Comic Market 108 (C108) — also known as "Summer Comiket 2026" — takes place on August 15–16, 2026 at Tokyo Big Sight. Comic Market started back in December 1975, and C106 through C108 together mark its 50th anniversary years, with C108 serving as the grand finale of that milestone. What began with around 700 attendees has grown into the world's largest doujinshi (self-published fan work) convention, drawing several hundred thousand visitors per day. Major anime and game companies also run corporate booths — for example, hololive Production is confirmed to exhibit at C108, with merchandise sales and live "monitoring talk" segments where members react to the venue in real time.
Important venue change: This time, part of the East wing is closed. East Halls 4–6 are shut down for renovation work, so the show uses East Halls 1–3, West Halls 1–4, and South Halls 1–4 only. Even if you've attended before, make sure to check the official C108 map rather than relying on an old layout.
The nearest stations are Kokusai-Tenjijo Station on the Rinkai Line, or Tokyo Big Sight Station on the Yurikamome line. From Haneda Airport, a combination of the Keikyu Line and Rinkai Line takes roughly an hour; from Narita Airport, JR plus the Rinkai Line takes about 1–1.5 hours. Expect heavy crowding at the nearest stations and around the venue on event days, so build in extra time.
1. Ticket Types (the single most important thing to get right)
There are no walk-up, pay-at-the-door general tickets at Comiket. You must obtain either a wristband or a ticket that can be exchanged for one, in advance. There are four main categories:
| Type | Entry time | How to buy | Approx. price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Entry | From 10:30 | TicketPay lottery (already sold out) | 5,000 yen |
| Cosplay Changing Room Early Entry | Changing room from 8:00/9:30, hall entry at 11:00 | TicketPay lottery (already sold out) | 3,000 yen |
| AM Entry wristband | From 11:00 | Japanese anime shops in-store, or e-ticket via eplus for overseas residents | 1,210 yen (in store) |
| PM Entry wristband | From 12:30 | In-store, or on-site at the venue | 440 yen (in store) / 1,000 yen (on-site) |
Sales of AM and PM wristbands and e-tickets began on July 11, 2026. PM Entry can also be bought on the day at the venue, but same-day sales are more expensive and involve long waiting lines, so advance purchase is strongly recommended.
If you live overseas and can't visit a Japanese shop, you can buy an AM Entry e-ticket through eplus and exchange it for a wristband on-site (limited quantities, first-come-first-served).
Traveling with children: One child aged 15 or younger can enter for free together with one adult holding a valid ticket or wristband.
Rules you must not break: Reselling tickets or wristbands is strictly prohibited, and resold tickets are invalid — buying one means you simply lose your money and can't get in. For Early Entry tickets specifically, you must register under your real name and bring the original of your passport or a Japanese-government-issued photo ID (no copies, no photos of ID, no foreign driver's licenses or student IDs).
2. Genre Layout (it completely changes by day)
Comiket's genre layout flips entirely between Day 1 and Day 2, so double-check which day your favorite circles will be on. On Day 1 (Aug 15), major genres include Blue Archive, Uma Musume, TYPE-MOON, Kantai Collection, Azur Lane, Gundam, and VTuber content. On Day 2 (Aug 16), the lineup shifts to original creative works, Love Live!, THE IDOLM@STER, Touhou Project, and cosplay-related genres. Corporate booths occupy West Halls 3–4 and South Halls 3–4 on both days.
For the exact placement of circles, check the "Comike WebCatalog," which also has an English-language international edition — well worth registering for before you travel.
3. Information for Cosplayers
Anyone can use the Cosplay Changing Rooms after entering the event; a 500 yen registration fee applies on your first entry each day.
- Arriving at or leaving the venue already in costume (from your home or hotel) is not allowed — Japanese society generally does not accept people wearing costumes in public spaces, and you may be denied entry if you show up in cosplay.
- Changing clothes or doing makeup in restrooms is strictly forbidden.
- The last entry time to change into costume is 15:30.
- Photography requires individual permission from each cosplayer beforehand — wait your turn and ask politely. If someone says no, respect that.
Costume rules are also quite detailed: costumes that expose too much underwear, excessive skin exposure (as a guideline, no more than roughly one-third breast exposure for women), realistic weapon replicas prohibited by law, and costumes that could soil the venue (wet paint, liquids, etc.) are all banned. For short skirts or costumes that risk exposure, wearing tights or leggings is recommended.
4. Heatstroke Prevention — the Most Important Safety Information
The biggest safety concern at Summer Comiket is heatstroke, and the official website devotes unusually extensive attention to warning attendees about it. Over 90% of people who visited the first aid rooms in a recent event reported heatstroke symptoms, and first-timers and veteran attendees were affected in similar proportions (38% of first aid users were first-time attendees).
Japanese summers can exceed 35°C (95°F) with high humidity. Keep hydration, rest, and cooling down constantly in mind, and don't hesitate to ask staff or people around you for help if you feel unwell.
Indoors
- Drink water and take in salt even before you feel thirsty. Sports drinks, oral rehydration solutions, and salt candies/tablets are effective. Caffeinated drinks (coffee, tea) accelerate fluid loss, so be careful with those.
- Stand up and move around roughly once an hour. When resting, sit somewhere that doesn't block foot traffic — never near emergency exits or areas marked off with red tape.
- Even in air-conditioned areas, crowding makes it feel hotter, so layered clothing you can adjust, plus a change of clothes, is a good idea.
Outdoors (waiting in line)
- Wear sunscreen and light-colored, quick-drying, long-sleeved clothing. A wide-brimmed hat or personal parasol is recommended, though in crowded areas staff may ask you to fold your parasol for safety.
- Ice packs, frozen drinks, wet towels, and portable fans are effective for cooling your neck and armpits.
Cosplayers should be especially careful: full-body outfits like kigurumi or tight leather suits trap heat and can be dangerous, so consider the weather and your physical condition, and skip such outfits if conditions look risky.
Before you arrive
Start acclimating your body to heat about two weeks before the event (at the latest, 4–5 days before) through light exercise or bathing that makes you sweat. On the day itself, avoid staying up all night or forcing an early wake-up, eat breakfast, and drink about 250ml of water when you wake up.
First Aid Rooms
Located at the East 1 Hall organizer's office, Conference Tower 1F, and South 1 Hall 2F, open 7:30–18:00 (until 16:00 on Day 2). Note that these rooms only provide basic first aid, not full medical treatment — if symptoms don't improve, it's recommended you head back to your hotel or visit a hospital.
Also note: due to the East Hall construction, the outdoor walking route between the South/West area and the East Halls is significantly longer than in past events, so stay hydrated during that walk too.
5. On-the-Day Etiquette and Notes
- Never queue overnight. This is a serious safety and neighborhood-relations issue and could jeopardize future events.
- Movement inside the venue: entry gates (East vs. South/West) differ by ticket type, but once inside you can generally move freely between halls (subject to crowd-control restrictions).
- Photography manners: Beyond asking cosplayers for permission, avoid photographing or posting doujinshi content or corporate booth displays without permission — many circles prohibit reproduction of their work.
- Cash is king for circles: Corporate booths increasingly accept cards and e-money, but individual doujinshi circles are almost entirely cash-only. Bring plenty of small bills and coins.
- Luggage: Large suitcases get in everyone's way — avoid bringing one. Paid cosplay baggage storage is available at the Conference Tower 7F and TFT Building West Wing 2F (500 yen per item, 800 yen for items over 120cm). General coin lockers near the venue fill up fast in the morning.
- Smoking is only allowed in designated smoking areas.
6. What to Pack
- Quick-drying, breathable clothing (long sleeves also help with sunburn and insects)
- Comfortable walking shoes (the venue is huge and you'll be on your feet all day)
- A hat or parasol, and sunscreen
- Electrolyte tablets/candies and sports drinks
- A portable phone charger (crowded networks drain batteries fast)
- Cash, with plenty of small change
- Any personal medication and travel insurance documents
- A backpack or bag that keeps your hands free
7. Useful English-Friendly Smartphone Apps
Event & Circle Information
Comike WebCatalog (International) — the English-language edition of Comiket's official circle catalog app, letting you search where each circle is located and what they're selling. Basic browsing is free; a paid Gold plan (660 yen/month, discounted for the C108 relaunch campaign) unlocks favoriting and printing features. Well worth setting up before you travel.
@comiket_intl on X (Twitter) — not an app, but the official English-language account posts real-time updates on weather changes, crowding, and safety notices.
Translation
Google Translate — use the camera function to translate doujinshi covers, circle signage, or warning notices on the spot. Download the offline language pack beforehand in case the venue's mobile network gets congested.
VoiceTra — a voice translation app from Japan's National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), handy for simple conversations with staff (directions, confirming cosplay changing room procedures, etc.).
Transit
Japan Travel by NAVITIME (Japan Official Travel App) — detailed, multilingual train transfer guidance and station exit maps, useful for navigating to Kokusai-Tenjijo Station (Rinkai Line) or Tokyo Big Sight Station (Yurikamome).
Welcome Suica Mobile (JR East, iPhone only) — a mobile Suica app built for overseas visitors. You can issue a virtual Suica card without lining up at a ticket machine, and top it up directly via Apple Pay or a credit card instead of cash. It's valid for 180 days, so installing it before departure means you're ready to use trains, buses, and convenience stores the moment you land. Android users should note that mobile Suica via Google Wallet only works on phones sold in the Japanese domestic market (Docomo/au/SoftBank models or Japan-spec Pixel devices) — check whether "Transit cards — Japan" appears in Google Wallet before relying on this. If not, buying a physical Suica card at the airport or a station is the simplest option.
Cashless Payment
PayPay — Japan's dominant QR-code payment app, with over 65 million users and 5 million+ merchant locations as of 2026, accepted at nearly every convenience store, supermarket, restaurant, and drugstore. Sources differ on registration requirements for overseas visitors — some report that a foreign phone number now works with an English interface, while others say a Japanese mobile number (090/080/070) with SMS verification is required and overseas numbers won't work — so check the app's current sign-up flow before relying on it. Either way, individual doujinshi circles at Comiket are essentially cash-only, so think of PayPay as being for restaurants and convenience stores outside the venue rather than for circle purchases; food stalls and vendor-style setups like Comiket's own tend to run on cash.
Weather & Heat Safety
tenki.jp or Yahoo! Weather — hourly temperature and rain forecasts. The apps are in Japanese, but the numbers and weather icons are easy enough to read. Tokyo summers regularly exceed 35°C, so check the forecast every morning.
Ministry of the Environment WBGT (heat index) app/website — when the index shows "danger" level, treat that as a cue to avoid long outdoor waits.
Maps & Extras
Google Maps — the standard for finding nearby convenience stores, coin lockers, restaurants, and cafés to cool down in. Download offline maps in advance in case the venue's mobile signal gets overloaded.
ChargeSPOT — a portable battery rental service with stations all over Tokyo. Install the app so you can rent a charger at one location and return it at another if your phone battery runs low.
Quick recommendation
At minimum, install these four apps before you travel: the Comike WebCatalog (for finding circles), Google Translate, a train transfer app, and (if you have an iPhone) Welcome Suica Mobile. With just these, getting around, shopping, and finding information in Japan becomes far easier even with little to no Japanese.
Comic Market 108 takes place August 15–16, 2026 at Tokyo Big Sight, marking the finale of Comiket's 50th anniversary years. Ticket rules, safety guidance, and translations change frequently, so always confirm the latest details on the official Comic Market website (comiket.co.jp) and the official X account @comiket_intl before and during your trip.
