Comiket 109: Ticketpay blocks users outside Japan and complicates ticket purchases

The staff of Comic Market (Comiket) confirmed that Ticketpay, the Japanese ticketing service, is blocking access from outside Japan. The measure, which the service says is meant to "protect against cyberattacks," will remain in place "for the foreseeable future" and leaves international fans out of the lottery to buy tickets for Comiket 109, which opens on December 29.

The announcement came on Wednesday and landed like a bucket of cold water. Ticketpay doesn't just affect Comiket 109: the block applies to any future event using that service.

The event staff has already said it is looking into alternatives so people outside Japan can buy tickets. But it was also honest: with so little time before December 29, finding a solution will be complicated.

A giant event that now charges admission

Comiket 109 will be held at Tokyo Big Sight from December 29 to 31. The previous edition, Comiket 108, drew 260,000 attendees in August this year, so we're talking about a massive event.

The event started in December 1975 with around 700 people and 32 circles. It went through the Harumi area in Tokyo and Makuhari Messe in Chiba before settling into its current venue for Comiket 50 in 1996.

For many years, admission was free for the general public. That changed in August 2019, when a temporary move due to preparations for the Tokyo Olympics forced them to charge. Then, in December 2021, they started selling tickets to limit capacity at the first in-person event during the COVID-19 pandemic. In August 2023 they stopped limiting attendance, but ticket sales for the general public stayed.

Now, with Ticketpay closed to international users, buying a ticket from outside Japan has become a headache. The staff is still looking for options, but it isn't promising anything in time for this edition.