Japan family attraction booking calendar
The single most avoidable way to miss out in Japan is turning up to a family favourite that had to be booked weeks earlier — sometimes to the minute. This is the verified release rule for each of the attractions that actually sell out, with the exact timing, the Australian equivalent, and a direct link to the official channel. Book the ones marked “often sells out” before you commit to dates around them.
Ghibli Museum, Mitaka
Tokyo10th of each month, for the whole following month
Date- and time-specific timed entry, sold only through Lawson Ticket. Tickets for a given month go on sale at 10:00 JST on the 10th of the month before.
Australia: 10:00 JST = 11:00 AEST / 12:00 AEDT
Often sells out · 19+ ¥1,000 · 13–18 ¥700 · 7–12 ¥400 · 4–6 ¥100 · 3 & under free.
Official booking →Ghibli Park
Nagakute (Aichi)10th of each month, ~two months ahead
Advance reservation required every day. Overseas visitors buy the O-Sanpo Day Pass (Standard or Premium) — individual-area tickets were discontinued for overseas visitors in 2026. New month opens 14:00 JST on the 10th.
Australia: 14:00 JST = 15:00 AEST / 16:00 AEDT
Often sells out · Under 3 free; child pricing ages 4–12.
Official booking →teamLab Planets
Tokyo (Toyosu)Timed entry, roughly 2–3 months ahead
Date- and time-specific entry, QR ticket only. Release cadence is reported as ~2–3 months (the newest month opening late in each month) but is not stated as an exact rule on the official page — confirm at checkout.
Often sells out · Under 3 free (confirm current bands at checkout).
Official booking →teamLab Borderless
Tokyo (Azabudai Hills)Timed entry, up to ~2 months ahead
Date- and time-specific entry sold via the official teamLab site. Exact release cadence is not published as a firm rule — confirm at checkout. See our teamLab hub for which venue suits your family.
Can sell out · 3 & under free; child/teen bands apply.
Official booking →Tokyo Disneyland / DisneySea
Urayasu (Chiba)Dated 1-day tickets, up to ~2 months ahead
Only dated 1-day park tickets are sold. Disney Premier Access (paid, per-ride timed slots) and Standby Pass (free) are bought in the official app on the day — scan your ticket into the app first.
Often sells out · Adult / junior / child bands per Disney pricing.
Official booking →Universal Studios Japan
OsakaDated Studio Pass well ahead; Express Pass separate
Park entry is a dated Studio Pass. The Express Pass does NOT include admission. Super Nintendo World needs a free Area Timed Entry Ticket — scan your Studio Pass in the USJ app after entering the park; morning slots can be gone by ~10:30.
Often sells out · Child / adult / senior bands per USJ pricing.
Official booking →Pokémon Café
Tokyo (Nihombashi) & OsakaReported ~31 days ahead; reservation required
Reservation required; the official FAQ says the acceptance start date "may change", so the widely-repeated "31 days ahead at 18:00 JST" is a reported pattern, not an official guarantee. Book by 08:00 on the day of your visit.
Australia: if 18:00 JST: = 19:00 AEST / 20:00 AEDT
Often sells out · Count children 0+ in the party; guests 6+ must order at least one item.
Official booking →WB Studio Tour Tokyo (Harry Potter)
Tokyo (Nerima)Dated + timed, several months ahead
Timed, date-specific entry booked in advance — no same-day tickets at the venue. Only official/authorised sellers are valid. Entry allowed up to 1 hour before your slot.
Often sells out · Under 4 free.
Official booking →Nintendo Museum
Uji (Kyoto)Lottery — apply ~3 months before your visit month
Ballot only: no walk-in, no third-party, no same-day. Applications open 3 months before the visit month; the draw is on the 1st of the preceding month. Need a free Nintendo Account; pick up to 3 date/time choices; pay by 23:59 JST on the 7th or the win is forfeited.
Often sells out · Age-tiered adult / child pricing.
Official booking →Shibuya Sky
Tokyo (Shibuya)Timed ~20-min entry window; advance online ~4 weeks ahead
Timed entry in a ~20-minute window. Advance tickets online (reported to open ~4 weeks ahead at 10:00 JST); same-day tickets at the 14F counter for off-peak. Sunset slots go first.
Australia: if 10:00 JST: = 11:00 AEST / 12:00 AEDT
Can sell out · Adult ¥3,000 (before 15:00) / ¥3,700 (from 15:00); child tickets sold only at the counter same-day; young-child free age not confirmed — check on the day.
Official booking →
| Attraction | When it releases | The rule | Sell-out | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ghibli Museum, MitakaTokyo | 10th of each month, for the whole following month10:00 JST = 11:00 AEST / 12:00 AEDT | Date- and time-specific timed entry, sold only through Lawson Ticket. Tickets for a given month go on sale at 10:00 JST on the 10th of the month before.Cancellation: Resale prohibited; treat as non-refundable (official page does not state a refund).Ages: 19+ ¥1,000 · 13–18 ¥700 · 7–12 ¥400 · 4–6 ¥100 · 3 & under free. | Often sells out | Official → |
| Ghibli ParkNagakute (Aichi) | 10th of each month, ~two months ahead14:00 JST = 15:00 AEST / 16:00 AEDT | Advance reservation required every day. Overseas visitors buy the O-Sanpo Day Pass (Standard or Premium) — individual-area tickets were discontinued for overseas visitors in 2026. New month opens 14:00 JST on the 10th.Cancellation: No refunds or changes to date, time, type or quantity after booking.Ages: Under 3 free; child pricing ages 4–12. | Often sells out | Official → |
| teamLab PlanetsTokyo (Toyosu) | Timed entry, roughly 2–3 months ahead | Date- and time-specific entry, QR ticket only. Release cadence is reported as ~2–3 months (the newest month opening late in each month) but is not stated as an exact rule on the official page — confirm at checkout.Cancellation: No cancellation/refund once purchased; up to 3 date/time changes (at least 2h before entry).Ages: Under 3 free (confirm current bands at checkout).⚠ Changes often — confirm on the official page. | Often sells out | Official → |
| teamLab BorderlessTokyo (Azabudai Hills) | Timed entry, up to ~2 months ahead | Date- and time-specific entry sold via the official teamLab site. Exact release cadence is not published as a firm rule — confirm at checkout. See our teamLab hub for which venue suits your family.Cancellation: Confirm at checkout.Ages: 3 & under free; child/teen bands apply.⚠ Changes often — confirm on the official page. | Can sell out | Official → |
| Tokyo Disneyland / DisneySeaUrayasu (Chiba) | Dated 1-day tickets, up to ~2 months ahead | Only dated 1-day park tickets are sold. Disney Premier Access (paid, per-ride timed slots) and Standby Pass (free) are bought in the official app on the day — scan your ticket into the app first.Cancellation: Per Disney ticket terms — check at purchase.Ages: Adult / junior / child bands per Disney pricing.⚠ Changes often — confirm on the official page. | Often sells out | Official → |
| Universal Studios JapanOsaka | Dated Studio Pass well ahead; Express Pass separate | Park entry is a dated Studio Pass. The Express Pass does NOT include admission. Super Nintendo World needs a free Area Timed Entry Ticket — scan your Studio Pass in the USJ app after entering the park; morning slots can be gone by ~10:30.Cancellation: Per USJ terms — check at purchase.Ages: Child / adult / senior bands per USJ pricing.⚠ Changes often — confirm on the official page. | Often sells out | Official → |
| Pokémon CaféTokyo (Nihombashi) & Osaka | Reported ~31 days ahead; reservation requiredif 18:00 JST: = 19:00 AEST / 20:00 AEDT | Reservation required; the official FAQ says the acceptance start date "may change", so the widely-repeated "31 days ahead at 18:00 JST" is a reported pattern, not an official guarantee. Book by 08:00 on the day of your visit.Cancellation: Cancel by 22:00 the day before online; no-show auto-cancels after 10 min.Ages: Count children 0+ in the party; guests 6+ must order at least one item.⚠ Changes often — confirm on the official page. | Often sells out | Official → |
| WB Studio Tour Tokyo (Harry Potter)Tokyo (Nerima) | Dated + timed, several months ahead | Timed, date-specific entry booked in advance — no same-day tickets at the venue. Only official/authorised sellers are valid. Entry allowed up to 1 hour before your slot.Cancellation: Non-refundable, non-transferable; ¥1,500 fee per date/time change (before your slot).Ages: Under 4 free. | Often sells out | Official → |
| Nintendo MuseumUji (Kyoto) | Lottery — apply ~3 months before your visit month | Ballot only: no walk-in, no third-party, no same-day. Applications open 3 months before the visit month; the draw is on the 1st of the preceding month. Need a free Nintendo Account; pick up to 3 date/time choices; pay by 23:59 JST on the 7th or the win is forfeited.Cancellation: Win forfeited if unpaid by the 7th; check terms for paid tickets.Ages: Age-tiered adult / child pricing. | Often sells out | Official → |
| Shibuya SkyTokyo (Shibuya) | Timed ~20-min entry window; advance online ~4 weeks aheadif 10:00 JST: = 11:00 AEST / 12:00 AEDT | Timed entry in a ~20-minute window. Advance tickets online (reported to open ~4 weeks ahead at 10:00 JST); same-day tickets at the 14F counter for off-peak. Sunset slots go first.Cancellation: Weather-closure refund before entry; no refund after entry.Ages: Adult ¥3,000 (before 15:00) / ¥3,700 (from 15:00); child tickets sold only at the counter same-day; young-child free age not confirmed — check on the day.⚠ Changes often — confirm on the official page. | Can sell out | Official → |
How to use this
- · Work backwards from the hardest ticket. If a Ghibli Museum or Nintendo Museum date matters, sort your trip dates around its release, not the other way around.
- · Set a phone reminder in Australian time for the fixed-time releases (we’ve converted them for you), and be signed in and ready a few minutes early.
- · Treat “volatile” rows as a prompt to re-check the official page — operators change these, and we date every entry so you can see how fresh it is.
- · Then build the rest of the trip around them with the free planner, which already sequences your booking to-dos.
Related
Common questions
- What sells out first when planning a Japan trip?
- In rough order: the Ghibli Museum (monthly release, gone in minutes at weekends), the Nintendo Museum (lottery only), Ghibli Park, Pokémon Café, and Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo. Dated theme-park tickets and popular teamLab and Shibuya Sky slots are next. Book these before you lock in flights and hotels around specific dates.
- When can I book Ghibli Museum tickets?
- Tickets for a given month go on sale at 10:00 JST on the 10th of the month before, only through Lawson Ticket — that’s 11:00 AEST or 12:00 AEDT. Weekend slots can sell out within minutes, so be signed in and ready before release.
- How do Tokyo Disney Premier Access and USJ Express Passes work?
- Tokyo Disney sells only dated 1-day tickets; Premier Access (paid, per-ride timed slots) and the free Standby Pass are bought in the official app on the day. At USJ, park entry is a dated Studio Pass, the Express Pass is separate and doesn’t include admission, and Super Nintendo World needs a free Area Timed Entry Ticket grabbed in the USJ app after you enter — morning slots can be gone by about 10:30.
- How do I book the Nintendo Museum?
- By lottery only — there’s no walk-in or same-day. Applications open three months before your visit month, the draw is on the 1st of the preceding month, and you need a free Nintendo Account. Pick up to three date/time choices and pay by the 7th or the win is forfeited.
Some links are affiliate links. If you book through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you — it never changes what we recommend. Release rules and prices change; always confirm on the official channel before you plan a day around a specific ticket.