But she has an alter ego as Kikuichi, a prolific cosplayer who takes on different personas, from an assassin coolly walking away from a cinematic explosion, to a picture of refined elegance as she trails behind an abbot, to a cyberpunk chick sporting a fierce gaze.
Her personas have appeared in at least 160 volumes of photo books, which she has self-published since she was 17.
I do a double take, half in disbelief, that these were images of the same person, let alone the quiet individual sitting before me.
Her photo books are examples of doujinshi – a term that uses the kanji characters for “people of the same mind” and “publication” and broadly describes books from Japan’s indie publishing underground.
She tells me: “This creative process is a distinctly Japanese way for individuals with niche interests to connect in person.”
While often associated with manga and fan fiction, doujinshi can come in countless forms: full-length novels, essay compilations, magazines, neighbourhood guides, haiku collections (short-form Japanese poetry of 17 syllables), literary criticism, and photo books.
Doujinshi is a massive, growing market in Japan. The Yano Research Institute consultancy, in a study on Japan’s thriving domestic otaku (nerd) subculture market, estimates that the doujinshi market reached an all-time high of 134.1 billion yen (S$1.17 billion) in the year ending March 2025, an 80 per cent increase from fiscal 2020. This figure equates to roughly 22 per cent of mainstream publishing revenues.
Doujinshi ranks behind only anime and oshikatsu (idol fandom) in the survey, coming ahead of indie games, cosplay and plastic models. What sets doujinshi apart from other books – including many self-published titles – is their lack of the 13-digit International Standard Book Number (ISBN) that is required for wider distribution, including through bookshops, libraries and online retailers like Amazon.
Call it self-indulgence, but each doujinshi is intended to be semi-exclusive and niche collectors’ items, created to appeal to people of like-minded interests and sold directly by creators to fellow enthusiasts and loyal fans at dedicated doujinshi events, fan conventions, or so-called literary flea markets.
It is unclear how many doujinshi creators there are, but as many as 50,000 titles are sold at Comiket, a biannual event that ranks as the largest fan convention in the world. Usually self-funded and self-edited, each title typically has fewer than 100 copies, sold at prices under 1,000 yen.
There are at least 1,000 doujinshi events – big and small – across Japan annually, with Comiket drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors. There are also sister events held overseas, and doujinshi is seen as a vital plank of the “Cool Japan” strategy to boost cultural exports.
A general view of the Comic Market convention in August 2024. PHOTO: COMIC MARKET
The growing doujinshi market defies a general decline in Japan’s book industry, a trend underscored by nationwide bookshop closures and a concerted government effort to promote reading. Creators cite improvements in printing technology and the Covid-19 pandemic, when people were stuck at home and had a lot of time to create, as reasons behind the market growth.
It is a realm where self-expression flourishes, unshackled by the constraints of traditional publishing. I find myself astonished by the dedication of its creators and the sheer variety of their work.
Despite a sizeable 71,500 followers on social media platform X, Mrs Kashida prefers engaging her fans in person.
Mrs Misato Kashida, a 42-year-old avid cosplayer, in different costumes. She is also a doujinshi creator who has self-published at least 160 photo books of herself cosplaying since she was 17. PHOTO: COURTESY OF MISATO KASHIDA
“A major difference between digital and analogue is the feeling one gets when holding the physical book; the print becomes a collectible item,” she says, adding that the point was hardly to make any money but to indulge in a long-time hobby and meet like-minded people.
She will release six new works at the next Comiket, to be held on Aug 16 and 17 at the Tokyo Big Sight. The convention first began in 1975 and marks its 50th anniversary in 2025.
Examples of doujinshi self-published works published by Shimaya Printing Corporation in Tokyo, including photo books of cosplayer Misato Kashida (top left) and a guide to local neighbourhood factories by Shimaya's chief executive officer Masaki Kohayakawa (top right). ST PHOTO: WALTER SIM
Boom and bust: The evolution of doujinshi
The roots of doujinshi in Japan stretch back to Meiroku Zasshi (Meiroku Magazine), printed over 43 issues from 1874 to 1875. Its authors described it as the outcome of “a group of friends who recently gathered together and enjoyed discussing the principles of life and other unusual stories”.
A blurb on the magazine’s inside cover, going by historical records, stated: “The process helped us improve our academic knowledge, clarify uncertain points, and clear our minds. We wrote down what we talked about, and hope to share this with like-minded people.”
While doujinshi nurtured creativity through Japan’s pre- and post-war years, the advancement of photocopying technology around 1970 marked a paradigm shift, making mass production significantly easier.
The launch of Comiket in 1975 further catalysed a movement that shifted doujinshi predominantly from original content to fan adaptations of existing manga and anime. Popular series like Space Battleship Yamato (1974-1975), Mobile Suit Gundam (1979-1980) and Captain Tsubasa in the 1980s fuelled this creative explosion.
For many contemporary artists, doujinshi became a pathway to industry recognition.
Renowned creators like Shirow Masamune, 63, of Ghost In The Shell, and Yoshihiro Togashi, 59, of YuYu Hakusho, began their careers in doujinshi, as did the late Monkey Punch (1937-2019) of Lupin III.
Minoru Toyoda, 53, of Draw This Then Die, are among those who continue to publish doujinshi on the side.
But doujinshi has also raised questions about intellectual property, given that many are derivative works that pay homage by adapting from copyrighted content. Many Japanese production companies, however, give tacit consent as a form of fan service.
Then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe suggested in 2016 that Japan would adopt a laissez-faire approach to policing such works: “The doujinshi do not compete with original works in the marketplace and do not unduly harm the interests and integrity of the rights holders.”
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Today, doujinshi events span the globe from Singapore to China and the United States. Doujin Market, Singapore’s largest annual event, drew more than 19,000 creators, cosplayers and fans over two days in May 2025.
In Japan, events are held even in obscure locales like the Kumano Kudo pilgrimage route in Wakayama Prefecture, where the NightSnails Cafe hosts doujinshi events twice a year.
Owner Kazuto Shioya, 46, who reportedly moved to Tokyo aspiring to be a manga artist but returned after he did not succeed, told the Asahi newspaper: “Even if we don’t manage to attract many people, I wanted to do something for regular manga enthusiasts.
“I had once given up on manga, but now my passion has been rekindled. I would like to continue creating a variety of interactions.”
The printing press: Fuelling the doujinshi revolution
A key driver behind doujinshi’s recent boom is technological advancements, particularly print-on-demand technology, which has significantly made it easier for anyone to become a creator. This is in contrast to offset printing, which was more common but was only more economical at larger sizes and quantities.
About 100 printing companies across Japan specialise in doujinshi, including Shimaya Printing in northern Tokyo’s Adachi Ward. This 57-year-old company is locally renowned for its community of cats – visitors and clients are hosted in a “healing room” whose feline residents have been featured in media, books and even doujinshi.
Shimaya’s 28 employees handle 9,000 unique titles each year, across its three factory locations within the ward. While they accept orders ranging from 10 to 10,000 copies, many creators print as few as 80 copies. Printing costs vary, but a basic option of 80 copies of a full-colour, 32-page doujinshi on B5 paper costs 29,320 yen.
Chief executive officer Masaki Kohayakawa, 53, admits to feeling out of his depth when he was unexpectedly thrust into the role 18 years ago after the sudden death of his father-in-law.
“It was a huge inferiority complex for me,” he confesses. “So I decided to experiment by making my own doujinshi. But I cannot draw manga or write novels, nor am I good with Illustrator or Photoshop.”
His solution: a seven-issue magazine that showcases other factories and businesses in his neighbourhood.
Today, he handles a diverse array of requests through various printing and binding formats. Some books are designed to fit inside a cassette tape holder; some open up like ancient Japanese scrolls; while others are held together by string or by a keyring.
An example of a doujinshi published by Shimaya Printing Corporation in Tokyo, a full-colour illustration book that measures 5cm in size and spans 130 pages with high-density illustrations. PHOTO: SHIMAYATOKYO/X
“Japan is probably the only country in the world where individuals can create books so easily and casually,” he notes, adding that his clients, predominantly women, range in age from their teens to their 80s.
Mr Kohayakawa observes that many doujinshi creators have exacting standards for translating their works from digital designs into print.
To meet these expectations, he brought in a Fujifilm printer that is touted as an industry-first for its simultaneous use of six different toners that go beyond the traditional CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow and black) to include specialised colours like gold, silver and pink – the latter being crucial for achieving vibrant skin tones.
I am sceptical looking at samples, thinking the difference is subtle.
But Ms Makiko Bujo, 39, of the graphic communication division at Fujifilm Business Innovation Japan, insists: “Creators have a very discerning eye and this difference really matters.”
She knows best, as a doujinshi creator herself for 23 years – a duration longer than her full-time career.
While she continues to produce two works a year outside her full-time job, she confesses to having once felt shame about her hobby: “I thought it was embarrassing being an otaku, so I kept it very quiet. This hobby is considered very nerdy, and I was worried about how people may perceive me.”
Yet, she responded to the company’s open call for ideas in May 2022, believing that the printer could unlock new potential for doujinshi creators like herself. Now, she leads a Fujifilm campaign to promote doujinshi publishing.
I am amazed by how Ms Bujo and Mrs Kashida have sustained their teenage passions for over two decades into adulthood, finding the time, energy, money and willpower to create works out of the love for their craft.
“If I do this full time, there will be added pressure to make money,” Mrs Kashida says. “That takes away the fun of creating and giving shape to ideas. The beauty of face-to-face events is the conversations, and if all these are moved online, it will be limited to cursory text messages.”
Mrs Misato Kashida, a 42-year-old avid cosplayer, in different costumes. She is also a doujinshi creator who has self-published at least 160 photo books of herself cosplaying since she was 17. PHOTO: COURTESY OF MISATO KASHIDA
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Ms Bujo agrees, saying that while it would be easy to maintain an online website, there is “indescribable joy” in seeing her works on paper.
“There’s something different about the tangible feel of it being a physical book, in finishing a work, having it printed and bound into books, and the copies delivered to your home or the venue,” she says.
“If it’s online, you can edit it or delete it at any time. But having it on paper means it is really the final product.”
Walter Sim is Japan correspondent at The Straits Times. Based in Tokyo, he writes about political, economic and socio-cultural issues.
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