Comiket 108 guide: tickets, entry times and Tokyo travel

Photo: Zairon via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Comic Market 108, usually called Comiket 108 or C108, takes place at Tokyo Big Sight on Saturday, August 15 and Sunday, August 16, 2026. The public event runs from 10:30am to 4pm. The Corporate Area stays open until 5pm on Saturday.

First-time visitors need to settle three decisions before leaving the hotel: which day has the circles they want, whether AM or PM entry fits the visit, and which hall they will visit first. The circles and genres change completely between Saturday and Sunday. There is no free walk-in period, and each day needs its own wristband or ticket.

This guide was checked on August 4, 2026 against the official international pages. Ticket inventory, weather instructions and crowd routes can change, so reopen the official links before traveling.

Comiket 108 at a glance

Choose the right Comiket day

Do not treat C108 as the same show repeated twice. The official international page says genres and circles change completely each day. Search the Comike WebCatalog for individual circles before buying a wristband.

This is a planning summary rather than a booth directory. Save each circle's day, hall and table number in the WebCatalog. A screenshot of a social post is not enough because it may omit the day or use an old hall number.

East Halls 4 to 6 are closed for construction. The official heat guidance says the route between South and West Halls and the East Halls is outdoors and significantly longer than usual. Put circles in hall order instead of crossing the site after every purchase.

AM or PM entry: which ticket should you choose?

The official C108 ticket page lists four entry products. The two early products are sold out. AM and PM products were still the practical choices when this guide was checked.

Choose AM entry when a small number of circles or limited items justify the earlier queue. Make the list before arrival and pick East or South/West as the first side. Once inside, you can move between halls unless staff restrict movement for safety.

Choose PM entry when you want to understand Comiket, browse without chasing a scarce item, see cosplay areas or spend only part of the day at the event. Some popular stock may be gone, but the lower price and later arrival avoid the longest morning wait. Buy the PM wristband in advance if possible. The organizer expects a significant queue for the more expensive same-day sale under the inverted pyramid.

Do not arrive overnight. The organizer prohibits overnight waiting and says it provides no advantage over people arriving in the morning.

How international visitors can buy and use a ticket

International visitors who cannot reach a Japanese store can use the eplus AM e-ticket linked from the official ticket page. The QR code is not the admission wristband. Exchange begins after 8am near Kokusai-Tenjijo Station on the Rinkai Line. You may join an entry line only after the physical wristband is on your wrist.

The practical sequence is:

1. Buy the correct date through the official C108 ticket route.
2. Save the confirmation and QR code offline.
3. Use the Rinkai Line if you need the eplus exchange point.
4. Exchange the QR code for the wristband after 8am.
5. Put the wristband on before joining the AM queue.
6. If you arrive after 12:30pm, follow the ticket-page instruction to exchange at Entrance Plaza instead.

AM and PM wristbands are also sold at listed Animate, Toranoana and Melonbooks stores while supplies last. A store that sells out may not be restocked. Do not buy a wristband from a reseller; Comiket says resold tickets and wristbands are invalid.

Early Entry winners have a different process. They must issue the paper ticket at a FamilyMart in Japan before the event. The organizer warns that stores near Tokyo Big Sight can run out of the required ticket paper. The printed name must match an original passport or Japanese government photo ID. Photos, scans, foreign driving licences and student cards are not accepted for that check.

Tickets are separate for Saturday and Sunday. There is no two-day pass. One child aged 15 or younger may enter free with one ticketed adult when they arrive together. A child entering alone needs a ticket or wristband.

Getting to Tokyo Big Sight

The Tokyo Big Sight access page gives two useful rail approaches:

• Kokusai-Tenjijo Station on the Rinkai Line is about a seven-minute walk. The normal train ride is about 14 minutes from Osaki and five minutes from Shinkiba.
• Tokyo Big Sight Station on the Yurikamome Line is about a three-minute walk. The normal ride is about 23 minutes from Shimbashi and nine minutes from Toyosu.

Use the Rinkai Line if you hold an eplus AM ticket because the exchange point is near Kokusai-Tenjijo. The Yurikamome can be simpler from Shimbashi or Toyosu if you already have a physical wristband. Crowds and managed walking routes will make the final approach slower than the normal venue estimates.

Charge a Suica, PASMO or compatible transit IC card before event morning. A queued ticket machine adds an avoidable stop. Save the return route as well as the arrival route, then identify one later train in case crowd control slows the exit.

Do not arrange a precise taxi pickup beside the entrance. Meet farther from the controlled pedestrian flow only where stopping is legal. For most visitors, rail is easier to recover when the exit time changes.

Plan the halls before you arrive

A good Comiket plan is a route, not a list of dozens of names. Divide the day into three levels:

1. Two or three circles you would regret missing
2. A hall cluster you want to browse
3. A flexible Corporate Area or cosplay block

Save the hall and table number for every priority. Then place all East stops together and all South/West stops together. The construction closure makes repeated cross-site trips slower and hotter.

Leave room for queues, sold-out signs and unexpected finds. Ten exact booth appointments can fail after one slow line. A shorter list gives you time to browse the tables that make Comic Market different from a normal retail convention.

A first-timer PM plan

Arrive after 12:30pm with a pre-purchased PM wristband. Start in one doujinshi hall that matches the day's genres, move to the Corporate Area only if a named booth matters, and finish with a cosplay area if weather and crowd rules allow. Three and a half hours is not enough for every hall, but it is enough to learn how the event works.

A focused AM plan

Use the first hour for the top circle and nearby tables. Do not cross from East to South/West for a low-priority item. Take a cooling break before the longest outdoor transfer, then use the afternoon for browsing.

A two-day plan

Buy separate wristbands and assign each day its own genre list. Avoid repeating the Corporate Area unless a booth changes its stock or programme by day. A second morning queue is worthwhile only when Sunday's circles matter to you.

Cash, shopping and baggage

Independent circles may accept cash even when corporate booths take cards or mobile payments. Carry small yen notes and coins in a separate, reachable wallet. Do not assume every seller can break a 10,000-yen note at opening.

Bring rigid sleeves, a folder or a flat bag if paper goods matter to you. Keep purchases out of emergency routes and never leave baggage unattended. The official catalog warns visitors to watch passports and valuables in the crowd.

Large suitcases make hall movement harder. Leave them at the hotel or a station locker well before reaching the venue. Cosplayers have a separate paid cloak service, described below, but its capacity is limited.

Heat is part of the event plan

The official C108 heat page says more than 90 percent of people using Comiket first aid have heatstroke symptoms. Temperatures can exceed 35C, and cases occur indoors as well as outside.

Drink before entering the queue, then take small drinks every 30 to 60 minutes. Eat breakfast, sleep properly and carry water or an electrolyte drink. A hat, sunscreen, quick-drying layers and a way to cool the neck help during outdoor waits. Staff may ask visitors to fold parasols in crowded areas.

Do not reduce drinking to avoid toilets. If dizziness, nausea, numbness, muscle spasms or slow responses start, move somewhere cool and ask staff for help. C108 first aid rooms are at the East 1 Hall Organizer's Office, Conference Tower first floor and South 1 Hall second floor. They operate from 7:30am to 6pm, closing at 4pm on Sunday. They provide basic first aid rather than hospital care.

Check the forecast the night before and again in the morning. If an official alert or the organizer changes the entry process, follow that update instead of an old screenshot.

Cosplay and photography rules

Read the C108 cosplay page before packing a costume or prop. Cosplayers must change inside an official changing room. Arriving or leaving in costume is prohibited, and toilets cannot be used for changing or makeup.

Anyone who enters the event can queue for a changing room and pay the 500-yen daily registration fee. The sold-out Cosplay Early Entry ticket is not required for normal changing-room use after entry. Last entry to change into costume is 3:30pm.

Paid cloak service is planned at Conference Tower seventh floor and TFT Building West Wing second floor. The current charge is 500 yen per item, or 800 yen for an item over 120cm, while capacity lasts. It operates from 8:30am to 4:30pm and closes at 4pm on Sunday.

Ask each cosplayer before taking a photo. Permission for one person does not cover everyone nearby, and staff can stop a shoot that blocks movement. Photos and video are prohibited inside changing rooms, including selfies.

Apps and offline files that help at C108

Install and open each app before event morning. Accounts, language packs and map downloads are easier to fix on reliable hotel Wi-Fi.

• Comike WebCatalog: save circles, days, halls and table numbers.
• eplus: keep the AM e-ticket QR available offline if that is your entry route.
• Google Maps or Apple Maps: save Tokyo Big Sight, both nearby stations and the hotel.
• Japan Travel by NAVITIME: compare rail routes when one approach is crowded.
• Safety tips: the Japan Tourism Agency app distributes earthquake, tsunami and weather warnings in multiple languages.
• A translation app with an offline Japanese pack: useful for signs and short questions when a connection is weak.
• The official Comiket international account: check late ticket, weather and crowd instructions.

Screenshots should include the QR code, day, station exit, first hall, table numbers and hotel address. Keep the source page bookmarked too, since screenshots cannot reflect a late change.

Mobile data at Comiket and around Tokyo

The official English catalog warns that phones often do not work at Comiket. A Roaming eSIM cannot bypass congestion inside a packed hall, so the sensible advantage is having a data plan ready for the rest of Tokyo while keeping the critical event files offline.

The public Roaming eSIM catalog was checked on August 4. It returned 43 Japan plans. A 5GB, 30-day plan was listed at $5.40 and a 10GB, 30-day plan at $9.40. Both listed KDDI/AU, NTT Docomo, Rakuten Mobile and SoftBank, up to 5G, and top-up support. Package prices, partner networks, speed rules and top-up eligibility vary, so check the selected card before payment. A listed network does not guarantee capacity at Tokyo Big Sight.

That live package detail is more useful than an event article promising that any SIM will work. You can choose a small Japan allowance for maps, translation, ticket access and messages, or a regional plan when the same trip includes South Korea or China. Roaming eSIM also provides WhatsApp and email help through its support page, which is useful if setup needs attention before the event.

Install on reliable Wi-Fi before Comiket day, following the instructions for the exact package. The Japan Roaming eSIM guide covers country versus regional choices. Check when to install a Roaming eSIM, confirm phone compatibility, and use the travel data calculator for the whole Japan trip.

Ten C108 questions visitors are asking

Where can an international visitor buy a C108 ticket?

Use the official C108 ticket page. It links international visitors to eplus for AM e-tickets. Physical AM and PM wristbands are also sold through named Japanese anime stores while supplies last.

Is AM or PM entry better for a first Comiket?

PM is easier for general browsing and a shorter visit. AM is better when you already have a tight circle list and accept a longer wait in summer heat.

Can I buy a PM wristband at the event?

Yes, onsite PM sales begin after 12:30pm at Entrance Plaza. The official price is 1,000 yen and a significant queue is expected. Advance store wristbands are listed at 440 yen.

Which entrance should I use?

Start on the side containing your highest-priority circles. AM visitors choose an East or South/West queue. You can move between halls after entry unless safety controls temporarily restrict movement.

Which day has my favorite series?

Check the official genre table, then search the Comike WebCatalog for the exact circle. Saturday and Sunday have different circles, and a ticket covers only one day.

What time should I arrive?

Match arrival to the ticket instructions and your tolerance for heat. The organizer specifically recommends that AM visitors avoid arriving too early. Overnight waiting is prohibited.

Do children need tickets?

One child aged 15 or younger can enter free with one ticketed adult when they arrive together. A child entering alone needs a ticket or wristband.

Where do cosplayers change and store bags?

Use the official changing rooms after entry and pay the 500-yen daily registration fee. Paid cloak service is available at two listed locations while space lasts. Do not arrive in costume or change in a toilet.

Should I bring cash?

Yes. Some independent circles may not accept cards. Bring small yen notes and coins, while keeping a card or mobile wallet for sellers that support them.

Will mobile data work inside Tokyo Big Sight?

It may slow or fail under crowd congestion, regardless of provider. Save tickets, circle locations, maps and the return route offline. Use mobile data as a backup, not the only copy.

The night-before C108 check

• Confirm the correct date and wristband type.
• Save the eplus QR code or pack the physical wristband.
• Print an Early Entry ticket away from the venue if you won the sold-out lottery.
• Put the top circles in hall order.
• Download the venue map, return route and hotel address.
• Charge the phone and a flight-compliant power bank.
• Pack water, electrolytes, sunscreen and a hat.
• Bring small yen notes and coins.
• Check the official international account and heat guidance.
• Sleep. An all-nighter makes the hottest part of the plan harder.

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