Ghibli Museum December 2026 Tickets: When They Go on Sale (Nov 10) and the New ¥110 Fee

If you want to see the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka this December, the date that matters is not your flight date. It is the moment December tickets go on sale. All admission is by advance reservation only, nothing is sold at the museum, and popular days can sell out quickly. Ticketing is also changing this autumn, starting with November-entry tickets, so here is what to know before you try.

When December 2026 tickets go on sale

The museum releases a whole month of tickets at once: 10:00 a.m. Japan time (JST) on the 10th of the previous month, through Lawson Ticket.

From North America, that means the sale opens the evening before, on your side of the date line. Clocks in Canada go back on Nov 1, so the times above are standard time (EST/PST).

What changes from November-entry tickets

Lawson Ticket's official Ghibli page announces a ticket-system switch that starts with tickets for November 2026 entry:

• A ¥110 system fee per ticket. From November-entry tickets, a separate system-use fee of ¥110 is charged for each ticket, on top of admission.
• E-tickets now display in "MOALA Ticket". Electronic tickets for November entry onward are shown through MOALA Ticket, a service run by playground Inc. No app install is needed; it works in the phone's browser (latest Safari on iOS, latest Chrome on Android).
• SMS verification. Displaying the e-ticket requires SMS authentication on an internet-connected smartphone, and the phone number you enter when booking must be the phone you will show the ticket on. Lawson's Japanese page says only numbers starting 090/080/070 are accepted. A screenshot or printout of the QR code will not get you in. Paper tickets are also offered as an option.

The rules that trip people up

These are on Lawson Ticket's official Ghibli page:

• Tickets are name-registered. The name on your Lawson Ticket web account is printed on every ticket, as an anti-resale measure. Buy with the account of a person who will actually visit; someone who is not visiting cannot buy on your behalf.
• One purchase per account per month, up to 6 tickets.
• No changes and no refunds. After purchase, the name, date and time cannot be changed, and tickets are not refunded.
• No sales at the museum. The museum's own ticket page says no reservation or ticket purchase can be made on site.
• Arrive together, bring ID. Your whole group enters with the named ticket holder. Staff may check the holder's ID (a passport works). Enter within one hour of the time printed on your ticket; there is no set exit time.
• No resale. Tickets bought for resale are refused, and resold tickets are turned away at the door.

A Lawson Ticket web membership (free) and mobile phone number verification are required to buy.

Admission prices

From the museum's official ticket page:

Add the ¥110 system fee per ticket for November-entry tickets onward.

Closed days in December and early January

The museum's official calendar (checked Oct 29, 2026) marks these days as closed:

• December 2026: Tuesdays Dec 1, 8, 15 and 22, and the year-end break Dec 27 to Dec 31
• January 2027: Jan 1 and 2, then Tuesdays Jan 12, 19 and 26

The calendar also shows a long closure in November (Nov 4 to 18) plus Nov 24. Hours are 10:00 to 18:00. Re-check the calendar before you buy, because the museum can change it.

Sale-night checklist

• [ ] Set up a free Lawson Ticket web account in the name of someone in your group who is visiting
• [ ] Have the smartphone you will carry in Japan ready for SMS verification
• [ ] Pick two or three backup dates that avoid the closed days above
• [ ] Be online before Nov 9, 8:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. PT for December tickets
• [ ] Remember: one purchase a month, max 6 tickets, no changes or refunds
• [ ] Bring a passport on the day and arrive together

How to get there

The museum's official directions: take the JR Chuo Line to Mitaka Station (about 20 minutes from Shinjuku), then walk about 15 minutes from the south exit, or take the community bus that runs from Mitaka Station every 15 minutes during opening hours. The museum sits beside Inokashira Park, shown in the cover photo. Details are on the museum's Hours and Directions page.

Sources

• Ghibli Museum, Mitaka — Tickets (official, English): advance reservation only, no on-site purchase, sale at 10:00 JST on the 10th for the following month, admission prices, museum calendar and closed days. Checked 2026-10-29.
• Ghibli Museum — Hours and Directions (official): route from JR Mitaka Station. Checked 2026-10-29.
• Lawson Ticket — Ghibli Museum (official ticket seller, Japanese): ticket-system switch from November 2026 entry, ¥110 system fee, MOALA Ticket e-tickets and SMS rules, name-registered tickets, one purchase per account per month up to 6, no changes or refunds. Checked 2026-10-29.

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Cover photo: Ryunosuke Kikuno via Unsplash.