The Ghibli Museum, conceived by its legendary director Hayao Miyazaki himself, is a must-visit item on many visitors’ Tokyo itinerary.
What many don’t realize is: tickets have to be purchased in advance for a specific date and time-slots. You cannot just arrive and get them at the entrance!
However, buying Studio Ghibli tickets online (or offline) can be confusing as there are many different options, at widely diverging prices and conditions.
In this guide, you’ll find the best option for buying your entrance tickets well in advance, last-minute, or even if sold out.
This article also covers the basics such as ticket prices, the time slot system and other important things you need to know before visiting the museum.
In a hurry? Jump right to our recommendations!
Otherwise, read on to learn about all the important details.
Most Important Tips for Your Visit
If possible, book ahead of time
While it is often possible to get tickets last-minute, it is safer and cheaper to arrange them early on. We recommend booking them at least 3 months before your visit, so be on the safe side.
Visit during the week
It is better to visit the museum on weekdays, since weekends (and public holidays) tend to sell out quickly and are usually packed.
Choose your time slot wisely
Tickets are valid for a specific time slot (entry time) on a specific date. You can maximize your time inside the museum by booking tickets for a time slot in the morning. There is no time limit to your visit, once you are inside.
General Information About Ghibli Museum Tickets
Ticket Price
Original ticket prices:
Adults: JPY 1,000 (US$ 7)
Teens (ages 13-18): JPY 700 (US$ 5)
Children (ages 7-12): JPY 400 (US$ 3)
Children (ages 4-6): JPY 100 (US$ 0.75)
Children (under 4 years): free (no ticket needed)
The prices above are what you pay if you purchase the ticket at a Lawson convenience store.
If you book online, or through an agency, the price will be higher because they include additional fees and services. Some sites don’t have children tickets, so you’ll need to purchase an adult ticket, even if younger than 19 years old.
ID/Name Checks
The name on the ticket will be checked at the entrance in every case. This means that you have to:
- Book or have your tickets booked under your name, as shown on your passport or ID. If you are buying for someone else, use their name.
- Make sure everyone you booked tickets for enters together with the person printed on the tickets.
- Don’t buy resale tickets from unauthorized sources (eBay, Craigslist, Yahoo Auctions and similar) since these will probably have someone else’s name on them.
- Tickets booked through the methods or agencies mentioned here will always provide valid tickets.
Time Slots
When buying a ticket, you usually have to select one of four entry times:
10:00 (enter by 10:30)
12:00 (enter by 12:30)
14:00 (enter by 14:30)
16:00 (enter by 16:30)
We recommend arriving even before the indicated time, since the queue can become quite long. If you don’t make it in time shown above, you won’t be able to enter!
Note that there is no time limit, once you are inside the museum. However, it closes at 18:00, so if you enter at 16:30, you only have 1.5 hours to view the exhibits (and to visit the gift shop).
On the other hand, the two middle slots are the most popular. Thus, we recommend the morning slots to visitors who are flexible.
Insider Tip!
Note that tickets bought through a JTB agency don’t have a fixed time slot. Just in case you really can’t decide what time you want to visit.
So now that you know all about Studio Ghibli tickets, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of how to buy them!
Image credit: Ryan Hyde used under CC.
How to Buy Tickets (Our Recommendations)
Below are our recommendations for buying tickets in four different scenarios:
Buying Tickets When Sold Out
Ghibli museum tickets tend to sell out months in advance. If tickets are sold out at Lawson, there’s still a chance tickets are available through these online travel agencies (small chance), or tour operators (higher chance).
Buying Tickets Well Ahead of Time (2+ months)
You can book confirmed tickets through JTB agencies even 3 months before the desired date. That is earlier than any other option (though not available in every country). This solution is temporarily unavailable, as of June 2023.
Buying Tickets Last-Minute (in Japan)
Firstly, tickets are not sold at the museum. You might be lucky and tickets still available from the Loppi machine at Lawson convenience stores. Chances are better at some travel agencies which offer last minute tickets, or even better, if you book a tour.
Buying Tickets at the Lowest Price
The cheapest place to purchase Ghibli Museum tickets is Lawson tickets. This includes the English or Japanese website of Lawson online, as well as the Lawson convenience stores (at the Loppi Machine). There, tickets are sold at the original price of 1,000yen (and less for children). However, note that tickets at Lawson usually sell out quickly!
All 7 Options for Purchasing Ghibli Museum Tickets
Option 1: Lawson’s English Website
Booking through Lawson Tickets (aka L-tike) is the cheapest overseas option. However, the risk of missing out is higher than through other sales channels. This is because not all available tickets are bookable on the English site.
When to buy
Tickets go on sale on Lawson online every 10th of the previous month (10am Japan Standard Time; GMT +9). In other words, if you want to visit the museum anytime in May, you can buy tickets starting from April 10th.
Pros
- Sold at face value (original price)
- Available online and in English
Cons
- Tends to sell out very quickly
Go to Online Ghibli Tickets at Lawson (English)
Option 2: Lawson’s Japanese Website
For some reason, the Japanese site of Lawson Ticket sometimes still has tickets, when they are already sold out on the English site.
The caveats: you need to be able to navigate a Japanese website, and you need a Japanese mobile phone number for SMS verification to register a Lawson account. Luckily, you can buy Japanese SIM cards with a real Japanese phone number quite easily from Mobal (even when still abroad, though it will only work once you arrive in Japan).
When to buy
Tickets go on sale every 10th of the previous month (10am Japan Standard Time; GMT +9). In other words, if you want to visit the museum anytime in May, you can buy tickets starting from April 10th.
Pros
- Sold at face value (original price)
- Better availability than English site
Cons
- Difficult to impossible to use for non-residents of Japan
- Sells out quickly
Go to Online Ghibli Tickets at Lawson (Japanese)
Option 3: Lawson Convenience Stores in Japan (Loppi Machine)
You can purchase tickets in person using the Loppi machine in any of the Lawson convenience stores. There is no need to register an account, or pay extra fees. However, tickets for most slots tend to sell out within hours or days.
When to buy
Tickets go on sale every 10th of the previous month (10am Japan Standard Time; GMT +9). In other words, if you want to visit the museum anytime in May, you can buy tickets starting from April 10th.
Pros
- Sold at face value (original price)
- Better availability than the English Lawson website (same inventory as on the Japanese version)
Cons
- You have to be in Japan already
- Loppi system is in Japanese only (but see picture guide linked below)
- Sells out quickly
Go to How to purchase at Lawsons (guide with pictures).
Option 4: JTB Group Travel Agencies (only in some countries)
As of June 2023, this option is “temporarily unavailable”.
If you live in one of the following countries, you can try purchasing tickets through one of your local JTB-affiliated travel agencies: Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States
When to buy
Tickets are released on the 1st of every month, for up to 3 months ahead. For example, you can buy tickets for April starting January 1st.
Pros
Earliest possible bookingNo fixed time slot
Cons
Each agency only has a handful of tickets for each admission dateNot available in every country
Option 5: Online Travel Agencies
It can be more convenient to buy through one of the online travel agents below, which sell official Ghibli Museum tickets. Sometimes they still have tickets, when already sold out at Lawson Ticket or JTB agencies.
Pros
- At some agencies, tickets can be pre-reserved even before official sale has started
- Easy booking process
- Better availability than other sources
- Last-minute tickets possible for extra money
Cons
- Expensive if sale has already started, so you might be better off ordering from tour operators in that case (see next section).
Viator
This TripAdvisor-owned website offers tickets incl. delivery to your hotel for JPY 4,900 (approx. US$35). However, you have to pre-order before the 5th day of the previous month.
Get Your Guide
This agency’s offer is quite convenient because they don’t send physical tickets to your hotel, but you get an instant confirmation that you can print yourself. You then meet their representative at the entrance of the museum, who walks you in. Their pricing is still reasonable at JPY 5,000 (or approx. US$ 35) but for some reason their availability seems to be more limited than other agencies.
Option 6: Tours to the Museum
Firstly, booking a Ghibli Museum tour does not mean that the visit of the museum itself will be guided (you are free to roam and explore by yourself inside the museum). Depending on the details of the tour offer, it could include transportation, and/or guided activities in the neighborhood of the museum, or at other Ghibli-related locations in Tokyo.
Pros
- Usually available even last minute
- Frequently still available even if sold out elsewhere
- More comfortable and extensive experience
Cons
- More expensive than the original ticket price
Klook
For around JPY 4,000 (approx. US$ 28) per person, you get a guided walking tour from Kichijoji station through the Inokashira Park to the Studio Ghibli Museum (approx. 30 min), plus the entrance ticket for the museum.
Viator
This website (which also offers tickets only), have an “all-day” 7 hours-itinerary tour for JPY 14,000 (approx. US$ 100) which includes visits to the museum, various locations in Tokyo which were inspirations for the Hayao Miyazaki movies and lunch (but no pick-up from hotel).
Get Your Guide
The same 7 hours-itinerary tour as Viator (see above) is available at Get Your Guide.
Option 7: Mitaka Neighborhood Tickets
This option will be out of reach for almost anyone, but we’ll still cover it for the sake of completeness.
If you live, work or visit school in Mitaka City, Musashino, Koganei or Nishitokyo, you are eligible to purchase “Neighborhood Tickets” at the Mitaka City Tourism Association Office. If by any chance you satisfy these requirements, the deal is pretty good; they can sell 50+50 tickets per day (for am and pm) at face value, from 3 months before the dates and until the last minute.
It would be futile to try to get Ghibli museum tickets this way, if you don’t satisfy the requirements above, though. Proof in form of official documents has to be shown at the time of purchase. More information in English here.
Directions to the Ghibli Museum
The museum is easily reached by public transport (train and bus).
Take the JR Chuo Line to either JR Mitaka Station or Kichijoji Station.
From either of these train stations, you can reach the anime museum within just 15 minutes walking. The route from Kichijoji includes a pleasant walk through Inokashira Park.
From Mitaka Station, you can also catch bus No.9 which stops at the Studio Ghibli Museum. It leaves every 10 minutes and tickets are sold at the bus stop. Ticket prices are JPY 210 for a single trip (JPY 320 return trip) for adults, and JPY 110/JPY 160 for children between 7-12 years.
The address of the museum is:
Ghibli Museum, Mitaka
1-chome 1-83 Shimorenjaku
Mitaka, Tokyo 181-0013, Japan
See on Google Maps
What is Your Experience Buying Studio Ghibli Museum Tickets?
Hopefully this guide helped you in your quest to obtain Ghibli museum tickets! If you have made any experiences worth spreading, or found anything lacking in this guide, let us know or comment below!
