As in the West, Japanese people do also celebrate Christmas. Artists perform their “Christmas Live Concerts” while stores advertise their Christmas goods and Christmas sales. The whole country is taken over by Christmas during the season.

But there is something more important than Christmas for us Japanimation Lovers. That is the Comic Market!!(referred to as Fuyukomi in the following paragraphs).

Last year’s Fuyukomi was held at Tokyo Big Sight for three days between December 29th and 31st, celebrating its 79th anniversary. Let’s take a look into some details about the Comic Market (abbr. Comiket)

When did the history of Comiket start? The first Comiket was held on December 21st, 1975 at, instead of Tokyo Big Sight, a conference room in the building of Nihon Shobo Kyoukai (Japan Firefighting Association) located in Toranomon, Tokyo. There were 32 circles and approximately 700 participants, most of whom were middle and high school girls interested in girls’ comics.

After some twists and turns, they found a home for the event in Tokyo Big Sight since the Natsukomi (Comiket in summer) in 1996. They had faced some challenges as to how they should treat private companies and how to secure a place for the event. Nowadays, as the scale of the event has grown so much, they are facing new problems including some participants’ unacceptable behavior.

Although Comiket has sustained its good tradition, it also has changed its form in some aspects. A number of mascots for town revitalization projects have been designed in moe form. As JAPAN EXPO was held in France, the expansion of this Japan Boom seems to be unstoppable.

If you are interested in Japan, I highly recommend Comiket because, even if fanzines or other small magazines do not draw your attention, you will come across a scene that symbolizes today’s Japan. Trains that are bounded for the Comiket place are like battlefields. The station staffs make their announcements quoting famous lines from some anime. Health drinks in surrounding convenience stores are soon sold out. Some people just start singing some random anime songs at the event hall. This is one wondrous place, more than Disneyland.

But there is something I would like to point out. Comiket is run by a number of staff members and volunteer groups. The event requires a great deal of those people’s effort, and having the gratitude towards them is the first way in to Comiket. What motivates those people is the love that they have for Comiket. And the love for anime has grown Comiket to this much of scale.