What to Book in Advance in Tokyo — teamLab, Ghibli & Shibuya Sky (2026)

Many Attractions No Longer Accept Walk-Ins

Many popular Tokyo attractions have shifted to a reservation system. They cap the number of visitors to manage crowds.

Showing up without a reservation can mean being turned away at busy venues. On social media, posts about failing to get tickets are common. This is one of the biggest travel pitfalls first-time visitors face. teamLab venues, Ghibli Museum, and Shibuya Sky are particularly tricky.

This guide covers booking steps for the hardest-to-get venues. Note that special exhibitions at major museums (the National Art Center Tokyo, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, Tokyo National Museum, etc.) can also sell out on the day. If there’s an exhibition you want to see, buying advance tickets on the official website is a safe move.

Booking Difficulty at a Glance

Use this table to decide what to book first and when tickets open. Full details for each venue follow below.

Two notes for visitors from abroad. The Ghibli Museum’s official English ticket page links to an English Lawson Ticket route for overseas visitors; the Japanese domestic route has different registration requirements. Start from the museum’s link rather than assuming you need a Japanese phone number. If your first choice is gone, Tokyo also has free viewpoints—see the If Tickets Are Sold Out section near the end.

teamLab Borderless (Azabudai Hills)

teamLab Borderless is a digital art museum in Azabudai Hills. Over 75 artworks flow across rooms without boundaries, so the entire space feels like one continuously evolving piece.

Ticket Prices

Standard hours are 8:30–21:00, but some days close early (17:00) or extend late (22:00). Last entry is 1 hour before closing. The museum is located at Azabudai Hills Garden Plaza B, B1F (Minato-ku, Azabudai 1-2-4), a 2-minute walk from Kamiyacho Station (Hibiya Line, Exit 5).

How to Buy

Tickets are available on the official website. Sales generally open about 2 months ahead, but the exact on-sale date is announced on the site.

The venue uses dynamic pricing, so adult ticket prices fluctuate depending on the day. Check the booking page for date-specific pricing. Same-day tickets are sold on-site but cost ¥200 more than the online price and are subject to availability.

You can reschedule up to 3 times (until 2 hours before your entry time). No cancellations or refunds. Re-entry is not allowed, so plan to arrive with time to spare. There is no time limit once you’re inside.

Weekend and holiday slots can sell out weeks ahead. Check availability as soon as your dates are confirmed. Weekday mornings tend to be less crowded.

Ghibli Museum (Mitaka)

Ghibli Museum is a reservation-only museum and one of the hardest tickets to get in Tokyo.

Ticket Prices

Hours are 10:00–18:00 (last entry 16:00), closed every Tuesday. The museum is at 1-1-83 Shimorenjaku, Mitaka-shi, Tokyo (inside Inokashira Park).

How to Buy

Individual tickets are sold through Lawson Ticket. Overseas visitors can use the English sales link on the museum’s official English ticket page; the Japanese domestic Lawson Ticket page is a separate route. Tickets are not sold at the museum.

On the 10th of each month at 10:00 AM (Japan time), regular tickets for the following month go on sale. For example, April tickets go on sale on March 10. For July–August 2026, the museum offered an advance lottery in addition to the regular monthly sale. That announcement applies to summer 2026; check the official site for any later special sale arrangements.

Entry time slots are 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, and 16:00 (7 slots). You must enter within 1 hour of your designated time.

Tips for Securing Tickets

Check the account, contact, payment, and ticket-collection instructions for your chosen sales route before sale day. The Japanese domestic route may require registration and phone verification; overseas visitors should follow the English route linked by the museum rather than applying the domestic instructions to every booking.

The 10:00 and 11:00 slots can sell out within minutes. Slots from 13:00 onward tend to last longer. The Japanese domestic Lawson route permits one purchase per account per month, up to 6 tickets; check the limit displayed on your chosen sales route.

Tickets are name-registered and resale is prohibited. ID checks may be conducted at entry. The Japanese domestic route offers smartphone e-tickets or paper tickets collected at Lawson. Delivery and entry instructions differ by sales route, so follow your own booking confirmation.

Klook also offers Ghibli Museum tickets as part of guided tour packages, which can be an alternative when official tickets sell out.

Yayoi Kusama Museum

Yayoi Kusama Museum is a small museum in Shinjuku, and its tiny capacity makes tickets notoriously hard to get. It operates on a full reservation, capacity-controlled system with no same-day tickets.

Ticket Prices

Open Thursday–Sunday and public holidays only. Entry is by 90-minute timed slots, with 6 slots between 11:00–17:30. The museum is at 107 Bentencho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo.

How to Buy

Tickets are available only through the museum’s official ticket site. On the 1st of each month at 10:00 (Japan time), tickets for 2 months ahead go on sale. So on March 1, May tickets become available.

Because each slot has a small capacity, selling out immediately after release is normal. Late weekday slots (15:00 onward) tend to last a bit longer. You can buy up to 6 tickets per transaction, and only credit cards are accepted. You may be asked for ID (passport, etc.) at entry. Resold tickets are not valid for entry.

Shibuya Sky (SHIBUYA SKY)

Shibuya Sky is the rooftop observation deck on Shibuya Scramble Square. At 229 meters above ground, it offers 360-degree views of Tokyo. The outdoor area “SKY STAGE” is especially popular at sunset.

Ticket Prices

Since April 2025, a time-based pricing system applies—later time slots (evening/night) cost more.

Hours are 10:00–22:30 (last entry 21:20). Located at Shibuya Scramble Square, floors 14F, 45F, 46F, and rooftop.

How to Buy

Book on the official site by selecting a 20-minute entry window. Advance tickets are available about 2 weeks ahead.

Same-day tickets are sold at the window, but if online tickets are sold out, there won’t be window tickets either. Web advance tickets are ¥300 cheaper, so booking ahead is recommended. Note that tickets for elementary school children and younger are only sold at the window.

Sunset slots (roughly 16:00–18:00 depending on the season) are especially popular and can sell out 1–2 weeks ahead on weekends. Evening slots are also priced higher. On cloudy or rainy days, cancellations sometimes open up—check the official site periodically. The outdoor “SKY STAGE” may close due to weather.

teamLab Planets (Toyosu)

teamLab Planets is an experiential digital art museum in Toyosu. You walk barefoot through water and mirror spaces—a different concept from Borderless.

Ticket Prices

Hours are 8:30–22:00 (last entry 1 hour before closing). Located at 6-1-16 Toyosu, Koto-ku, a 1-minute walk from Shin-Toyosu Station (Yurikamome line).

How to Buy

Tickets are sold at the official ticket store with a designated date and time. There are no on-site ticket sales. Payment methods include credit card, PayPay, and UnionPay. See our payment methods guide for details on what works in Japan.

Weekend and holiday slots fill up early, so book at least 3 weeks ahead for those dates. If the official site is sold out, Rakuten Travel Experiences may still have availability. Visitors under 13 must be accompanied by someone 18 or older.

Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo (Harry Potter)

Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo lets you experience the behind-the-scenes world of the Harry Potter film series. Located on the former Toshimaen site in Nerima, it operates on a full reservation system and same-day tickets are nearly impossible to get.

Ticket Prices

Prices vary by date (dynamic pricing). A price revision took effect on July 1, 2026—the figures below are the post-revision rates (before that date they were roughly ¥300–¥400 lower per ticket).

Hours vary by day (check the calendar on the official site). Located at 1-1-7 Kasugacho, Nerima-ku, Tokyo, a 2-minute walk from Toshimaen Station (Seibu Toshima Line / Toei Oedo Line). Allow 3–4 hours for the full tour.

How to Buy

Book on the official site with a designated date and time. Tickets are available up to about 3 months in advance. Dynamic pricing means the price varies by date.

Weekends, holidays, and school vacation periods often sell out weeks to over a month ahead — Golden Week (late April to early May) is particularly busy across all venues. Even weekday morning slots fill up early during that period. Secure your tickets as soon as your dates are set. For what to expect during Golden Week more broadly, see our Golden Week Tokyo guide.

Tickets are non-refundable. Date/time changes cost ¥1,500 per change. The on-site ticket office may sell tickets if there are openings, but most days are sold out.

Tokyo Skytree

Tokyo Skytree stands 634 meters tall and has two observation decks: Tembo Deck (350m) and Tembo Galleria (450m). Reservations aren’t as hard to get as the attractions above, but advance tickets let you skip the queue on the day.

Ticket Prices

Since April 2026, Skytree uses date-based dynamic pricing, so the price changes from day to day. The old fixed weekday/holiday rates and the separate advance/same-day rates no longer apply—there is one price per date.

Buying at the 4th-floor counter adds a ¥500 service fee per ticket, so booking online is cheaper. If you already hold a Tembo Deck ticket, you can add the Tembo Galleria on-site (¥1,400 adult / ¥700 child).

How to Buy

Advance tickets are sold online from 30 days before your visit until the day before through the official ticket site, which accepts credit card and other common methods. Advance tickets can also be purchased at 7-Eleven.

Same-day tickets are available at the counter, so walk-ins are generally possible. However, weekends and evenings get crowded, and having an advance ticket helps you skip the wait.

Tokyo Tower

Tokyo Tower has two levels: Main Deck (150m) and Top Deck (250m). The Main Deck is easy to visit without a reservation, making it relatively easy-going compared to other attractions in this guide.

Ticket Prices

Hours: Main Deck 9:00–23:00 (last entry 22:30), Top Deck Tour 9:00–22:45 (last entry 22:15).

How to Buy

Main Deck tickets are sold on the official site and at the ticket counter. The Top Deck Tour is a guided experience—book on the dedicated page for the web discount.

There’s also the Tokyo Diamond Tour (¥7,000 for adults, limited to 70 per day), which includes the Top Deck plus access to an exclusive lounge.

Tokyo Joypolis (Odaiba)

Tokyo Joypolis is an indoor theme park inside Decks Tokyo Beach. It features VR attractions and rides. Tickets rarely sell out, but buying online saves money compared to the window.

Ticket Prices

Standard prices checked on November 2, 2026:

Note: advance tickets via Asoview can also be bought same-day, and the discount amount varies by campaign—check at purchase.

Hours vary by day (check the official calendar). Located at 1-6-1 Daiba, Minato-ku, Decks Tokyo Beach 3F–5F. 2-minute walk from Odaiba-Kaihinkoen Station (Yurikamome).

Walk-ins are fine, but popular attractions can have 1–2 hour waits on weekends. A web passport lets you skip the ticket counter line.

Miraikan – National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Odaiba)

Miraikan is a science museum in Odaiba. The permanent exhibition is easy to enter with a same-day ticket. However, the Dome Theater (a planetarium-style screening venue) has all-reserved seating and can sell out on weekends. Special exhibitions have separate ticketing systems, and popular ones are worth booking ahead.

Ticket Prices

Hours: 10:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30), closed Tuesdays. Located at 2-3-6 Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo. 4-minute walk from Telecom Center Station (Yurikamome). Every Saturday, the permanent exhibition is free for visitors age 18 and under.

How to Buy

Online advance booking opens 1 week before your visit. The permanent exhibition can also be purchased at the window. The Dome Theater has limited seating, so book online if you want to be sure of a seat.

Special exhibitions have separate pricing and sales channels. Popular ones can sell out on the day, so check and buy on the official site in advance.

Note: The museum is scheduled to close from October 1, 2026 to April 22, 2027 for renovation.

If Tickets Are Sold Out

Even when popular venues are sold out, there are alternatives worth exploring.

Observation Deck Alternatives

If Shibuya Sky or Skytree tickets are sold out, Tokyo has free observation decks. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building observation room (202m) is free to enter and offers views all the way to Mt. Fuji on clear days. See our guide: 7 Free Observation Decks in Tokyo.

Digital Art Alternatives

If both teamLab venues are sold out, large-scale immersive digital art facilities are rare in Tokyo. However, public art by Olafur Eliasson, Yoshitomo Nara, and others is installed throughout the Azabudai Hills grounds and can be viewed without a reservation.

Ghibli Museum Alternatives

Even without Ghibli Museum tickets, you can enjoy Inokashira Park where the museum is located. It’s also a lovely spot during cherry blossom season. Walking through the park and viewing the museum’s exterior is pleasant in itself. Note that the in-museum Straw Hat Café (Mugiwara Boushi) is inside the grounds, so you need an entry ticket to visit it.

Troubleshooting

Other Options

If arranging tickets yourself feels like too much work, there are other ways.

Activity booking platforms — Klook bundles popular Tokyo attraction tickets with English-language support and mobile vouchers. It sometimes offers combo deals (e.g., teamLab + Shibuya Sky) or occasional discounts.

Package tours from travel agencies — HIS, JTB, and others sell Tokyo sightseeing tours that include admission tickets. They tend to be pricier than buying individually, but they secure your entry.

Hotel concierge — If your hotel has a concierge service, they may be able to arrange tickets for you. Higher-end hotels sometimes have reserved allocations through partnerships with venues.

Accommodation site bundle deals — Rakuten Travel Experiences and Jalan sometimes offer ticket-and-hotel bundle plans.

Related Articles

• 7 Free Observation Decks in Tokyo — Enjoy panoramic views without a ticket
• Payment Methods in Tokyo — What payment methods work for ticket purchases
• Tokyo Last Train Guide — Getting home after a late-night visit
• Is the JR Pass Worth It? — Cost breakdown for bullet train and regional travel
• Where to Store Luggage in Tokyo — Coin lockers, storage services, and tips for traveling light

References:

• teamLab Borderless Official Site https://www.teamlab.art/e/tokyo/ (accessed: 2026-06-09)
• teamLab Borderless FAQ https://www.teamlab.art/faq/tokyo/ (accessed: 2026-06-09)
• GO TOKYO “teamLab Borderless” https://www.gotokyo.org/en/spot/1742/index.html (accessed: 2026-06-09)
• Ghibli Museum “How to Purchase Tickets” https://www.ghibli-museum.jp/ticket/ (accessed: 2026-06-09)
• Ghibli Museum “Tickets — overseas visitors” https://www.ghibli-museum.jp/en/tickets/ (accessed: 2026-11-01)
• Ghibli Museum “Summer advance lottery” https://www.ghibli-museum.jp/news/014063/ (accessed: 2026-06-09)
• Lawson Ticket “Ghibli Museum” https://l-tike.com/ghibli/ (accessed: 2026-06-09)
• Yayoi Kusama Museum “Tickets” https://yayoikusamamuseum.jp/en/visit/tickets/ (accessed: 2026-06-09)
• SHIBUYA SKY Official Site https://www.shibuya-scramble-square.com/sky/ (accessed: 2026-06-09)
• teamLab Planets TOKYO Official Ticket Store https://teamlabplanets.dmm.com/en (accessed: 2026-06-09)
• Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo “Tickets” https://www.wbstudiotour.jp/tickets/ (accessed: 2026-06-09)
• Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo “Ticket price revision (from July 1, 2026)” https://www.wbstudiotour.jp/en/news_20251120/ (accessed: 2026-06-09)
• Tokyo Skytree “Tickets & Pricing” https://www.tokyo-skytree.jp/ticket/ (accessed: 2026-06-09)
• Tokyo Skytree “Date-based dynamic pricing announcement” https://www.tokyo-skytree.jp/press/post/677/ (accessed: 2026-06-09)
• Tokyo Tower “Admission & Hours” https://www.tokyotower.co.jp/fee/ (accessed: 2026-06-09)
• Tokyo Tower “Tokyo Diamond Tour” https://tdt.tokyotower.co.jp/tokyodiamondtour/ (accessed: 2026-06-09)
• Tokyo Joypolis “Tickets” https://tokyo-joypolis.com/ticket/ (accessed: 2026-11-02)
• Miraikan “Admission & Hours” https://www.miraikan.jst.go.jp/visit/admission/ (accessed: 2026-06-09)