Announcement on Comiket Special 6
~ Otaku Summit 2015 ~

(Japanese version is here.)
December 29th, 2013
Co-Representatives of Comic Market Committee
Kaoru YASUDA, Yoshiyuki FUDETANI and Koichi ICHIKAWA
Otaku Summit 2015
Illustration: Dr. Moro
Otaku Summit 2015
Harumi (right) "Comiket Special 6!!"
Fudeko (center) "Different nationalities, but otakus nonetheless!!"
Satomi (left) "Sweet cacophony, here we come!!"

Date: March 28th ~ 29th, 2015
Location: Makuhari Messe International Exhibition Complex International Exhibition Halls

Every five years Comic Market holds a Comiket Special, and this year's theme will be an "Otaku Summit." Japanese circles, general attendees, staff and corporate participants that are a regular feature at Comic Market will constitute the "Japanese delegates," who will be joined by overseas participants who are invited to participate in this "Global Comiket."

At this time, we anticipate attendance by authors and artists regardless of their professional status, performers such as cosplayers, fans of manga, anime and video games, and organizers of similar events from overseas, but given the global nature of Japanese otaku culture, we are certain there are many other people who share similar interests, and some interests we never knew of before! We aim to accommodate a wide range of enthusiasts and explore what possibilities lie with the "space" that makes Comiket unique. We believe that this process of exploration should prove to be a worthy challenge for all participants involved.

Together, let us create a "Day of Haré" -- a day of celebration and a break from the mundane -- that will go down in dôjinshi history. Will this be the year that Comiket's international strategic initiative takes flight?!

·

Since a Comiket Special is held every five years, as co-representatives of Comic Market, we anguished over how we could match the ever increasing-expectations people place upon these special occasions. But then we learned of the joyous news that Tokyo will be hosting the 2020 Olympics. Taking inspiration from this athletic showcase where competitors, spectators and members of the press from all over the world converges at one spot, we decided that the theme of the next Comiket Special will be "Otaku Summit 2015."

The eyes of the world are on Japan, the wellspring of so-called Otaku Culture, which encompasses such fields as manga, anime, gaming, and cosplay. Just as Mr. Charles Brownstein of the CBLDF mentioned in his presentation at Comiket 84, every weekend there are gatherings of manga and anime fans taking place all around the world. This situation where unique "spaces" around the world help connect fans to one another is close to being the utopia dreamed of by the organizers of the very first Comiket.
However, Comiket still has a long way to go in realizing its goal of becoming a "space" where fans from all around the globe can gather together.
What if we could actually realize that goal of a "space" for global assembly of fans? Wouldn't Comiket be host to a "space" that is more diverse and even more enjoyable?--This is the concept behind our next Comiket Special. We will strive to go beyond just being a simple dôjinshi marketplace and work as best we can to accommodate various suggestions and proposals from you to make 2015 Comiket Special even more special and enjoyable. For those in Japan, please refine your proposals and join the "Japanese Delegation" at Otaku Summit 2015.

*Naturally, all signage will be in Japanese plus various other languages, so not to worry.

We will establish a web site devoted to the next Comiket Special and release information as it becomes available. Details regarding circle participation to this Comiket Special will be released at around spring or summer of 2014 and we are planning on including circle application forms to the 2015 Comiket Special in the regular Comiket 86 circle application package. We look forward to having you join us in this bold new endeavor.
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[Since: Dec. 29 2013][Last updated: Jul. 30 2014]