By Harry Nara · Last updated
- Where
- Tokyo Big Sight
- Tickets
- Ticketed
- Time of year
- August or December
- Dates
- Held twice a year, in summer and winter
Comic Market 109, the winter edition, from the organiser: Tuesday 29 to Thursday 31 December 2026 at Tokyo Big Sight. Circles open from 10:30 to 16:00; company booths to 17:00 on the first two days and 16:00 on the last. The afternoon-entry wristband costs ¥440 bought in advance and ¥1,000 on the day.
Comiket, the Comic Market, is a fair of self-published manga, art books, music and games, held at Tokyo Big Sight every August and over the last days of December. Much older advice says entry is free; it no longer is. Everyone needs a ticket or a wristband, most of which must be bought in advance, and the only kind sold at the door lets you in after 12:30. Arrive by train, never the night before, and bring cash.
What Comiket actually is
A marketplace for doujinshi, works that fans and independent creators publish themselves, sold by thousands of “circles” at tables across the halls, alongside company booths and a large cosplay area. The genres on sale change completely from one day to the next.
It runs twice a year at Tokyo Big Sight on the Ariake waterfront: two or three days in mid-August and two or three days just before New Year.
The way in changed in recent years. Entry now needs a ticket or a wristband, partly to stop people queuing overnight near the venue, which was always forbidden and which the organiser treats as a threat to the event continuing.
Which ticket to get
- Early Entry tickets let you in first, at 10:30. At the last summer edition they were sold by lottery through TicketPay, issued in each holder’s own name, and checked against an original passport or Japanese photo ID.
- AM Entry wristbands join the queue that starts going in at 11:00. They are sold through anime shops and their online stores, and international visitors who cannot reach a shop have been able to buy an e-ticket through eplus to exchange on site.
- PM Entry wristbands let you in after 12:30 and are the only kind sold at the venue, with long queues on the day. Buying one in advance from a shop is cheaper and quicker.
Tickets and what it costs
There is no free entry. For the winter edition the organiser has set the afternoon wristband at ¥440 in advance and ¥1,000 on the day; the earlier-entry tickets are sold separately and are often gone well before the event.
One child aged 15 or under can come in free with each adult holding a ticket or wristband. Using the cosplay changing rooms needs a separate registration fee.
Official information and booking: www.comiket.co.jp
Getting there
Come by train. The organiser asks visitors not to drive, cycle or take a taxi, and there is no parking. The Rinkai line runs to Kokusai-tenjijō station, about seven minutes’ walk away, via Shin-Kiba or Osaki, and the Yurikamome line stops at Tokyo Big Sight station.
Do not come the night before. Arriving near the venue the previous day, or queuing overnight, is prohibited.
Mistakes worth avoiding
Believing it is free to walk in
It used to be. Now every visitor needs a ticket or wristband, and only the afternoon kind is sold at the door.
Queuing overnight
Coming to the venue the day before is forbidden. Buy an earlier-entry ticket instead.
Arriving in costume
Travelling to and from the venue in cosplay is not allowed. Change in the official changing rooms, never in the toilets.
Going on the wrong day for your interests
The genres on sale change completely each day. Check the schedule for the day that covers what you want.
Underestimating the heat in August
The summer edition is in the hottest weeks of the year. The organiser warns about heatstroke: drink, rest and cool down.
Other Tokyo events
Frequently asked questions
When is Comiket?
Twice a year at Tokyo Big Sight: in mid-August and over the last days of December.
Is Comiket free?
No longer. Every visitor needs a ticket or wristband. For the winter edition the cheapest, an afternoon wristband, is ¥440 bought ahead or ¥1,000 at the venue.
Can foreign visitors buy Comiket tickets?
Yes. Afternoon wristbands are sold at anime shops and at the venue, and international visitors have been able to buy an AM entry e-ticket through eplus to exchange on site.
How do you get to Comiket?
By the Rinkai line to Kokusai-tenjijō station, about seven minutes on foot, or the Yurikamome line to Tokyo Big Sight station. Cars, bikes and taxis are discouraged.
Can children go to Comiket?
Yes. One child aged 15 or under goes free with each adult who has a ticket or wristband.
Sources
- Comic Market, the organiser (Japanese)
- Comic Market 109, dates, hours and access (Japanese)
- Comic Market, guide for international visitors
Dates on this page are checked against the organiser’s own listing and confirmed through 2027. Written and maintained by Harry Nara.