What to book before your Japan trip, and when

The booking timeline

JST is Japan Standard Time, UTC+9, with no daylight saving. 14:00 JST is 05:00 in London and midnight in New York in winter. Our trip planner turns your dates into this list in your own time zone, with calendar reminders.

Example: a visit on 15 January 2027

Worked out from the published rules with the same code as our trip planner. Ghibli Park confirms January 2027 goes on sale on 10 November 2026.

Two months ahead

• Ghibli Park (Nagakute, Aichi): every date of a month goes on sale at 14:00 JST on the 10th, two months before. Tickets for overseas buyers come from LAWSON TICKET or Klook. They are named, cannot be changed or refunded, and nothing is sold at the park.
• Tokyo Disney Resort: tickets for each date go on sale at 14:00 JST two months earlier, every day (if that date does not exist, on the 1st of the next month). Online and in the app only, and sales can pause when the day’s limit is reached. Which park, prices by date and Premier Access: Tokyo Disneyland vs DisneySea.

One month ahead

• Ghibli Museum (Mitaka, Tokyo): every date of a month goes on sale at 10:00 JST on the 10th of the month before, through Lawson Ticket. There is no ticket desk at the museum.
• Shinkansen and JR reserved seats: from 10:00 JST one month before the travel date (JR East; if that date does not exist, from the 1st of the travel month). Bought a JAPAN RAIL PASS on the official site? You can reserve seats there; otherwise use station ticket machines or offices. Is the pass worth it for your route? See is the JR Pass worth it.
• Big suitcase? On the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen, bags over 160 cm (length + width + height) need a seat with the oversized-baggage area, reserved in advance at no extra cost.

Two weeks ahead, and the ones with no fixed date

• SHIBUYA SKY: web tickets open at 00:00 JST two weeks before each date. Sunset slots go first. See our 3-day Tokyo plan for prices.
• Pokémon Cafe (Tokyo and Osaka) announces each month separately. November 2026 seats opened on 1 October 2026 at 18:00 JST; December onwards had not been announced on 24 October 2026.
• teamLab Planets: tickets are not sold at the door, and no fixed release date is published. Book as soon as your dates are on sale.

Step by step for each of these, with release times in your own time zone and what to do if your date is sold out: Ghibli Museum, Pokémon Cafe, teamLab and SHIBUYA SKY tickets. Going to Universal Studios Japan? Its tickets are dated and priced by demand: see USJ and Super Nintendo World.

Grand Sumo sale dates

Japan Sumo Association schedule, checked 23 October 2026. Sale times are set for each tournament on the official ticket site.

Before you fly

• eSIM: buy and install it at home. On most plans the days only start counting when it first connects in Japan, but a few start at installation, so read the validity policy. Compare plans in best eSIM for Japan.
• Visit Japan Web: register your passport, arrival schedule and immigration and customs details before you travel, for the QR codes at the airport. Step by step: Visit Japan Web and arriving in Japan.
• Suica on your phone: Welcome Suica Mobile can be issued before entry only in South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and Vietnam (as of 6 March 2025); elsewhere, add it after you land. See IC cards.
• Airport transfer: worth booking ahead for late arrivals or with children and luggage. Train options are in airport to city.
• Your route: if you are still choosing, start with our 7, 10 and 14-day itineraries, and check the best time to visit for the rainy season, typhoons and holiday peaks.
• Packing: plugs and voltage, power banks on the plane, how much medicine you can bring without paperwork, and the snacks customs will take off you: what to pack for Japan. Travelling with children: Japan with kids.
• Travel insurance: buy medical cover before you leave; visitors pay the full cost of treatment in Japan. What to check in a policy: travel insurance for Japan.

Once you are in Japan

• Sending bags to the airport: Yamato asks you to ship so they reach the airport counter the day before your flight; from Tokyo to Haneda, that means sending them two days before. See luggage forwarding.
• Tax-free shopping: from 1 November 2026 you pay the full price, including tax, and get it back after customs at the airport. Keep the goods with you to show at customs. Our tax-free refund calculator tracks each receipt, and the November 2026 explainer covers the rules.

Quick answers

How far ahead should I book things for Japan?

Two months ahead for Ghibli Park and Tokyo Disney, about one month ahead for the Ghibli Museum and Shinkansen seats, and two weeks ahead for SHIBUYA SKY. Each opens at a fixed time in Japan time (JST), which may be the middle of the night where you live.

When do Ghibli Museum tickets go on sale?

At 10:00 JST on the 10th of the month before your visit, for every date of that month, through Lawson Ticket. Nothing is sold at the museum.

When do Tokyo Disney tickets go on sale?

Every day at 14:00 JST, for the date two months later, online and in the app. Sales can pause when the daily limit is reached.

When can I book Shinkansen seats?

From 10:00 JST one month before the travel date. If you bought a JAPAN RAIL PASS on the official site you can reserve seats there; otherwise at station ticket machines or ticket offices.

Do I need to book teamLab Planets in advance?

Yes: tickets are not sold on site. teamLab does not publish a fixed release date, so check its site once your dates are set.

Can I get a Suica before I arrive?

Welcome Suica Mobile can be issued before entry only in South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and Vietnam (JR East, as of 6 March 2025). Everyone else sets it up after arriving.

Sources

Checked against these pages on 24 October 2026. Official pages take precedence over this summary.

1. Ghibli Museum, Mitaka: Tickets
   Museum’s own site.
2. Ghibli Park: Tickets (overseas purchase)
   Park’s own site.
3. Tokyo Disney Resort: Park tickets: sales schedule
   Park operator.
4. Shibuya Scramble Square: SHIBUYA SKY admission ticket revision (press release, 27 Feb 2025, Japanese PDF)
   Attraction operator.
5. Pokémon Cafe: Reservations from 1 Nov 2026 (news, 18 Sep 2026, Japanese)
   Cafe operator.
6. teamLab: teamLab Planets TOKYO: FAQ
   Attraction operator.
7. Japan Sumo Association: Grand Tournament schedule and ticket sale dates
8. JR East: JR-EAST Train Reservation: when you can book (Japanese)
   Railway operator.
9. JAPAN RAIL PASS (JR Group): How to book a reserved seat
   Official JR Group site.
10. JAPAN RAIL PASS (JR Group): Types and prices
    Official JR Group site.
11. Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central): Luggage information: oversized baggage on the Shinkansen
    Railway operator.
12. Digital Agency: Visit Japan Web: how to use
13. JR East (Welcome Suica Mobile FAQ): In which countries can a Suica be issued?
    Railway operator.
14. Airalo Help Center: When can I use my eSIM? (validity policy)
    eSIM seller.
15. Yamato Transport: How many days before do I need to send luggage to the airport?
    Delivery company.
16. Japan Customs: Tax Exemption (Refund) Program for Foreign Visitors

General information. Release rules can change at short notice; each venue’s own site is always right. JapanBenri is not affiliated with any venue, railway or ticket seller.