Handshaking Souls and Mountains of Treasure! A Beginner’s Guide to COMITIA 131

It’s time once again for the indie manga convention, COMITIA! COMITIA 131 is happening this weekend, on the 9th of February. Manga Planet prepared a Beginner’s Guide to COMITIA to help you look for the doujinshi that you need!
What is COMITIA?
COMITIA is a convention where professionals and amateurs can sell self-published books and creative works. You can check our previous article on COMITIA to learn more about the event.
Where is it?
COMITIA is held at Tokyo Big Sight in the West Halls 1-4. The staff recommends coming by public transportation due to overcrowding of the parking lots, so be sure to double-check your travel route before you go.
Tokyo Big Sight can be found at a 7-minute walk from the Kokusai-Tenjijo Station on the Rinkai Line or at a 3-minute walk from the Tokyo Big Sight Station on the Yurikamome Line.
How do I get in?
The venue itself opens to the general public at 11 am, and your entry ticket is a copy of Tia’s Magazine, the official COMITIA catalog, which is available for pre-order in selected bookstores for ¥1,300 or on-site for ¥1,000. However, if you plan to buy your copy on-site, be warned that the lines can get pretty crazy!
That being said, the event’s official site states explicit instructions not to line up too early and that camping out is not allowed, so be careful with how you plan your arrival time.
Why should I go?
If you have an interest in up-and-coming indie manga or in getting an idea of what the professional manga industry looks like, COMITIA has a lot of cool things to offer. You can meet new creators, buy original goods, and even learn about the manga editing industry from professional editors. There’s a little something for everyone!
Some Helpful Vocabs
So you have your Tia’s Magazine, you’ve made it into the venue, and you’re ready to go! But where do you start?
Luckily, the map has very detailed descriptions of each of the tables and where to find what. We have prepared a handy little guide for you here.
Hall / Floor | Genre | Table and Group |
West Hall (西ホール/Nishi ho-ru) 1 / First Floor | 少年まんが (shonen manga) | tables 1-32 of あ (a) group
tables 1-28 of い (i) group tables 1-28 of う (u) group |
アート•デザイン (art • design) | tables 1-18 of お (o) group tables 28-32 of え (e) group |
|
音楽•映像 (ongaku • eizou) = audio • visual | tables 1-15a of え (e) group | |
ゲーム•ソフト (game • soft) = video games • software | tables 15-27 of え (e) group | |
文芸 (bungei) = literature | tables 19-32 of お (o) group tables 1-12 of か (ka) group tables 29-32 of く (ku) group tables 1-32 of け (ke) group |
|
青年まんが (seinen manga) | tables 1-28 of く (ku) group tables 1-32 of き (ki) group tables 1-44 of こ (ko) group tables 1-43 of さ (sa) group tables 1-34 of し (shi) group tables 1-48 of す (su) group tables 1-48 of せ (se) group tables 1-6 of そ (so) group |
|
その他 (sono ta) = miscellaneous | tables 7-48 of そ (so) group tables 1-29 of た (ta) group |
|
歴史 (rekishi) = history | tables 30-48 of た (ta) group tables 1-7 of ち (chi) group |
|
JUNE•BL = boys love | tables 8-48 of ち (chi) group tables 1-24 of つ (tsu) group |
|
見本誌コーナー (mihonshi corner) = sample magazine corner | ||
本部 (honbu) HQ | ||
チラシ置場 (chirashi okiba) = flyers | ||
ティアズマガジン販売 (Tia’s Magazine hanbai) = Tia’s Magazine selling booth | ||
West Hall (西ホール/Nishi ho-ru) 2 /
First Floor |
ギャグ (gyagu) = gag | tables 1-48 of て (te) group tables 1-19 of と (to) group |
SF•ファンタジー (SF • fantasy) = science fiction • fantasy | tables 20-48 of と (to) group tables 1-32 of な (na) group tables 1-39 of に (ni) group tables 1-40 of ぬ (nu) group tables 1-20 of ね (ne) group tables 21-28 of の (no) group tables 1-32 of は (ha) group tables 1-31 of ひ (hi) group |
|
グッズ (goods) | tables 1-32 of む (mu) group tables 1-32 of め (me) group tables 1-32 of も (mo) group tables 1-16 of や (ya) group |
|
旅行記 (ryokouki) = travel journal | tables 1-32 of へ (he) group tables 4-8 of ほ (ho) group |
|
動物 (doubutsu) = animals | tables 1-3 & 9-32 of ほ (ho) group tables 1-10 of ま (ma) group |
|
少女まんが (shoujo manga) | tables 11-32 of ま (ma) group tables 1-16 of み (mi) group |
|
学校•学漫 (gakkou • gakuman) = school • school comics | tables 1-21 & 28-32 of の (no) group | |
出張マンガ編集部 (shucchou manga henshuubu) = manga editing branch office | ||
DJ2020新刊カード引換&全国コミティアスタンプラリー受付 = Desk for claiming Doujin Japan 2020 new book cards exchange & reception for National COMITIA Stamp Rally* | ||
West Hall (西ホール/Nishi ho-ru) 3 /
Fourth Floor |
アダルト (adult) | tables 1-32 of A group tables 1-32 of B group tables 1-16 of C group tables 15-18 & 25-32 of D group tables 1-32 of E group tables 1-16 of F group |
イラスト (irasuto) = illustrations | tables 1-15 & 18-24 of D group tables 1-32 of G group tables 1-32 of H group tables 1-16 of I group tables 1-36 of J group tables 1-36 of K group tables 1-44 of L group tables 1-44 of M group tables 1-44 of N group tables 1-33 of O group |
|
評論•情報 (hyouron • jouhou) = critique • information | tables 34-44 of O group tables 1-44 of P group |
|
West Hall (西ホール/Nishi ho-ru) 4 /
Fourth Floor |
tables 1-22 of Q group | |
イラスト (irasuto) = illustrations | tables 23-52 of Q group tables 1-52 of R group tables 1-52 of S group tables 1-47 of T group |
|
百合•GL (yuri • GL) = girls love | tables 47-52 of T group tables 1-52 of U group tables 1-26 of V group |
|
Other signages | 自販機 (jihanki) = vending machines
アトリウム 出入口は一方通行です The entrance/exit to the Atrium is one-way only |
A note: The map also mentions that after 11 am and before the free entry time begins, the only way to get between the 1st and 4th floors is to take the Atrium escalator and the (outdoor) ramp.
* Doujin Japan 2020 New Book Cards are presents provided by printing companies participating in the Doujin Japan 2020 New Book Cards Project. By printing their doujinshi with one of these companies,the circles will receive one New Book Card for each printing of new editions. This campaign supports the printing of new editions by awarding a variety of “privileges” and “preferential treatment” to circles participating in doujinshi (self-published works) events, companies, organizations, etc. according to the number of Cards the circles collected.
You can download the vocabulary list here: A Beginner’s Guide to COMITIA 131: Vocabulary (PDF)
Things to keep in mind:
- Cosplay is NOT allowed at this event.
- When taking photos, please make sure to get permission from the artists. Video recording (streaming or otherwise) is not permitted.
- No smoking or drinking (alcohol) on the premises.
- Be responsible with your trash. (Separating trash is very important!)
- Be careful not to block too much traffic, if possible.
- Most importantly, have fun!
COMITIA 131
Date | February 9, 2020 (Sunday) 11:00 – 16:00 |
Venue | Tokyo Big Sight West Halls 1-4 (Access Map) |
Entrance fee | Purchase Tia’s Magazine (in bookstores for ¥1,300 or on-site for ¥1,000) |
Official Website | https://www.comitia.co.jp/html/131.html (Japanese) |
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