Help and FAQ
Everything we get asked about booking, paying and visiting. If your question isn't here, write to us and we will write back.
Booking with us
How does booking with Tickets Japan work?
- You tell us the first and last day you can visit, or ask for the earliest open day, say whether you can enter in the morning, the afternoon or at any time, and pay on Stripe's checkout page with your own card. When the museum releases that month's tickets, our team is in the queue and tries every open day and entry time in your range. We email you the result within 48 hours of the release. The booking form takes a few minutes, and the step-by-step guide has the full picture.
What do you need from me?
- Your full name as it appears on your ID, an email address for the tickets and the result, and how many visitors in each age band. A phone number is optional. The museum can ask to see identification at the door, so the name should be that of the person who will hold the tickets.
When should I send my request?
- Please send us your ticket purchase request by the 8th of the month prior to your intended visit. As an example, if you plan to visit the museum on November 21, please send a ticket purchase request to us by October 8th. You can send ticket purchase requests up to 11 months before your planned visit, however tickets will not be fulfilled until closer to your visit date due to venue ticketing rules.
Can I give you more than one date?
- Yes, and we recommend it. Give us the first and last day you can visit, or ask for the earliest open day, and choose morning, afternoon or any time. On release day we try every open day and entry time in that range, so a wider range or any time greatly increases the chance of success.
When will I know whether my booking succeeded?
- Within 48 hours of the release. We email you as soon as your entry is secured or, if we could not get any day in your range, as soon as we have confirmed that.
Can I change my date or entry time after booking?
- By the 7th of the month prior to your intended visit, write to us and we will update your request. As an example, if you had originally planned to visit the museum on November 21, please send a change request to us by October 7th. The new dates must still meet the request deadline for their visit month, the 8th of the month before. After a ticket is secured, no. Venue rules state that 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?
- Up to 10 tickets per request. Tell us how many people are coming in each age band. 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 without a ticket as long as they are accompanied by an adult, so do not count them.
Prices, payment and refunds
What currency do you charge in?
- US dollars. You see the total on Stripe's checkout page before you pay, and your bank converts the charge to your own currency at its usual rate.
How can I pay?
- On Stripe's checkout page, by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Link or the other payment methods Stripe offers in your country. There is no Japanese card, bank account or convenience-store payment involved.
Are taxes included?
- No. Prices are shown in US dollars before taxes. Any tax that applies to your order is shown on Stripe's checkout page before you pay, so the total there is the amount charged.
What is the $2 processing fee?
- Every paid ticket price includes a $2 processing fee that covers payment processing and other services to secure your ticket. It is non-refundable, including when we cannot secure your booking.
What happens if you can't get my ticket?
- We refund every ticket minus its $2 processing fee and the costs the payment processor charged us on your payment. The refund goes back to the payment method you paid with, at exchange rates managed by your bank or card provider. Full details are in our refund and cancellation policy.
Can I cancel?
- By the 7th of the month prior to your intended visit, write to us and we will cancel your order and refund what you paid minus the $2 processing fee on each ticket. As an example, if you had originally planned to visit the museum on November 21, please send a cancellation request to us by October 7th. 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 are Ghibli Museum tickets released?
- At 10:00 Japan time on the 10th of the month before the visit month, for the whole month at once: November's tickets on 10 October. That is 01:00 UTC, since Japan has no daylight saving time. Your request must reach us by the 8th of that month so that it is in the queue; the release dates guide lists every date with local times.
Can I choose my entry time?
- You choose the part of the day. Every ticket carries an entry time on the hour, from 10:00 to 16:00. When you book, you ask for the morning (10:00 to 12:00), the afternoon (13:00 to 16:00) or any time, and we secure whichever of those times is available. Enter within an hour of the time on your ticket; 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, which we follow when booking tickets for you.
Do children need tickets?
- Everyone aged 4 and over needs their own dated ticket. Children aged 3 and under are admitted free and without a ticket. 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 short ride on the Ghibli community shuttle bus, which runs 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 by email, 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, 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 resell them. We reserve entry in your name, on your request. 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.