their fellow
participants through their own
creations.
Communication
encourages creation through
inspiration, and thereby lays the
ground work for even greater
works to come into being. This
is the paramount goal of the
Comic Market.

Important Comiket
Policies
All attendees must follow all
rules and policies established by
the Comiket Committee without
exception. Attendees must obey
all instructions issued by police,
firefighters, Comiket staff, or

38

security guards, and employees

of the Tokyo Big Sight. Below is
a list of specific policies and
rules of the Comic Market.
Anyone attending the Comic
Market must obey Japanese
laws and Tokyo Metropolitan
Government ordinances.
All Comiket attendees must
follow disaster prevention and
public safety rules established
below:
Do not run or push people.
It is very easy for a trampling
incident or a crowd collapse to
occur with so many people
packed together. Always
remain calm and don't rush.
Comiket also prohibits people
walking on moving escalators
for safety reasons.
Do not sit down or place luggage, sort books, etc. near
fire fighting gear or emergency exits. These areas are
marked by red or yellow tape
on the floor within the facility.
Furthermore, do not leave
baggage unattended anywhere
within the premises. If you
come across a suspicious
object, please inform Comiket
staff or a security guard
immediately.
Do not smoke anywhere except
at designated smoking areas.
Do not start any open flames,
bring in pyrotechnic devices,
or any easily flammable items
within Tokyo Big Sight.
Attendees must follow commonsense rules for public
behavior, respect others in
personal interaction, and
avoid causing crowd control
issues or being a public nuisance.
Do not loiter inside or near
the Tokyo Big Sight during
late night hours.
Do not swing around, throw
or kick objects about.
Do not tamper with Tokyo

Big Sight property.

Do not use Tokyo Big Sight
electrical outlets without permission.
Do not park cars on streets
near the Tokyo Big Sight.
Do not generate loud sounds
or music.
Do not change clothing except
at designated dressing rooms.
Changing clothing in toilets is
specifically prohibited. Do not
come or leave the Comiket
wearing your costume.
No drinking alcohol while at
the Comic Market.
Service animals (e.g. guide
dogs) are the only type of animals allowed.
Flyers and free samples cannot be distributed in the hallways. Flyer distributors must
be pre-registered and are limited to handing out material to
circles prior to beginning of
the each day's session. Circles
may distribute flyers from
their own booths.
Other activities may be prohibited or restricted dependent on the decisions of police,
firefighters, Comiket staff, or
security guards.

Prohibited and
Restricted Items
Attendees must not bring in any
items whose possession or use is
either prohibited or restricted
by Japanese law.
All weapons and weapon-like
items must be in compliance
with the Firearms and Swords
Control Law.
All items deemed to be a violation of Penal Code 175
(obscenity restrictions) or the
Child Pornography Law are
not permitted.
Other restricted items include:
Electrical generators, large
batteries, people-carrying vehicles (i.e. bicycles, unicycles,

skateboards, roller-skates, etc.),

any balloons that may float up,
and any other items deemed
dangerous by police, firefighters,
Comiket staff, or security
guards.

Cosplay Activities
and Photography
Comic Market welcomes those
who would like to wear costumes, but they must come to
premises of Comiket in plainclothes. At Comiket, first register as a cosplayer and then use
the dressing room provided. (See
"Location
and
Hours
of
Operation" above for locations
and hours.) Registration will cost
800 yen for each day. Note that
all specific policies and rules
regarding costume play are listed on pg. 22 of this catalog as
well as listed on the official
Comiket website. (Both are in
Japanese only.)
Below are broad Comiket
guidelines regarding cosplay:
Do not wear something that is
risqu.
e Exposing too much
skin may cause legal problems.
Do not wear something that
may physically harm others
and/or stain property or clothing. No wet paint or substances that can rub off easily
are permitted.
Any costumes that may cause
injury to others should be
designed with safety in mind,
i.e. making parts removable to
ensure safety during movement. Sharp objects and pointed tips may harm others simply by walking through
crowds.
When wearing uniforms of
police officers, firefighters, etc.,
please ensure you will not be
mistaken to be real uniformed
officers. Any attire that would
make others mistake you to be
a uniformed officer is prohibit-

39

ed. The Comiket staff at the

dressing room will be happy
to answer any questions
regarding regulations on costume attire and items.
Anyone who wishes to photograph or film someone else at
Comiket must adhere to the
following policies.
Always get permission from
the person. This rule also
applies to those in costume.
Comiket features a costume
play public square for the specific purpose of facilitating
interaction and photography,
but you still must get someone's permission before photographing them. Details pertaining to photography at
Comiket is listed under
"Regarding Photography and
Recordings by Individuals for
Non-Profit Purposes" at
http://www.comiket.co.jp/infoa/TAFO/NonProfitCollect_E.html.
When taking photos, please be
aware of the safety of others
around you. Please do not
block passageways or stand on
objects and do not use equipment that may interfere with
the flow of traffic. Use of light
reflectors and tripods, etc. is
restricted in some locations.
All photographers must obey
signs and directions issued by
Comiket staff.

Press Coverage
and Interviews
If you are attending the Comic
Market as part of any type of
fieldwork for a public or commercial news media service or
entertainment provider, you must
register at the Press Registration
located in the 2nd floor of East
Hall 1 and follow instructions
issued at that time. Japanese
laws
regarding
privacy
restricts the unsolicited photo graphy of private individuals

even in public spaces. Please

refrain from any interviewing or
filming inside or near the
premises of Comiket prior to
registration.

Navigating
Comiket - A
Beginner's Guide
Comiket is no ordinary event.
It is very crowded and massive. We recommend first time
visitors to come past 12 noon
to avoid long lines. You should
be in good health when visiting Comiket and make sure to
dress accordingly. It can get
very hot and humid in summer while very cold winds can
be felt in winter.
While the Comic Market does
have first aid stations staffed
by volunteering medical professionals, they can only provide rudimentary medical care
typical of a school's nurse's
office. If you have a pre-existing condition that may hamper
your ability to safely navigate
Comiket and its intense
crowds, we strongly recommend you seek advice from
your doctor.
Make sure to use public transportation. Visit the Tokyo Big
Sight web page listed above
for access information.
Do not leave your personal
belongings, especially when
you are in line to get into
Comiket. It is very easy to lose
track of your place in line.
Make sure to keep money,
passports, travel tickets, and
other important items with
you at all times just in case. If
you lose or drop something
important, contact Comiket
staff for assistance.
Cell phone service and/or
Internet access may become
unreliable due to heavy traffic.
Do not rely on cell phones or

Internet access as the sole

means of contacting others
accompanying you or who you
plan to meet. You cannot use
Comiket's public address system to attempt to find someone.
This service is reserved for official notices and emergencies.
It is very easy for someone to
get lost or separated at
Comiket. Make sure to designate at least two places where
you can find each other at specific times in case you get separated. (i.e. Near spot X at the
top of every hour or at spot Y
at the end of the day before
leaving.) We highly recommend you bring a note written
in Japanese, that indicates
where you are staying and
how to get back in cases you
need return back alone.
Comiket is harsh enough for
regular adults. All parents
should place the highest priority on your children's welfare if they are attending
Comiket. In addition to making sure to keeping an eye on
your child, please monitor
your children's condition at all
times. Comiket does not have
childcare services nor medication designed for children. If
your child is too young to be
able to return home alone,
make sure to give them an ID
badge, bracelet or card. The
ID should contain your child's
name, address and emergency
contact information (i.e. cell
phone, the circle you are
working at, hotel, etc.) Contact
Comiket Staff if your child has
gotten lost.
Publishers at the Comic
Market can range anywhere
between amateur manga hobbyists to professional manga
authors, but most share a
common devotion toward
dojinshi and Comiket, a place

40

where one can experience first

hand the diverse as well as
unique creativity made possible by the medium of d ojinshis. Comiket thrives on diversity, and while you may not
approve of certain creations,
please do not openly criticize
their works in a way that is
disrespectful. While many circles are happy to offer their creations to you, some may disapprove at the prospects of outsiders who don't know much
about Comiket or d ojinshi in
general from purchasing their
personal creations. Please respect
the individual dojinshi circles'
decisions on what they create
and to whom they offer them.

Comic Market
International Desk
Each section of the Comiket
Staff are handed out information
on how to respond to common
questions that may arise from
attendees from overseas, but for
more involved topics, Comiket
has an International Desk section ready to assist you.
The Comic Market International
Desk is here to provide overseas
attendees with information and
answer any questions that might
arise. Please feel free to come
and ask for our help. We welcome everyone who shares our
enthusiasm and interest in the
dojinshi culture.
All of us on the Comiket staff
hope you will enjoy your visit to
the Comic Market.

The International Desk is