If you love Japan, there’s a good chance you also love the enchanting, nostalgic vibes of Studio Ghibli’s films, from the awe-inspiring adventure of Spirited Away to the mesmerizing magic of Howl’s Moving Castle. That also means that you’d probably love to visit the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, Tokyo on your trip to Japan—but that’s much easier said than done, believe us.
Getting tickets to this memorable museum, featuring figures, sketches, exhibits and settings from all your favorite movies, can be incredibly confusing and stressful the first time. For example, tickets are sold a month ahead of time on the 10th of each month at 10am (Japan time), so you need to know exactly what you’re doing when the tickets go on sale… because they go fast!
But before you start welling up like you’re rewatching Grave of the Fireflies, don’t worry—we’re here to help you buy tickets to the Ghibli Museum.
Buying Ghibli Museum tickets outside Japan
There are two ways to buy tickets to the Studio Ghibili Museum from outside of Japan.
Grab your tickets through Lawson Ticket (Japanese only)
The first way is through Lawson Ticket, the official event and attraction ticket website of Lawson, one of Japan’s most prevalent konbini (convenience stores).
Ghibli Museum tickets are available via Lawson Ticket:
- The month before your planned visit: For example, if you plan to visit in February, your tickets would go on sale in January.
- On the 10th of each month: So, if you were visiting in February, your tickets would go on sale on 10 January.
- At 10am (Japan time): Meaning that you’ll need to be aware of what time 10am would be in your country’s time zone. Warning: You may need to get up early or stay up late.
The Lawson Ticket website can be extremely slow or even crash during peak times, so be sure you’re ready with:
- Your chosen entry date and time—it’s recommended to have a range of dates and times you’d be happy with to increase your chance of getting tickets.
- Your details, including your name, email address, phone number and payment information (credit card details)
For more information, or to join the Ghibli ticket grab next time they go on sale, head to the Ghibli Museum page on Lawson Ticket or the official Ghibli Museum website.
Join a Ghibli Museum tour with JTB Sunrise Tours
If that all sounds like too much hassle, you might prefer to join a JTB Sunrise Tour. This bus tour allows you to leave the tickets to someone else and combines a few extra sights on the same trip, available for purchase online or via an overseas JTB office.
In this bus tour, you’ll enjoy 2.5 hours at the Ghibli Museum before stopping for one of two traditional Japanese lunch options: a standard lunch or a vegetarian lunch, both served at the eye-catching Hotel Gajoen Tokyo. Then, the tour continues on to the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum in Koganei Park.
As you’ll soon discover, this location features thirty structures built between the Edo (1603-1868) and Showa periods (1926-1989), relocated and restored for your viewing pleasure. Keep an eye out, because many of these buildings and their intricate interiors inspired locations in Studio Ghibli’s films, such as the many drawers of a stationery store called Takei Sanshodo, which can be found replicated in Kamaji’s boiler room in Miyazaki’s Spirited Away.
As an added bonus, the tour also includes exclusive, original merchandise.
Note: You'll receive a voucher with a specified entry date that needs to be exchanged for your ticket (with passport) at the museum on your entry day.
Buying Ghibli Museum tickets in Japan
Buying tickets in Japan is much simpler as they’re available for purchase whenever you’re in Lawson, via their dedicated Lawson Loppi Machines.
Buying Ghibli Museum tickets from a Lawson Loppi Machine
Tickets can be purchased at Lawson convenience stores using their Loppi automatic ticket machines. Again, you will need to select a specific entry date and time slot when purchasing. You’ll still need to purchase your tickets a month in advance of your visit, but on the plus side, you won’t have to wake up at the crack of dawn!
For an explanation of how to use a Lawson Loppi Machine, head to the L-Tike guide.
Tips for getting Ghibli Museum tickets
- Be prepared: Have your preferred date, time slot and personal information ready.
- Use multiple devices (or people): Consider using multiple devices or having multiple people access the site simultaneously. This will increase your chances of getting tickets, especially if the website is freezing or crashing on certain devices.
- Stay calm: Your page may freeze or crash at peak times. Simply refresh the page and try again. Getting Ghibli Museum tickets is the Mad Max of ticket sales, so you may need to discover an unknown determination within yourself.
- Book one month in advance: One of the most important things to remember for getting Ghibli Museum tickets is that they go on sale one month ahead of when you plan to visit. So, if you’re hoping to visit the museum in June, you would need to purchase your tickets on 10 May at 10am (JST).
- Check for updates: If tickets don’t go on sale when you expect, check the official website for any updates or notifications about the ticket release schedule.
- Set an alarm: When ticket sales open, they go fast. Remembering even just 60 seconds late could mean you miss out entirely, so set an alarm for a few minutes before tickets can be purchased and get everything ready. Depending on where you’re buying tickets from, the timezone might make this especially important, with tickets going on sale at about 2–3am in the UK, for example.
Ghibli Museum: Ticket prices*
| Ages 19 and over | ¥1,000 |
|---|---|
| Ages 13–18 | ¥700 |
| Ages 7–12 | ¥400 |
| Ages 4–6 | ¥100 |
| Ages 3 and under | Free |
*Prices as of 5 August 2025 (Source)
Ghibli Museum FAQs
Where is the Ghibli Museum?
The Ghibli Museum is located in Mitaka, a leafy city in West Tokyo, Japan. Located in Inokashira Park, not far from Kichijoji Station, it’s a beautiful nature-filled area that suits the lush greens of many Studio Ghibli films.
How do I get to the Ghibli Museum?
The museum is accessible from both Mitaka (reached by the JR Chuo Line and Tokyo Metro Tozai Line) and Kichijoji (reached by the JR Chuo Line and Keio Inokashira Line) stations.
- From Mitaka Station, you can take a loop bus or walk along the Tamagawa Josui canal for about 20 minutes.
- From Kichijoji Station, you can walk through Inokashira Park, taking about 15 minutes.
Ghibli Museum address: 1-1-83 Shimorenjaku, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-0013.
Directions to the Ghibli Museum.
What is the difference between the Ghibli Museum and Ghibli Park?
The Ghibli Museum exhibits are all located within one small museum building in Mitaka, Tokyo, and it can be fully enjoyed in just a couple of hours. Meanwhile, Ghibli Park is more like a theme park in that it has multiple attractions and zones scattered around a spacious park in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture.
Is two hours enough time for the Ghibli Museum?
The Ghibli Museum is set across three floors of a relatively modest building, so two to three hours is more than enough time to soak up every exhibit and interactive moment, watch an exclusive short film, and hunt for the best souvenirs in the museum shop.
