Ghibli Museum and Ghibli Park Tickets: The Complete Booking Guide

Studio Ghibli has two dedicated destinations in Japan: the intimate Ghibli Museum in Mitaka (western Tokyo) and the expansive Ghibli Park in Nagakute (Aichi Prefecture). Both require advance tickets — and both sell out weeks ahead. This guide walks through exactly how to buy tickets for each, what to expect on arrival, and how to choose between them.

Ghibli Museum (Mitaka, Tokyo)

What It Is

Opened in 2001, the Ghibli Museum is a small, maze-like museum dedicated to the art of animation. Hayao Miyazaki designed the building himself: spiral staircases lead to unexpected rooms, a life-size Cat Bus sits in a children’s play area, and rotating short films screen in a proper cinema. It feels less like a theme park and more like stepping inside a studio sketchbook.

Photography is restricted inside — most visitors simply absorb the experience, which typically takes 2–3 hours.

How to Book Ghibli Museum Tickets

This is the hardest step. Tickets are released on the 1st of each month for entry the following month (so tickets for August go on sale 1 July). They sell out within minutes.

Booking system: Lawson (ローソン)

Overseas visitors have two routes:

1. Lawson Loppi terminals — available at any Lawson convenience store in Japan. Select “Lawson Ticket” on the Loppi machine, then search for “Ghibli Museum”. Japanese-language only, but many visitors manage with translation apps.
2. Lawson Ticket website — online booking at l-tike.com. Requires a Japanese phone number for SMS verification, which is a real barrier for tourists without a local SIM.

International booking option: The museum allocates a small block of tickets for overseas visitors through the JTB overseas booking system (accessible via the official Ghibli Museum website). Availability is limited and sells quickly; check the official site for current overseas booking windows.

Practical advice:

• Be at the Loppi terminal or logged in online at exactly 10:00 JST on the 1st
• You must select a specific date and entry time (10:00, 12:00, 14:00, or 16:00)
• Tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable — bring the booking confirmation and the card used to purchase

Ghibli Museum Entry Fees (as of 2026)

Age	Price
Adults (19+)	¥1,000
University / high school	¥700
Middle school	¥400
Children (4–elementary school)	¥100
Under 4	Free

These are approximate figures as of 2026 — confirm on the official site before booking.

Opening Hours and Closed Days

• Open: Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00–18:00 (last entry 16:00)
• Closed: Mondays (and occasional maintenance closures — check the calendar on the official site)
• The museum is closed in August for periodic maintenance — specific closure dates are announced a few months in advance

Getting There from Tokyo

The Ghibli Museum is in Inokashira Park, Mitaka City — about 25 minutes from Shinjuku.

By train: Take the Chuo or Sobu Line from Shinjuku Station to Mitaka Station (approximately 25 min, ¥250). From the south exit, the museum is a 15-minute walk through the park, or take the dedicated Ghibli Museum shuttle bus (¥210 each way) from bus stop 9.

---

Ghibli Park (Nagakuke, Aichi)

What It Is

Ghibli Park opened in November 2022 within the Expo 2005 Aichi Commemorative Park (Moricoro Park) in Nagakute — around 30 minutes by train from Nagoya. Unlike a traditional theme park, there are no rides: the experience is immersive, architectural, and character-led. Visitors walk through recreated environments from Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Castle in the Sky, and more.

The park is divided into five distinct areas, three of which require separate paid admission:

1. Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse — the main indoor complex: film exhibitions, short films, Character Kingdom play area, Cat Bus room, and the Ghibli Shop. Capacity-controlled, timed entry.
2. Hill of Youth — features the Antique Lift from Howl’s Moving Castle and the Clock Tower from Castle in the Sky, set into a hillside. Separate ticket.
3. Dondoko Forest — Satsuki and Mei’s House from My Neighbour Totoro, deep in the forest with an adventure playground. Separate ticket.
4. Mononoke’s Village — a recreation of Tatara-ba ironworks from Princess Mononoke. Included in a combined day ticket.
5. Valley of Witches — Kiki’s house and the bakery from Kiki’s Delivery Service, plus Howl’s Moving Castle exterior. Included in a combined day ticket.

How to Book Ghibli Park Tickets

Tickets are sold via the Boo-Woo Ticket system (boo-woo.com — linked from the official Ghibli Park website). The booking interface is in Japanese; use a browser with auto-translate enabled.

Key details:

• Tickets go on sale on specific dates announced each month — typically 2–3 months in advance
• You must book a specific entry date and time slot for Grand Warehouse
• Credit cards accepted; no Japanese phone required for the base booking
• Tickets are confirmed by email; bring a printed or digital copy plus photo ID

Ghibli Park Entry Fees (as of 2026)

Ticket Type	Adult	Child (4–12)
Grand Warehouse only	¥2,500	¥1,250
Hill of Youth only	¥1,000	¥500
Dondoko Forest only	¥1,000	¥500
All Ghibli Park Day Pass	¥5,500	¥2,750

Prices are approximate as of 2026 — check the official site for current pricing and seasonal variation.

Opening Hours and Closed Days

• Open: Wednesday to Sunday (plus national holidays)
• Hours: 10:00–17:00 (Grand Warehouse may have an evening session 18:00–21:00 on selected dates — check the official schedule)
• Closed: Tuesdays (and periodic maintenance weeks)

Getting There from Nagoya

Ghibli Park is inside Moricoro Park, Nagakute. The nearest station is Yakusa on the Aichi Loop Line (Aichi Kanjō Tetsudō), or the park’s designated access station for most visitors is Linimo Koen-nishi on the Linimo magnetic levitation line.

From Nagoya Station:

1. Take the Higashiyama Subway Line to Fujigaoka (approx. 25 min, ¥320 as of 2026)
2. Transfer to the Linimo line and ride to Koen-nishi (approx. 15 min, ¥360)
3. Total journey: around 40–45 minutes, approximately ¥680

From Tokyo: Take the Tokaido Shinkansen to Nagoya (approx. 1 hr 40 min from Tokyo Station, from ¥10,560 unreserved). From Nagoya, follow the subway/Linimo route above.

---

What to Eat Nearby

Near Ghibli Museum (Mitaka):

• Satohana — a quiet café in Inokashira Park, 5 min walk from the museum entrance, popular for set lunches around ¥1,000–¥1,200
• Caffè Bongo — long-running Koenji café beloved by animators and illustrators; a 10-minute train ride from Mitaka but worth the detour
• The museum itself has a Straw Hat Café (named after the outdoor café in My Neighbour Totoro) serving lunches and sweets — booking in advance through the ticket system is recommended

Near Ghibli Park (Nagakute):

• Caffe Florian Moricoro Park — the Italian café inside the park complex, serving light meals and desserts
• Okuike no Ie — a restaurant within the Expo Park grounds serving teishoku set meals
• Nagoya city centre (40 min away) is the better option for a full dinner: Yabaton (Nagoya-style miso katsu, from around ¥1,200) and Seikatsu Syousensha (hitsumabushi eel rice, from around ¥3,000) are local institutions

---

Best Time to Visit and Crowd Levels

Ghibli Museum is busy year-round because of the ticket lottery. The timed entry system keeps the interior from feeling overcrowded regardless of season. Avoid checking availability in the weeks surrounding Golden Week (late April–early May) and the summer school holidays (late July–August) — those months sell out fastest and require planning 4–8 weeks ahead.

Ghibli Park draws the largest crowds on weekends and national holidays. Weekday visits (Wednesday to Friday) are noticeably quieter, especially outside school holiday periods. Autumn (October–November) is particularly pleasant: Moricoro Park’s trees change colour and the outdoor areas look spectacular.

---

Museum vs. Park: Which Should You Choose?

Factor	Ghibli Museum	Ghibli Park
Location	Mitaka (western Tokyo)	Nagakute (near Nagoya)
Journey from Tokyo	25 min by train	~2 hrs (Shinkansen + subway)
Style	Intimate, art-focused, no rides	Immersive outdoor spaces
Booking difficulty	Very hard — lottery system	Hard but more predictable
Cost	~¥1,000 adult	~¥5,500 for full day pass
Best for	Art lovers, die-hard Ghibli fans	Families, full-day experience
Time needed	2–3 hours	4–6 hours

If you are based in Tokyo and have only one day, the Museum is the easier pick — it is closer, cheaper, and deeply special in its own right. If you are travelling the Tokyo–Kyoto route with a Shinkansen pass and can route through Nagoya, Ghibli Park deserves a full day and is the more expansive experience.

Many visitors do both, scheduling the Museum during a Tokyo base and the Park as a day trip when passing through Nagoya.

---

Practical Tips

• Tickets first, travel second. Lock in both bookings before you finalise your itinerary — availability is the constraint.
• No photography inside Grand Warehouse — Ghibli Park shares the same no-photography rule as the Museum for most indoor exhibitions.
• IC cards work on all transit routes (Suica, Pasmo, or Manaca for Nagoya/Linimo).
• The Linimo line to Ghibli Park is unique in Japan — a magnetic levitation commuter line running above ground through suburban Aichi. Worth experiencing in its own right.