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Tickets Japan

Help and FAQ

Everything we get asked about booking, paying and visiting. If your question isn't here, write to us and a person will answer.

Booking with us

How does booking with Tickets Japan work?
You tell us the date and entry time you want, with backups if you have them, and pay with your own card. When the venue releases tickets for that month, our team is in the queue and works through your dates in order. You get a confirmation by email once the ticket is secured. The step-by-step guide has the full picture.
What do you need from me?
The names and ages of everyone visiting, your preferred date and entry time, any backup dates, and an email address we can reach you at. The museum may ask to see identification, so give names as they appear on your ID.
When should I send my request?
Any time. Tickets for a whole month are released at 10:00 JST on the 10th of the previous month, so a request that reaches us before then joins the first queue. Requests for a month that is already on sale are handled against whatever remains, and cancelled tickets sometimes come back on sale.
Can I give you more than one date?
Yes, and we recommend it. List your dates and entry times in order of preference and we work down the list at release. Flexibility of even one weekday is the single biggest factor in getting in.
When will I know whether my booking succeeded?
Shortly after release day. We email you as soon as your entry is secured, or straight away if none of your requested dates were available.
Can I change my date or entry time after booking?
Before release day, yes: write to us and we update your request. After a ticket is secured, no. Venue tickets are dated and timed and cannot be changed or transferred, so tell us about any change of plan as early as you can.
How many tickets can I book?
Tell us how many people are coming and their ages. Everyone aged 4 and over needs their own dated ticket, teenagers and children included. Children aged 3 and under are admitted free by the museum; if you add them to your booking, the infant price covers the reservation and the processing fee.

Prices, payment and refunds

What currency do you charge in?
US dollars. Prices are shown before taxes, which are calculated at checkout. Your bank converts the charge to your own currency at its usual rate.
Which cards can I pay with?
Major international credit and debit cards. There is no Japanese card, bank account or convenience-store payment involved.
Are taxes included?
No. Prices are shown before taxes, and any tax due is added and shown at checkout before you pay.
What is the $2 processing fee?
Every price includes a $2 processing fee that covers payment handling and the work of queueing for your ticket. It is non-refundable, including when we cannot secure your booking.
What happens if you can't get my ticket?
We refund the ticket price minus the $2 processing fee and any costs charged by the payment processor. The refund goes back to the card you paid with. Full details are in our refund and cancellation policy.
Can I cancel?
Before release day, write to us and we cancel your request; the $2 processing fee is kept and the rest is refunded. Once a ticket is secured it cannot be cancelled or refunded, because the venue's tickets are dated, timed and non-transferable. See the refund and cancellation policy.

Ghibli Museum

When do Ghibli Museum tickets go on sale?
At 10:00 JST on the 10th of each month, for every day of the following month. Tickets for November, for example, go on sale on 10 October. Send your request whenever you like; our team queues at release.
Can I choose my entry time?
Yes. Entry times run every hour from 10:00 to 16:00. Enter within an hour of your reserved time; after that there is no set exit time.
Do I have to leave after an hour?
No. The hour is your entry window, not a time limit. Once inside you can stay until the museum closes at 18:00.
Which days is the museum closed?
Tuesdays are normally closed, and the museum also closes for maintenance periods. It has closed over the year-end and New Year holidays in recent years. The official calendar lists exact closures about a year ahead, and we check it before queueing for your dates.
Do children need tickets?
Everyone aged 4 and over needs their own dated ticket. Children aged 3 and under are admitted free. Our guide to visiting with children covers entry times, the Cat Bus room and the rooftop stairs.
Can I take photos inside?
No. Photography and video are not allowed anywhere inside the museum. The grounds and the rooftop garden are the exception.
How do I get to the museum?
Take the JR Chuo Line to Mitaka Station, about 20 minutes from Shinjuku. From the south exit it is a 15-minute walk along the Tamagawa Josui waterway, or a community bus every 15 minutes. There is no visitor parking. Directions are on the Ghibli Museum page.

On the day

What do I need to bring?
The confirmation we send you, and identification for the person named on the booking in case the museum asks to see it.
What if I'm late for my entry time?
Enter within an hour of your entry time and you are fine. If you think you will miss that window, contact us as early as you can; we cannot promise the museum will admit you after it.
Is there somewhere to leave bags?
Yes, coin lockers are available at the museum. The rooftop is reached only by a narrow spiral staircase, so travel light if you can.
Can I eat or drink inside?
Only at the Straw Hat Café on the terrace. Eating and drinking are not allowed elsewhere in the museum.
Can I bring a stroller?
Yes. The rooftop garden is reached only by a narrow spiral staircase with no lift, so a stroller stays below while you go up.
Is the museum accessible?
Wheelchairs can be borrowed and there are accessible toilets on every floor. The rooftop garden is the exception: it is reached only by a spiral staircase and has no lift.

About Tickets Japan

Who is Tickets Japan?
An independent travel booking service for international visitors to Japan. We book dated, timed entry to attractions that are hard to reserve from abroad, starting with the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka. There is more on the About page.
Are you part of the Ghibli Museum?
No. Tickets Japan is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by the Ghibli Museum, Studio Ghibli or Museo d'Arte Ghibli. Official information is on the museum's own website.
Is this ticket resale?
No. We do not hold tickets and sell them on. We reserve entry in your name, on your request, when the venue releases it. You pay one price that includes the museum admission, our booking service and the processing fee.
Which languages can I book in?
English, French, Spanish, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese. Switch at any time with the language menu at the top of the page, and write to us in whichever of these you prefer.
How do I reach you?
By email. General questions go to hello@tickets-japan.com, group or trade enquiries to sales@tickets-japan.com and anything about an existing booking to support@tickets-japan.com. The contact page has a form too.