Comiket 108 faces theft reports and major network deployment

The Comic Market 108 (Comiket 108) event, held on August 15–16, 2026, at Tokyo Big Sight, has seen reports of various crimes including theft, pickpocketing, fraudulent change, and unauthorized photography. The Comic Market Preparatory Committee issued an official warning via social media, urging circle participants to verify cash transactions and for all attendees to secure their valuables. While such incidents have occurred at previous events, the recurring nature of these crimes has led to criticism regarding the adequacy of the organizers' management and security measures.

To address the massive influx of hundreds of thousands of visitors, major Japanese telecommunications carriers—NTT Docomo, KDDI, and SoftBank—have deployed advanced network infrastructure to prevent communication congestion. NTT Docomo has increased its number of mobile base stations and is implementing 5G Standalone (SA) services. KDDI is introducing 5G millimeter wave (mmWave) relay technology and testing Wi-Fi conversion via CPE devices to assist non-mmWave users. SoftBank is deploying its first 3-band Massive MIMO base stations at the event and utilizing high-gain antennas to expand Wi-Fi coverage in crowded areas.