Ghibli Museum tickets for January 2027: release date and booking

When do January 2027 tickets go on sale?

January 2027 tickets go on sale at 10:00 JST on Thursday 10 December 2026, through Lawson Ticket.

• Tokyo: Thursday 10 December, 10:00
• London: Thursday 10 December, 01:00
• Paris and Madrid: Thursday 10 December, 02:00
• New York: Wednesday 9 December, 20:00
• Los Angeles: Wednesday 9 December, 17:00
• Taipei and Hong Kong: Thursday 10 December, 09:00
• Sydney: Thursday 10 December, 12:00

A Thursday morning in Japan is a Wednesday evening in the Americas and the middle of the night in Europe, on a work night two weeks before Christmas. Have your account, your card and your list of dates ready the evening before. If none of those hours suits you, a booking service like Tickets Japan takes the list and queues at release for you.

Is the museum open over New Year?

Do not assume the museum is open over New Year.

New Year's Day is Friday 1 January. The museum has closed over the year-end and New Year holidays in recent years, and Japan's busiest domestic travel period runs until about 3 January. Any date in the first few days of the month may simply not be on sale. The official calendar is the final word, and it is published roughly a year ahead, so it will be there well before 10 December.

Tuesdays are normally closed. In January 2027 that is 5, 12, 19 and 26 January.

Which January dates will go first?

The Coming of Age Day weekend, 9 to 11 January, is likely to go first, led by the 10:00 entry. The holiday itself is Monday 11 January, and it is the first long weekend after the New Year holidays.

The school winter holiday runs to about 7 January, so any open days between the New Year closure and the weekend of 9 January will be in demand too. After that, Saturdays and Sundays as usual.

One more date to know. Tickets for February go on sale at 10:00 JST on Sunday 10 January, in the middle of the long weekend. If you are in Tokyo that weekend and thinking about a second visit, that is the morning to be online.

When are the quietest weeks?

From about Wednesday 13 January to the end of the month there are no holidays and schools are back. These are usually the calmest weeks of the museum's year and the best odds you will get of a first-choice date and entry time on release day.

If you have any flexibility, book here. A weekday 11:00 or 12:00 entry, which you would not count on in a school holiday, is a realistic first choice in mid-January.

Families with children under school age get the most from this window. The Cat Bus room on the second floor is for children aged 12 and under, and a quiet weekday is the best time for it. There is more on that in the guide to visiting with kids.

What is Mitaka like in January?

Cold and dry, with clear skies most days. Highs are around 10 to 12 °C and lows near 1 to 4 °C.

Dress for two stretches outdoors: the 15-minute walk from the south exit of Mitaka Station along the Tamagawa Josui waterway (or the community bus every 15 minutes, ¥230 for adults) and the rooftop garden, which is reached by a narrow spiral staircase and closes in bad weather. The coin lockers take coats and bags, and the spiral staircase is easier without either.

Inokashira Park has lost its colour by January, but the pond, the Benzaiten shrine and the small zoo are all there, and Kichijoji, with its Harmonica Yokocho alleys and Sun Road arcade, is the place for a warm lunch on the far side of the park.

The full release calendar for 2026 and 2027, with local times for every month, is in the release dates guide. Entry times, prices and how our booking works are on the Ghibli Museum page.