Ghibli Museum & Pokémon Tickets: How Families Actually Get Them

Disclosure: Some links in this article are affiliate links. If you book through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Every price, release time and rule below comes from the Ghibli Museum, Ghibli Park, PokéPark KANTO, Pokémon Café and Pokémon's own websites (several only in Japanese), checked on October 9, 2026.

Dollar amounts are approximate at $1 ≈ ¥158 (October 2026). You pay in yen.

Tickets can still sell out fast, but the process gets much easier once you know which day, which hour (Japan time) and which website. This guide covers each one, plus what a family of four can expect to pay and what to do if you miss out.

Ramen Dad’s note: My daughter has a clear favorite between Ghibli and Pokémon. Either way, these are the tickets you can’t leave to the last minute.

Quick answer

*Family of four = 2 adults, a 2-year-old and a 6-year-old, cheapest weekday option, before ticketing fees except where shown. Ghibli Park: 2 adults ¥3,300 + 6-year-old ¥1,650 + 2-year-old free.

My pick for families: if you’re staying in Tokyo, put the Ghibli Museum ahead of Ghibli Park unless Nagoya is already on your route. For Pokémon fans with a toddler, a Pokémon Center or Pokémon Café is the easy start; PokéPark KANTO makes more sense when your kids are old enough for the forest, or when your family is happy to split up.

Ghibli Museum: how the tickets work

The Ghibli Museum in Mitaka is reservation-only. It doesn’t sell tickets at the door, and every visit is for a set date and entry time. Official ticket page

When: tickets go on sale at 10:00 a.m. Japan time on the 10th of each month, for every day of the following month. February tickets go on sale January 10, March tickets on February 10, and so on. In the Americas, 10 a.m. in Japan is the previous evening; in Europe it’s the middle of the night.

Where: from outside Japan, the museum lists exactly two routes:

1. Lawson Ticket’s English site, linked from the museum’s ticket page
2. Sunrise Tours (JTB), a one-day bus tour from Tokyo that includes museum entry (more below)

That’s it. The museum doesn’t list any other online seller, and it says resold tickets won’t get you in.

Entry times: 10, 11, 12, 1, 2, 3 and 4 o’clock. You must enter within one hour of your time. There’s no exit time, so once you’re inside you can stay until closing (6 p.m.). The museum is closed on Tuesdays, plus other days that change each year (see the calendar on the ticket page).

Prices by age

There are no group or advance discounts.

New from November 2026: QR tickets and a ¥110 fee

Starting with November 2026 entry (tickets that go on sale October 10, 2026), the museum is switching to a QR-code ticket system. Lawson Ticket now adds a ¥110 (≈$1) system fee per ticket. You choose either an e-ticket you open in your phone’s browser or a paper ticket printed at a Lawson convenience store. Museum notice, October 6, 2026 (Japanese)

Family of four: 2 adults (¥2,000) + 6-year-old (¥100) + 2-year-old (free, no ticket) + 3 × ¥110 fee = ¥2,430 (≈$15). Of everything in this guide, it’s by far the cheapest. Getting the tickets is the hard part.

A release-day plan

1. Pick two or three dates and times before the 10th. Mornings are easier with small kids, and a 10 a.m. or 11 a.m. slot leaves the afternoon free.
2. Set an alarm for 10:00 a.m. Japan time on the 10th of the month before your trip, and be on the Lawson page a few minutes early. For U.S. families, that’s 9:00 p.m. the previous day in New York and 6:00 p.m. in Los Angeles during daylight saving time; outside it, 8:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.
3. Book under the name of the adult who will definitely come, and type it exactly as on their passport. The museum’s English page doesn’t spell out the ID check, so the safe plan is for the person who booked to enter with the group and carry their passport.
4. Count only children 4 and up as ticket holders. Your 2-year-old doesn’t need one.
5. Pay and save the confirmation right away. If you choose paper, print it at a Lawson store after you arrive.

Ramen Dad’s note: I’ve tried for Ghibli Museum tickets on the 10th myself. Be on the Lawson page a few minutes before 10:00 a.m. Japan time.

On the day

• No photos or video inside the museum. The museum asks visitors to see it with their own eyes instead of through a camera, and to keep phones away inside. Museum rules (Japanese)
• Strollers stay in the stroller parking area. Bring a carrier if your toddler won’t walk the whole museum.
• The Catbus is for elementary-school age and younger. Older siblings and parents can only watch.
• No re-entry, and no eating inside the museum itself. Food is allowed in the café and on the deck in front of it.
• Short film: each visitor sees the museum’s original short film once.
• One floor has a strobe-light exhibit, which matters if your child is sensitive to flashing light.
• Baby facilities: changing tables in every floor’s restrooms, outside and in the café; ask staff if you need a nursing room. Free coin lockers (¥100, returned).
• If trains are disrupted, the museum sometimes announces on its site and X that late arrivals can still enter that day (it did this on September 21, 2026). Don’t count on it as the normal rule.

Getting there

From Shinjuku, take the JR Chuo Line Rapid to Mitaka (20 minutes). From the south exit, it’s about 15 minutes on foot along the Tamagawa Josui canal, with signs pointing the way, or 5 minutes by community bus from stop 9. The bus is ¥230 (≈$1) for adults; children pay ¥120 (≈$1) in cash, or ¥50 with an IC card. How to get there (Japanese)

Ramen Dad’s note: We’ve made the trip from Mitaka Station to the museum with kids. You can walk about 15 minutes along the canal or take the 5-minute community bus.

If the Ghibli Museum is sold out

Option 1: the JTB bus tour

Sunrise Tours (part of the JTB group) runs a one-day bus tour from Tokyo that includes 2.5 hours at the Ghibli Museum, a stop at the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum, and tour-only merchandise. It’s one of the two overseas routes the museum lists. It costs more than the ticket, but it’s a real option if you missed the ticket release on the 10th. The tour has its own availability and can sell out too, so check the included stops, total length, children’s prices and cancellation policy before booking. Sunrise Tours Ghibli page

Option 2: Ghibli Park, if you’re going through Nagoya

Ghibli Park is a different place: a large outdoor park in Aichi, about one hour from Nagoya Station by subway and the Linimo line (Nagoya is about 100 minutes from Tokyo by Shinkansen). If your route already passes Nagoya, it can replace the museum.

• Standard pass (Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse, Mononoke Village, Valley of Witches): weekdays ¥3,300 (≈$21) adults / ¥1,650 (≈$10) ages 4–12; weekends and holidays ¥3,800 (≈$24) / ¥1,900 (≈$12).
• Premium pass (all five areas and the buildings, including Howl’s Castle and Satsuki and Mei’s House): weekdays ¥7,300 (≈$46) / ¥3,650 (≈$23); weekends ¥7,800 (≈$49) / ¥3,900 (≈$25).
• Standard pass and the buildings: the Standard pass doesn’t include Howl’s Castle, Okino Residence or the House of Witches in the Valley of Witches. Limited same-day tickets for them are sold at the Ticket Truck there (vouchers handed out from 10 a.m., 9 a.m. on weekends and holidays), first come, first served, until they sell out. Choose Premium if getting into those buildings matters.
• Ages 0–3 are free and don’t count toward your party size. A service charge is added when tickets are issued.
• On sale two months ahead, on the 10th at 2:00 p.m. Japan time. December 2026 tickets go on sale October 10, 2026.
• Kids-only spots (12 and under): the Cat Bus Room and Children’s Town inside the Grand Warehouse, and Dondoko-do in Dondoko Forest.
• The person named on the tickets must enter with the whole group and may be asked for ID, so bring that adult’s passport. Buying on behalf of other visitors isn’t allowed. Ghibli Park tickets

The park’s own ticket page links to two overseas sellers, Lawson Ticket and Klook. If you already use Klook for other Japan bookings, you can check Ghibli Park ticket availability there; compare availability and any booking fees before you pay.

Pokémon Centers: no ticket needed

Pokémon Center stores are regular shops. You don’t need a reservation to walk in. Around Tokyo, the big ones are:

• Pokémon Center Tokyo DX (Nihonbashi Takashimaya, East Building 5F), next to Pokémon Café
• Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo (Sunshine City, Ikebukuro, Alpa 2F), open 10 a.m.–8 p.m.
• Pokémon Center Shibuya (Shibuya PARCO 6F), open 10 a.m.–9 p.m.
• Pokémon Center Skytree Town (Solamachi 4F)
• Smaller Pokémon Stores at Tokyo Station (First Avenue) and Narita Airport Terminal 1

Official store list (Japanese)

The one exception is new Pokémon card products. The stores’ own pages announce lotteries for some card releases, so a hyped new set may not be on the shelf for walk-in buyers. If cards are the reason you’re going, check the store’s page that week.

PokéPark KANTO: read the age rule first

PokéPark KANTO opened on February 5, 2026 inside the Yomiuriland amusement park in Inagi, western Tokyo. It’s Pokémon’s first permanent outdoor park, and every ticket includes Yomiuriland entry.

The rule most families miss

The park has two main areas: Sedge Town (shops, shows, rides) and the Pokémon Forest (a walking course through the woods with Pokémon). The forest has steep hills and a 110-step staircase, so:

Children under 5 on the day of the visit can’t enter the Pokémon Forest, even carried or in a stroller, and the adults with them can’t enter either.

PokéPark ticket information

Children under 3 can enter Sedge Town without a ticket.

Ticket types and prices

Prices change by date. These are the lowest prices listed:

With Trainer’s and Town Passes, the two rides (Pika Pika Paradise and Vee Vee Voyage) cost extra; tickets are sold at a kiosk in Sedge Town, by credit card only. The Ace Trainer’s Pass includes one priority-lane ride on each of the two at no extra charge; further rides need separate tickets.

Family of four, two ways

With a 2-year-old, the whole family can’t do the forest together. Two realistic setups:

• Everyone on a Town Pass: 2 adults ¥9,400 + 6-year-old ¥2,800 + 2-year-old free = from ¥12,200 (≈$77).
• Split up: one parent and the 6-year-old on Trainer’s Passes (¥7,900 + ¥4,700), the other parent and the toddler on Town Passes (¥4,700 + free) = from ¥17,300 (≈$109). The forest pair meets the others back in Sedge Town.

How overseas visitors buy

• Live outside Japan: use PokéPark’s overseas ticket site (English). The Japanese site needs a membership verified by text message to a Japanese mobile number, so it won’t work for most visitors.
• Sale dates: the Japanese site sells two months ahead, at 7:00 p.m. Japan time each day. The overseas site runs its own calendar, so check it as soon as your dates are fixed.
• ID from November 2026: for overseas-site tickets, ID checks at entry are done by JTRweb, the overseas ticket operator. Bring your original passport; copies aren’t accepted. The park says checks may also happen before November. PokéPark FAQ

On the day

• Get the official PokéPark app. The Pokémon Daisuki Shop, Pokémon Playhouse and Sedge Gym Show need a “limited-access ticket”, which you request in the app after passing the Yomiuriland gate, from 10:45.
• Strollers are welcome, but the park doesn’t rent them. Yomiuriland rents them at the Sky Gate for ¥500 (≈$3), first come, first served.
• Diapers are sold at kiosks in the Trainers’ Market, and the nursing room in Sedge Town has hot water for formula. There’s no microwave.
• Food: outside food isn’t allowed, except for small children and dietary needs (tell staff at entry).
• No restrooms inside the Pokémon Forest. Go before your time slot.
• It’s outdoors and the entry line has no roof. Rain gear helps; heavy weather can stop the forest and rides.
• Rides: no height limits, but under-5s must ride with a ticket holder aged 13 or older.
• Getting there: the park says about 2 hours by public transport from Haneda and 2.5 hours from Narita.

Ramen Dad’s note: I’ve been to Yomiuriland with kids. It’s outdoors and the entry line has no roof, so pack rain gear just in case.

Pokémon Café: how to book a table before it sells out

There are two Pokémon Cafés: Tokyo (Nihonbashi Takashimaya, East Building 5F, next to Pokémon Center Tokyo DX) and Osaka (Daimaru Shinsaibashi, Main Building 9F). Both are reservation-only. Official FAQ (Japanese)

How bookings opened recently: for November 2026 visits, reservations for the whole month opened on October 1 at 6:00 p.m. Japan time, at both cafés. The café says opening dates can change and are announced on its news page, so check the news and the reservation site for your travel month.

Rules that matter for families:

• Count babies. Children from age 0 must be included in the party size, and you can’t change the number after booking.
• Tokyo table sizes: A seats 2–4, B seats 1–2, C seats 1–6. Groups of 7 or more book separately, each with a different email address.
• 90 minutes per table, last order 30 minutes before you leave. Arriving late doesn’t extend it.
• Arrive early: 15 minutes before in Tokyo (10 minutes for the 10:40 a.m. A-seat slot), 10 minutes in Osaka. No contact and 10 minutes late = automatic cancellation, train delays included.
• Everyone 6 and over orders at least one item.
• High chairs and children’s cutlery are available in limited numbers. Strollers are kept at a set spot. Only store-bought, unopened baby food can be brought in.
• No allergy changes: the café doesn’t remove ingredients.
• Cancel by 10 p.m. the day before online; on the day, call the café.
• No proxy bookings. The café bans reservations made on someone else’s behalf and can cancel them without refund.

If you don’t get a table: the café seats walk-ins only when there’s a same-day cancellation. You can still go in just for the merchandise without a reservation.

Ramen Dad’s note: I’ve tried to book Pokémon Café myself. If you miss out, the café seats walk-ins only when there’s a same-day cancellation.

FAQ from parents

“Ghibli Museum tickets sold out in minutes. Is there any other way?” The museum lists only two routes from overseas: Lawson Ticket and the JTB (Sunrise Tours) bus tour. If you missed the release on the 10th, check the bus tour, or go to Ghibli Park if you’re passing Nagoya. Skip resale offers: resold museum tickets won’t get you in.

“Do I need a ticket for my toddler at the Ghibli Museum?” No. Children 3 and under are free and need no reservation. Ages 4–6 are ¥100 (≈$1), plus the ¥110 system fee from November 2026.

“Is PokéPark KANTO worth it with a 3-year-old?” Only Sedge Town is open to under-5s, and a parent has to stay with them. A Town Pass (from ¥4,700 / ≈$30 for adults, ¥2,800 / ≈$18 for children 3+) covers what you can actually do. If an older sibling wants the forest, split up.

“Do I need tickets for the Pokémon Center?” No, it’s a regular store. Only some new Pokémon card releases are sold by lottery.

“Can we get into Pokémon Café without a reservation?” Only if someone cancels that day. Walking in for merchandise is fine.

Before you go: tickets checklist

1. Fix your Tokyo dates first, then mark the release days: Ghibli Museum on the 10th of the previous month (10 a.m. Japan time), Ghibli Park on the 10th two months ahead (2 p.m.), Pokémon Café on its announced day (6 p.m.).
2. Convert each release time to your home time zone and set two alarms.
3. Decide whose name goes on the tickets, type it exactly as on the passport, and make sure that adult enters with the group.
4. Check ages on the visit date: Ghibli Museum free under 4, PokéPark Forest 5 and up, Pokémon Café counts babies.
5. Pack passports for Ghibli Park and PokéPark (originals for PokéPark).
6. Download the PokéPark app before the day if PokéPark is on the list.
7. Plan the arrival: Ghibli Museum entry within 1 hour of your time; Pokémon Café 15 minutes early.
8. If bags are moving that day, send them ahead; my luggage forwarding guide has the cutoff times.

Ramen Dad’s note: If you remember one thing: set your alarms in Japan time and know which website sells which ticket. That’s half the battle for either one.

Prices, release times and rules checked against the official Ghibli Museum, Ghibli Park, PokéPark KANTO, Pokémon Café and Pokémon store pages on October 9, 2026. Ticket systems change often (the Ghibli Museum’s changed in November 2026), so check the linked pages before your release day.