When you are coming to Japan, you probably have your (long) bucket list of things you want to see and places you want to go. A trip to Japan, or anywhere else for that matter, requires planning. We’re not saying you should overload your itinerary, you do want to have a relaxed time (it is a holiday after all), but there are things you need to plan. Otherwise you might end up paying (a lot) more money or, worse, you won’t be able to go anymore!
Here are our recommended tickets you should consider getting before your trip to Japan!
Japan Rail Pass
The first ticket to consider getting before coming to Japan is the Japan Rail Pass, also called the JR Pass. This rail pass is only available for overseas visitors and is valid for travel on all major forms of transportation provided by the JR Group, with a few exceptions. The JR Group has a transportation network throughout Japan, so if you have this pass, you can travel economically all over Japan.
The rule of thumb is that if you travel to one or more of the major cities in seven days (or 3/4 in 14 days), the JR Rail Pass will save you money. Currently the JR Pass is sold temporarily also in Japan, but purchasing it online before your travel will save you much more money!
Read more about the JR Pass in our blog: A complete overview of the Japan Rail Pass
Tickets to popular events / attractions
Some of the events or museums are very popular, not only amongst tourists but also for locals. Tickets sell out soon sometimes, for example the sumo tickets for the Grand Tournaments sell out within the hour! Not to worry, most of the tickets are available online and you can them beforehand. Or you can just ask us! If the following locations are on your bucket list, get your tickets before travelling so you don’t get disappointed and have to pay more or even worse can’t go!
Ghibli Museum Tickets
The museum of Japan’s nr. 1 famous animation studio Studio Ghibli is a very popular activity and tickets are tricky to get. The museum is located in Mitaka, Tokyo, about 30 minutes from the centre. Tickets for a particular month go on sale (in Japan) on the 10th of the month before. For overseas this can be even 3 months before! So when the Ghibli Museum is on your list, you best buy tickets 2-3 months before you visit Japan.Will you visit Japan sooner, no worries there are still ways getting your entrance tickets. Read everything about how to get tickets on our blog Getting your tickets for the Ghibli Museum – 6 ways explained
Sumo Tickets
Every odd month, the Grand Sumo Tournaments “本場所 [Honbasho]” takes place in Japan. Each tournament starts and ends on a Sunday and lasts 15 days. When you have the opportunity to go, definitely go and watch the games of Japan’s national sport!
Tickets go on sale one month before the tournaments starts and sell out quickly. And when we say quickly we mean within the hour! Especially the weekend tickets are very popular, as many Japanese like to go when they don’t have to work. At Japan Wonder Travel we offer official tickets to the tournaments in Tokyo, read more about the options and price at our website Sumo Tournament Tickets. We also have the option of going with a guide, this will make you understand the sport and its rituals better and make the whole experience more complete.
Other tickets you will want to look into
- Tokyo Disneyland (Tokyo)
- teamLab Borderless (Tokyo)
- Universal Studios Japan (Osaka)
- Yayoi Kusama Museum (Tokyo)
If you were unsuccessful securing your tickets, there are other ways of getting the tickets. In some cases there are more tickets available when you are in Japan or speak Japanese, or sometimes extra tickets go on sale. Therefore it is always worth it to contact a local travel agent and ask for options. We are happy to assist you with securing your tickets, contact us when you have questions or an inquiry.
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Happy travelling!
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