First time at COMITIA（はじめてのコミティア英語版）

COMITIA is an exhibition and sale event for coterie magazines, known as doujinshi, of only original works.
Generally speaking, when you hear the word "doujinshi,"
you may imagine a parody (derivative creation) or fanzine of an existing work.

At COMITIA, however, sales are limited to your original works only.

As long as it is an original work of yours, expressions other than manga, such as illustrations, novels, reviews, music, goods, etc. can be sold.

The event will be held four times a year, scheduled for February, May, August, and November, at Tokyo International Exhibition Center in Ariake of Tokyo, known as Tokyo Big Sight.
Thousands of circles including individuals or groups who present their works participate and sell their works at each exhibition.

It should be noted that the links on this page are in Japanese only.

Entrance to the venue. Welcome to COMITIA!

How to participate in COMITIA.

All visitors to COMITIA are classified as "Attendees" or “Participants” in one of the following categories.

Applications for "circle participation," where you exhibit and sell your works, close several months before the event.
If you want to experience the atmosphere of COMITIA, we recommend that you first try "regular attend." You may encounter unexpected and wonderful works, and your creativity will surely be greatly stimulated!

Let’s try “Regular attend”! (Preparation until the day before)

At COMITIA, we do not refer to visitors as so-called “customers.” We expect everyone to respect, understand, and sometimes cooperate with each other as "attendees and participants" in shaping COMITIA.

However, COMITIA is by no means a formal event. Anyone who is willing to abide by the rules of COMITIA is welcome to attend and participate.

What you need

※In addition to the above, please prepare drinks and other necessities as needed. There are convenience stores and vending machines near the venue.

Check out the circles!

The best part of an exhibition of doujinshis is that you can purchase works directly from the circles (authors).

Of course, it is fun to look around the venue on the day of the event without any particular purpose in mind, but if you have purchased a guidebook in advance, please check the circles, in other words, check the circles and doujinshis in advance, and try to visit the venue on the day of the event. You will enjoy COMITIA even more.

Tia's Magazine contains PR cuts drawn by circles participating in the event, in order to promote their works.
The venue is roughly classified into genres, according to the trend of works reported by the circles. For this purpose, a "Map by Genre" is included in the Tia's Magazine.
There are more than 20 genres, including "Youth comics," "Girl’s comics," "Fantasy," and "Female slash". However, the classification of genres is only a rough guide, so please check out as many circles as possible!

If you find a circle whose content interests you, or one you already like, mark it on the venue map attached to the Tia's Magazine.

This is a sample of a "PR cut" by the circle.
We recommend that you check the circles on the venue map like this.
Circles are assigned a “Space No.”, such as “あ01a” to indicate where they are located.
For example, “あ01a” means that the circle is located on the right side [a] of the long desk at [01] in the [あ] block.

It is also effective to use SNS such as Pixiv and X (Twitter) to check circles of your interest.
Please try using the COMITIA Web Catalog, which is available for PCs, smartphones, tablets, and other devices. The catalog can be used free of charge with the purchase of “Tia’s Magazine”. You can easily browse and search participating circle information, create and print checklists, display and print venue maps, and more.

In addition, “Tia’s Magazine” has a section called “Push&Review” that introduces recommended doujinshi from the previous editions of the magazine.
Other articles include “FrontView,” an interview with popular circles. You may use these as hints for checking out circles.

“FrontView” page
“Push&Review” page, excerpt

Let’s try “Regular attend”! (On the day of the event)

How to come to COMITIA

Please come to COMITIA by public transportation, such as trains. Please refrain from coming late at night or early in the morning, as it may be a big inconvenience to the neighborhood and the venue.

Regular participants will be asked to wait in line outside until the doors open. Please note that there is no roof over the waiting area. Also, the area will be very crowded before and after the doors open.
Thus, if this is your first time attending the event and there is no particular coterie magazine that you want to buy, we recommend that you come approximately 30 minutes after the doors open to minimize the waiting time.

Waiting line for regular participants before the doors open.

Please refer to the “Regular Participant's Guide” and “Tia's Magazine” for information on how to enter the venue and the rules of the event.

Let's buy a coterie magazine, known as doujinshi!

When you enter the venue, you will first see the “circle space” where circles will be exhibiting.
Let's go to the circles you have checked in advance and buy doujinshis.

“Circle space”.
This is where circles distribute, or sell, their own doujinshis.

Since doujinshis are self-published, they are a bit more expensive than commercial magazines and comics, and most are priced from about 500 yen to several thousand yen.
Many circles allow you to browse for a short time, but this may vary from circle to circle. When picking up a book, it is good manners to say “May I read it?” Whether you buy the book or not, don't forget to say “Thank you” when you finish reading.

Doujinshi is a creative work made by the artists of the circle with all their heart. Don't put them down or criticize them directly.
Of course, it is OK to give short and honest comments about what you thought was interesting!

About the venue

Another feature of COMITIA is that you can feel the appeal of manga not only in doujinshi but also in a wide range of other fields.
In addition to “circle spaces,” COMITIA also has “corporate booths” where companies that provide useful information and promotions.
There are also “on-site projects,” which include talk shows and large-scale exhibitions, and “on-site manga editorial office,” where publishers and professional editors accept manga, illustrations, etc. at the COMITIA venue, although this may not be available at all times.

Even after visiting the circles you are interested in, please look around the other circle spaces, or walk around the corporate booths, on-site projects, and on-site editorial offices. You may find unexpected encounters waiting for you.

On-site manga editorial office

One of the main features of COMITIA is the “sample magazine corner”.
“Sample magazines” are the doujinshis that circles submit to COMITIA as samples. This corner is where you can freely read them.
This is a popular corner that is always crowded with people from the time it opens to the time it closes. Even those who are embarrassed to stand and read at the booths of circles can feel free to read doujinshi here.

Sample magazine corner

Let’s try “Regular attend”! (At a later date)

Let's put into words what you think of the book you purchased.

The fun of a doujinshi event is not limited to the day of the event.
When you go all the way to the venue and read the book you bought, you will be filled with various feelings.
If you find a book that made you laugh, a book with beautiful pictures, a book whose story attracted you, or any other book that you enjoyed, please try to express your thoughts in words.

Please tweet about it on your own social networking sites and websites, or contact the authors directly. And if you feel particularly inclined to recommend them to the same participants as you, please submit them to the “Push&Review” section of Tia's Magazine.
We accept Push&Review submissions via the submission form within a given period each time.

Your vote may be the beginning of an encounter between a reader and a work that you have not yet seen!

Sample book reading sessions

COMITIA holds a “Sample book reading session” from a few days to a week after the event. Many people who did not attend the event, or were not able to visit many circles, participate in this event.
You can sit and read all the sample books and magazines submitted by the circles on the day of the event.

Sample Book Reading Session

You are free to spend your time reading the sample magazines piled high on the desks, or concentrate on the books you are interested in. There will also be books introduced in the previous “Push&Review” section.
Participation is free. You are sure to encounter books you didn't notice on the day!

Regular attend FAQ

Some questions not written here may be answered in the “FAQ section.