In Western cultures, doujin are often perceived to be derivative of existing work, analogous to fan fiction. Advances in personal publishing technology have also fueled this expansion by making it easier for doujin creators to write, draw, promote, publish, and distribute their works. Over the last decade, the practice of creating doujin has expanded significantly, attracting thousands of creators and fans alike. This makes a talented creator's or circle's products a coveted commodity as only the fast or the lucky will be able to get them before they sell out.

Doujin creators who base their materials on other creators' works normally publish in small numbers to maintain a low profile from litigation. Here, over 20 acres (81,000 m 2) of doujin materials are bought, sold, and traded by attendees. This culminated in 1975 with Comiket in Tokyo.Īvid fans of doujin attend regular doujin conventions, the largest of which is called Comiket (a portmanteau of 'Comic Market') held in the summer and winter at Tokyo Big Sight.

This changed in the coming decades with doujin groups forming as school clubs and the like.

At this time, doujin groups were used by artists to make a professional debut. Manga artists like Shotaro Ishinomori ( Kamen Rider, Cyborg 009) and Fujio Fujiko ( Doraemon) formed doujin groups such as Fujiko's New Manga Party ( 新漫画党, Shin Manga-to). One famous example is Ozaki Koyo, who led the Kenyusha society of literary writers that first published collected works in magazine form in 1885.Īfter World War II, manga doujin started to appear in Japan. Many modern writers in Japan came from these literary circles. Literary circles first appeared in the Meiji period when groups of like-minded waka writers, poets and novelists met and published literary magazines (many of which are still publishing today). Print doujin works are collectively called doujinshi.ĭoujin works are typically amateur and derivative in nature, though some professional artists participate in doujin culture as a way to publish material outside the regular publishing industry.Īnnual research by the research agency Media Create indicated that of the US$1.65 billion of the otaku industry in 2007, doujin sales made up 48% (US$792 million). Self-published creative works produced by these groups are also called doujin, including manga, magazines, novels, music ( doujin music), anime, and video games ( doujin soft). The word is sometimes translated into English as ' clique', ' fandom', 'coterie', 'society', or 'circle' (as in ' sewing circle'). In Japan, doujin ( Japanese: 同人, Hepburn: dōjin) is a group of people who share an interest, activity, or hobby. Comiket, pictured here in 2002, is the largest venue for the sale of doujin works.

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