Your Ultimate Guide to Visiting the Ghibli Museum in Tokyo: Tickets, Tours, and Highlights

 What to Expect Inside the Ghibli Museum

Visitors enter the whimsical ‘Space of Wonder’, where every element appears to have been lifted from a Ghibli film.
The lobby is lit up by a painted ceiling featuring a swimming whale and colourful stained-glass windows.

Fans will quickly realise that even the smallest details, from the colours of the tickets to the designs of the taps, were chosen to reflect Miyazaki’s signature style, making visitors feel as though they have stepped inside a Studio Ghibli film.

Exhibits Featuring My Neighbor Totoro and Howl’s Moving Castle

When you go inside the museum, you’ll see all your favourite characters come to life.

For example, the Cat Bus from My Neighbor Totoro is on the second floor and kids love to climb aboard.

This life-sized (but slightly smaller) bus – complete with windows and seating – is an interactive dream for Totoro fans.
Next to it are the tiny soot-bunny Dust Bunnies from the same film, adding a fun touch.

Outside, the park-like entrance features a large Totoro figure, and on the roof you’ll find a five-metre tall Robot Soldier from Castle in the Sky.

Come and see Studio Ghibli’s amazing creations in person – you won’t find them anywhere else!

Hayao Miyazaki’s Personal Touch in the Design

Every part of the museum shows off Miyazaki’s vision.
The winding passageways and tiny nooks feel like living sketches from his studio.

Even the reading room has books for kids that Miyazaki recommended.
Miyazaki did loads of sketches to plan the building and exhibits.

A Kinokuniya book shows over 900 of his original illustrations used in planning the museum.

Ghibli Museum vs. Ghibli Park: Which One Should You Visit?

Which should fans visit, the Ghibli Museum or Ghibli Park?
Here we will discuss the differences between the two Ghibli related facilities.

Key Differences Between the Two

The main differences are:

Location:
The Ghibli Museum (Mitaka, Tokyo) is an indoor facility within Inokashira Park, while Ghibli Park (Aichi Prefecture, near Nagoya) is a large outdoor theme park with multiple zones.

Scale & Capacity:
The museum is pretty small – around 2,400 visitors per day (so about 650,000 per year) – and operates on a timed entry system.

Ghibli Park is much bigger: its main Grand Warehouse can fit around 4,000 people at the weekend (3,500 during the week) and has separate areas with their own limits.

Things to see and do:
The Ghibli Museum has some great short films (shown in the Saturn Theater) that focus on art and animation history.

Ghibli Park has life-sized play areas and real-world recreations, like Satsuki and Mei’s house from Totoro and a red Cat Bus playground in Dondoko Forest.

Ticketing:
You’ll need to book in advance for either one. You can buy tickets for the museum on the 10th of each month for the following month, but you can’t buy them on the premises.

Ghibli Park tickets are also limited and must be purchased in advance (each area requires a separate ticket).

How to Get Tickets for the Ghibli Museum in Tokyo

Here is how to purchase tickets to the Ghibli Museum from abroad.

Lawson Tickets (Online)	The most common method is Lawson’s official ticket website. Create an account ahead of time and log in 30 minutes before 10:00 JST on the 10th of each month to enter the virtual queue. Tickets are released in batches, so speed is crucial. The museum receives about 2,400 tickets per day. Use the English Lawson site (L-tike) to purchase up to six tickets at a time.
Guided Tour Packages	Some travel companies, like Sunrise Tours JTB, offer day tours that include Ghibli Museum admission. They also include transportation. If the official sites are sold out, a reputable tour is a backup option.

 Resale Caution: Only use official channels. Ghibli tickets are non-transferable and non-refundable, and ID checks are performed to prevent scalping. Avoid unauthorized resale or black-market tickets.

How to Purchase Tickets in Japan (Lawson Guide)

If you are in Japan, the easiest way to purchase tickets is via Lawson’s in-store machines or website (in Japanese).

Lawson Loppi Kiosk	At Lawson convenience stores, use the Loppi ticket machine. The interface is entirely in Japanese, so most visitors either need to navigate it in Japanese or ask a store clerk for help. Museum tickets appear on the 10th of each month. Be prepared for the fact that staff speak limited English.
Lawson e-Commerce	Japanese residents can also use the Lawson website (e+) or the Loppi online system. You must register with a Japanese mobile number. The process is the same: Log in on the day of the sale and select Ghibli Museum tickets.

Booking limits: You can purchase up to six tickets per transaction. Tickets specify an exact entry time, so choose a morning or afternoon slot. Please note that no tickets are sold at the museum itself.

Directions from Central Tokyo (Shinjuku、 Shibuya, etc.)

・ By train: From Tokyo’s major stations, it’s easy to get here by rail and then take a short walk.

Shinjuku → Mitaka

take the JR Chūō Line (Rapid) directly to JR Mitaka Station (approximately 20 minutes). Exit through the south exit and walk about 15 minutes (1.0 km) to the museum.

Shibuya → Kichijōji

Take the Keio Inokashira Line Express from Shibuya Station to Kichijōji Station (about 16 minutes). From there, it’s a 15–20 minute walk (1.3 km) through Inokashira Park to the museum. Alternatively, you can take a JR Chūō Line train from Shibuya or Shinjuku to Mitaka, which is a slightly longer route. Both JR Mitaka and JR Kichijōji stations are about the same distance from the museum, and either is a 15–20 minute walk.

By bus:

From the south exit of Mitaka Station,a community bus (the yellow Ghibli Museum bus) departs for the museum every 15 minutes. The fare is a few hundred yen. This is a convenient option if you have luggage or are tired.

The bus is decorated with Ghibli characters, so it’s hard to miss!

From other cities:

If you’re coming from Yokohama, Nagoya, or Osaka, take the JR Chūō/Shinjuku line from Tokyo Station. 

If you’re coming from Narita or Haneda airports, take an airport bus or train into central Tokyo. Then, proceed via Shinjuku or Shibuya as described above.

Museum Information

Official Website	Studio Ghibli Museum, Mitaka (official English site)
Address	1-1-83 Shimorenjaku, Mitaka-shi, Tokyo 181-0013, Japan
Hours	10:00–18:00 (closed Tuesdays)
Admission Fee	Ages 19 and over ¥1,000Ages 13–18  ¥700Ages 7–12  ¥400Ages 4–6  ¥100Ages 3 and under free
Ticket Booking	By advance reservation only. Tickets go on sale at 10:00 a.m. JST on the 10th of each month (via Lawson Tickets or tour packages)
Payment Methods	Cash (JPY) and major credit cards or IC/e-money (Suica, etc.) accepted