Anime & Manga Events in Japan 2026-2027: Full Calendar & How to Attend

If you want to catch a major anime or manga event in Japan, plan around five fixtures: Wonder Festival (late July), Comic Market / Comiket (mid-August), Tokyo Game Show (mid-September), Jump Festa (late December), and AnimeJapan (late March). These five cluster into just five months of the year — high summer (July to September), late December and late March — so they do not blanket the calendar. If you are visiting in April, May, June, October or November, none of the big five will be running, and you should plan around a smaller event instead (see below). This page is the crawlable master index behind our live event calendar — one place to compare what each event is, when it runs in 2026-2027, where it happens, whether it is free or ticketed, roughly how big and how much it costs, and which one is right for you.

We cover the big anime/manga/game conventions here. General Japanese festivals (matsuri, fireworks, seasonal celebrations) are a different world and live on our sister site, so this is strictly the japan anime events calendar.

The Japan anime events calendar at a glance

Here is every major event compared side by side. Dates are confirmed where the organizer has announced them and marked "expected" where they follow the usual pattern but are not yet official (as of 2026).

How big and how much: size and cost at a glance

The figures below are approximate and based on recent editions (as of 2026); always confirm the current number on the official site before you budget. Attendance is the whole run unless noted.

A quick way to read this: if you want to buy things made by fans, aim for Comiket or Wonder Festival. If you want announcements, trailers and stages, aim for Jump Festa or AnimeJapan. If you want to play games, it is Tokyo Game Show. Below, each event links to its own full guide.

When are anime events in Japan? Month by month

Late July — Wonder Festival

Wonder Festival is the twice-yearly garage-kit and figure festival at Makuhari Messe. The 2026 Summer edition runs July 26, 2026 (Sunday), 10:00-17:00, with a theme of "Exploration." Over 2,000 professional and amateur sculptors sell one-day-only kits, and licensed one-day figure sales draw serious collectors. Full details, hours and what to buy are in our Wonder Festival 2026 Summer guide.

Mid-August — Comic Market (Comiket) 108

Comiket is the largest self-published-comics (doujinshi) fair on earth, drawing on the order of 250,000 visitors across its two days (as of 2026, based on recent editions). C108 runs August 15-16, 2026 at Tokyo Big Sight. Rather than a single flat opening, entry is staggered by ticket type: early-entry ticket holders get in first at around 10:30, general (AM) wristbands enter from 11:00, and afternoon (PM) wristbands after about 12:30, with the halls closing around 16:00 (as of 2026, per the official ticket info). Note that C108 is slightly smaller than usual because East Halls 4-6 are under renovation (as of 2026). Entry needs a paid wristband bought in advance — this is not a walk-up event. Read the first-timer walkthrough in our Comic Market 108 guide.

Mid-September — Tokyo Game Show

Tokyo Game Show is Japan's flagship video-game expo. TGS 2026 runs September 17-21, 2026 at Makuhari Messe — the longest TGS ever, with business days on Sept 17-18 and public days September 19-21. Recent editions have drawn on the order of 300,000 visitors across the run, with over 3,000 exhibitor booths — a record 3,252 at TGS 2024, per organizer CESA (as of 2026). It leans heavily on anime tie-in and gacha titles, so it belongs on any best anime conventions Japan shortlist even though it is game-first. See our full Tokyo Game Show 2026 guide, and for buying entry read the dedicated TGS 2026 tickets guide.

Late December — Jump Festa

Jump Festa is Shueisha's giant Shonen Jump celebration at Makuhari Messe, held the weekend before Christmas. Jump Festa 2027 is expected in mid-to-late December 2026 (Jump Festa 2026 ran Dec 20-21, 2025; exact 2027 dates unconfirmed as of 2026). It is the best-value pick because admission is free — but you must apply in advance and win an entry slot through the official Jump NAVI lottery. It is stage-event heaven for fans of series like One Piece, Jujutsu Kaisen and My Hero Academia. Start with our Jump Festa 2027 guide and the step-by-step Jump Festa tickets guide.

Late March — AnimeJapan

AnimeJapan is the industry-scale anime showcase where studios reveal the coming season. The big 2027 news: AnimeJapan 2027 moves out of Tokyo for the first time to Intex Osaka, on March 27-28, 2027 (as of 2026), because Tokyo Big Sight begins renovations. It is ticketed and split into business and public days. Full breakdown in our AnimeJapan 2027 guide.

Which month suits which fan?

Because the big five cluster in only five months, the fastest way to choose is by when you can travel (as of 2026):

• July — Wonder Festival: best if you collect figures and garage kits and want one-day-only sculpts.
• August — Comiket: best if you want the biggest fan-made scene and cosplay, and can handle the heat and the crowds.
• September — Tokyo Game Show: best if games and playable demos matter more to you than anime panels.
• December — Jump Festa: best value (free entry) and best if Shonen Jump is your fandom.
• March — AnimeJapan: best for the widest studio lineup and next-season reveals — now in Osaka.

If your travel window falls outside these months, don't force a fit — look at a smaller event below instead.

Beyond the big five: smaller doujin events

The five fixtures are the headliners, but the doujin calendar is deeper. The one most worth knowing is Comitia, a quarterly self-published fair at Tokyo Big Sight (typically February, May, August and November) dedicated strictly to original works — no franchise fan-comics (as of 2026). It is far smaller than Comiket, on the order of 10,000-15,000 attendees, which makes it calmer and far easier for a first-timer to browse and talk to creators; cosplay is not permitted. If your trip lands in a month with no big-five event, a Comitia or a similar local doujin fair is often your best bet — check the live event calendar for the current schedule rather than assuming one is running.

How to attend: tickets, access and choosing

Three practical questions decide most trips.

Getting a ticket. Free does not mean easy — Jump Festa's free entry is lottery-gated, so apply early; our Jump Festa tickets guide walks through the app. Tokyo Game Show sells timed public tickets that sell out; the TGS 2026 tickets guide covers where and when. Comiket needs a pre-bought wristband, and Wonder Festival's entry is the day guidebook.

Getting there. Three of the five events (Wonder Festival, Tokyo Game Show, Jump Festa) are at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, not central Tokyo — allow 40-60 minutes and use our Makuhari Messe access guide so you arrive before the queues. Comiket is at Tokyo Big Sight (Odaiba); AnimeJapan 2027 is in Osaka.

Which one is for you? The two most-compared events are Jump Festa and AnimeJapan — both are announcement-and-stage shows in the cooler months. If you are torn, our Jump Festa vs AnimeJapan comparison breaks down cost, crowds, content and cosplay so you can pick.

First-timer logistics that apply across every event

A few rules travel with you no matter which event you pick (as of 2026):

• Cosplay is changing-room only. At Comiket and most doujin fairs you must change on-site in the designated area and never arrive or ride the train in costume. Comitia bans cosplay entirely.
• Travel light, then carry more home. Big Sight and Makuhari halls are enormous and you will leave with figures, books and goods — bring a foldable bag and use station coin lockers or a luggage service.
• Bring cash. Fan and figure booths are cash-first; don't rely on cards or IC transit money for doujin purchases.
• Beat the queues. Popular goods and stages sell out or fill early, so arrive before doors where you can — which is exactly why the access timing above matters.

Planning tips (read before you book)

• Book flights around the date, not the reverse. These fixtures barely move year to year, so if a specific anime convention Japan 2027 is your reason to travel, anchor the trip to it.
• Weekdays vs weekends. TGS and AnimeJapan have quieter business days (trade only) and busier public days — plan for public days as a visitor.
• Cosplay rules differ. Comiket has strict changing-room-only cosplay rules; never cosplay on the train there.
• Cash and comfort. Bring cash for doujin/figure booths, a foldable bag, and water — halls are vast and lines are long.
• Confirm before you commit. Always re-check the official site for the final date and ticket window; unconfirmed 2027 dates here are marked "expected" (as of 2026).

Start with the event that fits your travel window above, open its full guide, then use the how-to spokes for tickets and access.