Niigata Comic Market

Niigata Comic Market
Niigata Comic Market
Status	Active
Venue	Toki Messe
Location(s)	Niigata, Niigata
Country	Japan
Inaugurated	1983
Website	http://gataket.com/

The Niigata Comic Market, also known as Gataket (ガタケット, Gataketto), is a dōjinshi comic book convention held bimonthly in Niigata, Niigata Prefecture, Japan. The convention venue alternates between Toki Messe and the Niigata City Sangyo Shinko Center [ja], attracting a regular attendance of 7,000 to 10,000 people per event. It holds the distinction of being the largest dōjinshi comic book market on the west coast of Japan. The inaugural event took place in 1983.

History

After establishing the Gataket secretariat in September 1982, the first Niigata Comic Market took place in January 1983. The inaugural event featured forty-six direct participation circles and nine consignment participation circles.

A significant milestone was reached on 14 November 1999, with the occurrence of Gataket50. To commemorate the 50th session of the event, renowned radio actors Tomokazu Seki and Miki Nagasawa were invited to participate. Another milestone event, Gataket100, took place on 31 August 2008, which included the participation of esteemed radio actors Shūichi Ikeda and Tōru Furuya.

During the 2000s, the number of participating circles has gradually decreased, and the frequency of Gattackets has increased. In 1999, the event reached its peak with approximately 2000 circles directly participating. However, by the 121st event in 2012, the number of participating circles had dropped to 25% of the peak, reaching the lowest level required to hold the event. To address this decline, Fumihiko Sakata, the organizer, sought the participation of experienced circles, extended the deadline for accepting applications, and managed to hold the event. It has been suggested that the decrease in participating circles may be attributed to the increased frequency of events, which made it challenging to maintain a sufficient number of participants.^[1]

Comic markets relating to Niigata Comic Market

Gataket Special

Gataket section where Cosplay is prohibited.

Cosplay Gataket

Gataket section exclusively for Cosplay circles (groups).

Gataket in Nagaoka

Literary coterie magazine spot sale association held in Nagaoka City in Niigata Prefecture. Nagaoka version of Gataket. It is chiefly held in Hive Nagaoka.

Gataket & Okaket

Comic market held in Nagaoka City in Niigata Prefecture. Nagaoka version of Niigata Comic Market. It is held at Hive Nagaoka.

Niigata COMITIA

Niigata version of COMITIA^[2] under direction of the Gataket secretariat. It is held inside the Niigata City Sangyo Shinko Center [ja] twice a year. It was previously hosted at Toki Messe.

Gataket shop

The Gataket secretariat managed a dōjinshi and painting materials shop in downtown Niigata. It closed in 2019.^[3]

Niigata Manga Competition

The Niigata Manga Competition (にいがた漫画大賞, Niigata Manga Taishō) is a manga contest held annually in Niigata City every September. It is sponsored by the Niigata Manga Competition planning committee. It is jointly sponsored by the Niigata Comic Market, the city of Niigata, and the Japan Animation and Manga College, a local vocational school in Niigata city. The competition has been held every year since 1998. It is unique due to the rarity of its sponsorship: a local municipal government sponsors the manga competition.^[4]