The day after the Tokyo Youtube gathering, August 16th, I went to Comic Market in Odaiba, Tokyo. Comic Market is Japan's, or maybe the world's, largest comic convention and happens twice a year, in Summer and Winter. Over 500,000 people come to Tokyo Big Sight during the 3 day convention.

The big difference between Comic Market (abbreviated to Comike) and an American convention like San Diego Comic-Con, is that Comike is almost all Dojinshi. Dojinshi are like a fan fiction manga. They are fan made manga that use characters from famous manga, anime, games, music, film, etc. They are usually made by groups or individuals called "Circles". Some of these circles become very famous and people line up for hours to get their new books. The books can then sell for a lot of $$.

Dojinshi can be about any subject matter. Sometimes they take a popular story in a new and strange direction. They are also known for being very erotic. Although not all Dojinshi are erotic, many are heavily sexual. The themes often include forbidden love and homosexuality.

Odaiba is known as a popular date spot in Tokyo. It's located on the bay and has a ferris wheel, and lots of shopping centers and parks. In Shiokaze park, about 2.4 kilometers from the Tokyo Big Sight Comic Market, is the giant Gundam. The Gundam is 60 feet high and is made by Bandai toy company. It is been guarding the park since July and is supposed to be up till October I think. Gundam is one of the most popular anime in Japan and has been around since 1979. A lot of kids in Japan want to be a Gundam when they grow up. I wanted to be a giraffe, or a fire truck.