So why are these guys (and some gals) sprinting to the exhibition center five hours before the event opens? Well, since Comic Market is the place to find self-published titles, quantities are limited and you have to be quick if you want to snatch up your favorite indie manga or anime. Once they’re sold out, you’ll have to try your luck online and purchase these ultra rare works on auctions sites like Yahoo! Japan. People who aren’t even interested in comics wake up early and wait at Kokusai-tenjijo Station.
Notice the crowd of people on either side of the turnstiles, cameras held high in the air? Much like the annual Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain, these people are here to watch the crowds of nerds galloping towards their beloved Comic Market! After all that running in the early morning summer heat and hours of waiting in line, let’s hope these otaku take a bath. But with all the excitement, who has time?
[ Read in Japanese ]