How to book tickets to Tokyo's most popular museums and attractions

The sensational teamLab Borderless museum has found a fresh home in the new Azabudai Hills complex. This captivating space boasts a host of immersive installations where art and cutting-edge technology seamlessly intertwine, and you can expect several never-before-seen works that will change the way you see and interact with art. 

Highlights include the 'Microcosmoses - Wobbling Light' installation, where reflective spheres sail along a winding track in a mirrored room, and the 'Light Sculpture' series, where a plethora of moving light beams are used to create three-dimensional shapes.

Things to note

- Tickets for visits in March and  April are now available online. Tickets for May will be available in early March.

- While tickets have designated admission times, you can enjoy the exhibits for as long as you wish after entry.

- Admission for adults aged 18 and over is subject to dynamic pricing ranging from ¥3,800 to ¥4,800, depending on the day. Tickets for visitors with disabilities also vary between ¥1,900 and ¥2,400. Teens aged 13 to 17 can enter for ¥2,800, while tickets for children aged 4 to 12 cost ¥1,500. 

teamLab Planets at Shin-Toyosu Station is home to nine immersive installations, spread out across 10,000sqm. Compared to other popular Tokyo museums, here you have to remove your shoes before exploring the inside.

In some places you'll be wading through knee-deep water or walking on floor mirrors, so make sure to wear something above the knee (do avoid wearing skirts and dresses as well because of the mirrored floors). If needed, the museum provides shorts or a wrap-around. 

Ticket prices for adults vary depending on the day, ranging from ¥3,800 to ¥4,800. Admission for teenagers aged 13 to 17 years old is set at ¥2,800, and kids 4 to 12 years of age at ¥1,500 – these two ticket categories are priced the same at all times.

Things to note

- Bookings can be made online via the museum website or our affiliate partner Klook.

- Note that tickets are only valid for a specific time slot on the day, set every half-hour between 10am and 8pm. However, once you enter the museum, you can stay as long as you like.

teamLab Planets will remain open until the end of 2027.

Tokyo became a lot more magical in June 2023 with the opening of Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo – The Making of Harry Potter, which is inspired by the Warner Bros. Studio Tour in London. Just like its London counterpart, the Tokyo facility aims to provide a comprehensive experience, taking fans on an immersive journey through the making of the Harry Potter film series.

You can explore the Great Hall, Diagon Alley, the Ministry of Magic and many more famous sets from the movies. It’s also an interactive experience, where you can emerge from smoke-filled Floo Network ports and even have your own moving portrait appear at the Grand Staircase.

Things to note

- Tickets are currently available online via the venue's website for visits until June 30 2024 (you can also get tickets via our affiliate partner Klook). Adult tickets are priced at ¥6,300 (¥6,500 from April 1), junior tickets at ¥5,200 (¥5,400) and child tickets at ¥3,800 (¥3,900). Admission for children under the age of four is free.

- To avoid overcrowding, there’s a daily limit on visitors, so it’s wise to plan in advance to secure a ticket.

- You will need to book a time slot to enter the attraction. Generally, the first entry time is 9am, and then every 30 minutes until the final admission slot at 6pm. Note that admission time slots might differ from day to day.

Buckle up: the Ghibli Museum is notorious as the hardest museum in Tokyo to bag an entry ticket for. The way to get your hands on these coveted tickets is buying them online through Lawson. 

Tickets are ¥1,000 for adults, ¥700 for high school and junior high school students, ¥400 for primary school students and ¥100 for kids aged four and older. 

Note that the ticket is only valid for a specific date and time, and that you’ll need some form of ID to enter the museum – tickets are printed with your name, or at the very least with the group leader’s name. Without that person and a verified ID, you won’t be able to enter.

Through Lawson

- Tickets go on sale on the 10th of each month, at 10am JST sharp, for entry in the following month. So if you’re looking to buy tickets for April, you’ll need to clock in at 10am on March 10. 

- Tickets generally sell out within the first ten minutes for weekend slots. If possible, be flexible with your intended visiting date. Entry times are every hour between 10am and 4pm.

- You can get them through the regular Lawson website (in Japanese only; Japanese address and phone number required), or a Loppi machine inside Lawson convenience stores.

- Tickets can also be purchased through Lawson’s English website, but note that entry times are limited to 10am, 12noon, 2pm and 4pm. After you’ve selected the month, date, time and the number of tickets (up to six tickets per person), you’ll have to fill in your personal information and pay via credit card. On the day of your visit, you’ll have to show your passport and a printout of your booking details including the QR code. 

With a media fanfare usually reserved for heads of state, the Yayoi Kusama Museum opened in late 2017, with a stringent ticketing policy that made it immediately shoot up in the ‘hard to get tickets’ ranking. The hype has calmed down, but there are still a few things to look out for.

Things to note

- The museum is only open from Thursdays to Sundays, plus national holidays; note that the museum is closed (often for about a month) between exhibitions.

- There are six time slots per day, all for 90-minute sessions (11am, 12 noon, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm and 4pm). 

- 50 tickets are allocated per slot, all of which are only sold online. You can't get tickets at the door.

- Tickets go on sale via the website at 10am on the first day of each month for entry the month after next. For example, tickets for April go on sale on February 1. (Note: the museum is closed from March 25 to late April to prepare for the next exhibition.)

- Tickets are ¥1,100 for adults and ¥600 for kids aged six to 18, with children under the age of six entering for free.

It’s currently not possible to buy tickets for Tokyo Disneyland or DisneySea at the gate on the day of your visit, but you can book same day tickets online. However, it’s recommended to get your tickets in advance due to the popularity of the parks. Tickets go on sale on the website every Wednesday from 2pm for the same day two months ahead.

You can also buy tickets in person at the Disney flagship store in Shinjuku and a few other Disney Stores in the Kanto area, or at convenience store ticket machines, but the process may be complicated if you don't speak Japanese.

Tickets are divided into four categories with prices based on the season and the day of the week. They are more pricey on Saturday, Sunday, national holidays and peak periods such as Halloween and Christmas.

Price categories

One-day pass

• Adults: ¥7,900 - ¥10,900
• Children aged 12-17: ¥6,600 - ¥9,000
• Children aged 4-11: ¥4,700 - ¥5,600

If you don’t plan to spend the entire day at the parks, then opt for the discount tickets valid during evening hours. On weekends and holidays, the Early Evening Passport allows entry from 3pm for ¥6,500-¥8,700 (children aged 12-17 ¥5,300-¥7,200, children aged 4-11 ¥3,800-¥4,400), depending on the season. During weekdays, there’s the ¥4,500-¥6,200 Weeknight Passport instead, which is valid from 5pm. You’ll have plenty of time (until 9pm) to explore most of the park.

You could also get the one-day pass via our affiliate partner Klook. 

Visitors have two options for catching the lively tuna auctions at Tokyo’s Toyosu Market. The first is to watch the spectacle from a passageway overlooking the hall, and the other is from a special observation deck on the same floor as the auction. 

Entry is free for both viewing spots, but the latter requires advance reservations. 

How to apply

- Reservations for the observation deck have to be made online in advance. 

- It’s a lottery system, and applications are open generally about a month ahead. You’re allowed to apply for three different dates to increase your chances.

- Applications for slots in April 2024 will open between March 6 3pm and March 12 11.59pm. 

- You’ll be notified of your application status via email. 

Things to note

- You should arrive no later than 5.45am at the Promotional Corner on the third floor of Block 7’s Management Facilities Building. For the exact location, download the English Toyosu Market map here. 

- The 30-minute tour takes place from 5.55am until 6.25pm.

- Make sure to bring your passport or zairyu residence card to confirm your identity.