What to book first for a Japan trip: the order that matters
Checked against 10 official sources. 5 minute read.
Edited by Yamanaka, the site's owner-editor based in Japan.
What to know first
Book in the order things open and sell out, not in the order you'll do them. Lotteries come first: the Nintendo Museum drawing runs for the whole month three months before your visit. Next come fixed-time releases: Tokyo Disney Resort at 14:00 JST two months ahead, Ghibli Park at 14:00 on the 10th two months ahead, and the Ghibli Museum at 10:00 on the 10th of the month before. Book hotels around those dates on free-cancellation rates. Then book Shinkansen seats at 10:00 JST one month before, and priority dinners when their windows open. Ramen, shopping and ordinary sightseeing stay unbooked.
- Shinkansen seats
- On sale at 10:00 JST one month before
- Tokyo Disney Resort tickets
- On sale at 14:00 on the same date two months beforeNo tickets are sold at the parks
- Ghibli Museum
- The next month goes on sale at 10:00 JST on the 10th
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On this page
The release clocks for each attraction are in our booking-windows guide; this page puts them in order for one trip.
Key facts, checked 11 October 2026
Nintendo Museum: the drawing is open for the whole month three months before your visit (for a visit on 15 July, enter from 1 to 30 April). Results come out on the afternoon of the 1st of the next month, and you pay by 23:59 on the 7th.
Tokyo Disney Resort: tickets go on sale at 14:00 on the same date two months before, and no tickets are sold at the parks.
Ghibli Museum and Ghibli Park: the Museum sells the next month at 10:00 JST on the 10th; the Park sells at 14:00 JST on the 10th, two months ahead.
Shinkansen (JR Central, JR East, JR West and JR Kyushu): seats go on sale at 10:00 JST one month before. SmartEX also takes requests from 05:30 JST one year before, with no seat choice.
Nozomi all-reserved peak days in 2026–27: 21–23 November, 25 December to 5 January, 9–11 January and 20–22 March.
Tokyo to Kyoto by Nozomi, reserved seat: ¥14,170 per adult in the regular season (¥200 less on off-peak days, ¥200 more on peak days and ¥400 more in the top season).
Big suitcases on the Shinkansen: bags of 161–250 cm need an oversized-baggage seat (no extra charge); without one you pay ¥1,000; over 250 cm isn't allowed.
Sources for this section: Nintendo Museum: tickets · Tokyo Disney Resort: when tickets go on sale (FAQ) · Ghibli Museum, Mitaka: official tickets page · Ghibli Park: official overseas ticket page · JR Central: Nozomi all-reserved days · SmartEX: booking windows and confirmation · JR Central: Tokaido Shinkansen fares · JR Central: oversized baggage on the Shinkansen
Choose what to book first
Your trip has a lottery such as the Nintendo Museum: enter the drawing first, because its window is the earliest, and plan everything else around the result.
A fixed-date concert, sumo day or festival: book the ticket, then a hotel within reach of the venue that night.
Disney or Ghibli on a set day: set alarms for each release time, then book hotels near those days.
No fixed events: book hotels and the route between cities on free-cancellation rates, then trains one month out.
Travel on a Nozomi peak day: book a reserved seat at 10:00 JST one month before.
A suitcase of 161–250 cm: book the oversized-baggage seat together with your Shinkansen seat, or forward the bag.
Wheelchair, room-type or medical needs: book the room and any assistance before non-refundable tickets, then the tickets that depend on it.
Sources for this section: Nintendo Museum: tickets · Tokyo Disney Resort: when tickets go on sale (FAQ) · JR Central: Nozomi all-reserved days · JR Central: oversized baggage on the Shinkansen · JNTO: making reservations for a seamless trip
Worked example: 18–28 January 2027, Tokyo then Kyoto
Today is 8 October 2026. Two adults: Tokyo from 18 to 24 January, Kyoto from 24 to 28 January.
Order 1, Nintendo Museum (Uji, Kyoto), visit on Wednesday 27 January 2027: the drawing is open now, all of October 2026; results on 1 November 2026; pay by 23:59 JST on 7 November 2026.
Order 2, hotels in Tokyo and Kyoto for 18–28 January: book now on free-cancellation rates.
Order 3, Tokyo Disney Resort on Thursday 21 January 2027: tickets open at 14:00 JST on Saturday 21 November 2026, which is 05:00 in London.
Order 4, Ghibli Museum on Wednesday 20 January 2027: tickets open at 10:00 JST on Thursday 10 December 2026, which is 01:00 in London.
Order 5, Nozomi from Tokyo to Kyoto for two on Sunday 24 January 2027: seats open at 10:00 JST on Thursday 24 December 2026 (01:00 in London), or make a SmartEX request now, without seat choice.
Why the Nintendo Museum comes first: its window closes on 31 October 2026. If you lose, you know by 1 November 2026, before anything else is paid for.
Why hotels come second: the Disney and Ghibli days fix which nights you need to be in Tokyo, and free-cancellation rates let you move a night if the Nintendo result changes your time in Kyoto.
Train cost: 2 × ¥14,170 = ¥28,340. Sunday 24 January 2027 isn't a Nozomi all-reserved peak day (those are 9–11 January and 20–22 March), so non-reserved cars run too. With a 165 cm suitcase, book a seat with an oversized-baggage area at the same time; without one you pay ¥1,000.
Left unbooked: neighbourhood days, shopping and casual meals.
Sources for this section: Nintendo Museum: tickets · Tokyo Disney Resort: when tickets go on sale (FAQ) · Ghibli Museum, Mitaka: official tickets page · JR Central: Nozomi all-reserved days · SmartEX: booking windows and confirmation · JR Central: Tokaido Shinkansen fares · JR Central: oversized baggage on the Shinkansen
Start with plans that have a fixed date or a narrow release window
JNTO notes that popular attractions, special exhibitions, some festivals, tours and other experiences can need advance booking, and that booking windows can open at exact dates and times in Japan time. A fixed event that can't move should shape the rest of the itinerary.
Keep one list with four columns: what, when it opens (Japan time), when you'll know, and when you must pay.
Sources for this section: JNTO: making reservations for a seamless trip
Book hotels around the fixed dates
Hotels also need booking ahead, but the best location depends on your arrival airport, fixed events, early starts and late finishes. Our view: book as soon as your fixed dates are known, on free-cancellation rates, and after the first ticket you're sure of.
Sources for this section: JNTO: making reservations for a seamless trip
Long-distance trains come once the route exists
SmartEX takes requests from 05:30 JST one year before travel. You can't choose a seat, you pay when you request, and the train and seat are confirmed and emailed from 08:00 JST one month before (JR Central's figure; one English SmartEX page says 14:00). Ordinary seat sales open at 10:00 JST one month before.
JNTO lists the Shinkansen, highway buses, some express trains and oversized-baggage seats among things that may need a reservation, while ordinary metro and commuter trains don't.
Sources for this section: SmartEX: booking windows and confirmation · JR Central: Nozomi all-reserved days · JNTO: making reservations for a seamless trip
Restaurants and flexible days come last
Only the meals that matter need booking. Popular and set-menu restaurants open bookings on their own schedules, for example at 10:00 JST on the 1st, three months ahead, at KITCHEN in Niseko. Ramen shops and casual places don't take bookings, and neighbourhood days and shopping can stay flexible.
Sources for this section: TableCheck: KITCHEN (Niseko) booking page · JNTO: making reservations for a seamless trip
Do this now
1. Copy the worked example and fill in your own must-dos and visit dates.
2. Work out each opening date with the rules in the key facts, and convert it to your own time.
3. Do anything that is already open today (a Nintendo drawing, hotels on free-cancellation rates), and put the rest in your calendar with two alarms each.
Sources for this section: Nintendo Museum: tickets
Questions about this guide
What should I book first for a Japan trip?
Whatever opens earliest and sells out: lotteries such as the Nintendo Museum (the month three months before), then Disney (two months ahead, 14:00 Japan time), Ghibli Park (the 10th, two months ahead) and the Ghibli Museum (the 10th of the month before). Book hotels around those dates on free-cancellation rates, then trains one month out.
How far ahead can I book the Shinkansen?
Seats go on sale at 10:00 Japan time one month before travel on JR Central, JR East, JR West and JR Kyushu. SmartEX also takes requests up to a year ahead, but you can't pick a seat and the booking is confirmed only a month before. On Nozomi peak days, such as 25 December–5 January, every Nozomi seat is reserved, so book at 10:00 on sale day.
When should I book hotels in Japan?
Our view: as soon as your fixed dates are known, on free-cancellation rates. Hotel location depends on your anchors (an early Disney day, a late concert, the Shinkansen station), so book after the first ticket you're sure of, not before.
Do I need to book restaurants before I go?
Only the meals that matter. Popular and set-menu restaurants open bookings on their own schedules, for example 10:00 JST on the 1st, three months ahead, at KITCHEN in Niseko. Ramen shops and casual places don't take bookings. Our restaurant reservations guide covers the booking routes.
Read next
- When to book Japan attractionsBuild a booking calendar for the attractions you care about and keep the rest of the trip flexible.
- Where to stay on your first trip to JapanChoose hotel bases around the places you want to visit, daily travel time and how often you want to move.
- How to buy concert tickets in JapanFind the right sale route, follow payment and ticket delivery, and prepare the phone and identity details needed for entry.
- Japan restaurant reservations for overseas visitors: online, phone or walk-inBook Japanese restaurants from abroad: online, phone-only or walk-in, real cancellation fees such as ¥2,000 a head, and a message for your concierge.
- Ghibli Museum tickets from overseas: sale date, prices and how to buyGhibli Museum tickets go on sale on the 10th at 10:00 Japan time for the next month. Adults pay ¥1,000. How to buy through the official Lawson route.
Sources & review
Official pages for this guide
The rules in this guide come from the official pages below. Japan, Booked. does not book or submit requests on your behalf.
- JNTO: making reservations for a seamless trip
- Nintendo Museum: tickets
- Tokyo Disney Resort: when tickets go on sale (FAQ)
- Ghibli Museum, Mitaka: official tickets page
- Ghibli Park: official overseas ticket page
- JR Central: Nozomi all-reserved days
- SmartEX: booking windows and confirmation
- JR Central: Tokaido Shinkansen fares
- JR Central: oversized baggage on the Shinkansen
- TableCheck: KITCHEN (Niseko) booking page
Published · Based on official sources · no affiliate links
Official sources
These official sources explain the rules and conditions used in this guide. Live availability and your own booking, admission or service outcome still need to be confirmed for your trip.
- JNTO: making reservations for a seamless trip
What this confirms: Explains which attractions, transport and restaurants may need booking, and that some windows open at exact times in Japan time.
Last checked - Nintendo Museum: tickets
What this confirms: Gives the month-long drawing three months ahead, the results on the 1st and the payment deadline of 23:59 on the 7th.
Last checked - Tokyo Disney Resort: when tickets go on sale (FAQ)
What this confirms: States that tickets go on sale at 14:00 on the same date two months before and aren't sold at the parks.
Last checked - Ghibli Museum, Mitaka: official tickets page
What this confirms: Gives the 10:00 JST release on the 10th for the following month.
Last checked - Ghibli Park: official overseas ticket page
What this confirms: Gives the 14:00 JST sale on the 10th, two months ahead.
Last checked - JR Central: Nozomi all-reserved days
What this confirms: Gives the one-month seat sale at 10:00 JST and the Nozomi all-reserved peak days for 2026–27.
Last checked - SmartEX: booking windows and confirmation
What this confirms: Gives the requests from 05:30 JST one year ahead, with confirmation one month before.
Last checked - JR Central: Tokaido Shinkansen fares
What this confirms: Gives the ¥14,170 adult reserved fare from Tokyo to Kyoto by Nozomi.
Last checked - JR Central: oversized baggage on the Shinkansen
What this confirms: Gives the 161–250 cm reservation rule, the ¥1,000 charge without a reservation and the 250 cm maximum.
Last checked - TableCheck: KITCHEN (Niseko) booking page
What this confirms: Gives the booking window that opens at 10:00 JST on the 1st, three months ahead.
Last checked
About this guide
Book lotteries and fixed-date tickets first, then hotels around them, then Shinkansen seats at 10:00 JST a month out. A dated plan for January 2027.
Last checked 11 October 2026 · Check again by 1 November 2026, when the Nintendo Museum results for January 2027 come out. Sale rules come from each operator's own page.
How we checked this
Sources and limits of this guide
These dated notes clarify what is confirmed by official sources—and what you still need to verify yourself.
If columns are cut off, scroll sideways. Keyboard: focus the table, then use Left/Right Arrow keys.
| Question | What we found | Where it comes from | What this means for your trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| What should I book first? | Whatever opens earliest and sells out: lotteries, then fixed-time releases such as Disney and Ghibli. | Nintendo Museum: tickets | Enter any drawing in its month; it closes before anything else opens. |
| How far ahead can I book the Shinkansen? | Seats go on sale at 10:00 JST one month before; SmartEX takes requests up to a year ahead, without seat choice. | JR Central: Nozomi all-reserved days | On Nozomi peak days, book at 10:00 on sale day. |
| When should I book hotels? | Our view: once your fixed dates are known, on free-cancellation rates. | JNTO: making reservations for a seamless trip | That lets you move a night if a lottery result changes the plan. |
| When do Tokyo Disney Resort tickets go on sale? | At 14:00 on the same date two months before, and no tickets are sold at the parks. | Tokyo Disney Resort: when tickets go on sale (FAQ) | Put the sale date in your calendar as soon as your dates are fixed. |
Based on official sources, linked below.
Guide updates Reviewed
When this guide was checked and what changed
- First published
- Last checked
- Check again by
- What we checked
- JNTO, Nintendo Museum, Tokyo Disney Resort, Ghibli Museum, Ghibli Park, JR Central, SmartEX and TableCheck pages, checked 8 October 2026.
- Latest update
- : Rechecked on 11 October 2026: the dated facts in this guide were compared with their primary sources. Nothing had changed.
The date above reflects when these checks were last run. If an individual source was rechecked later, you’ll see that date next to it below. Other copy edits are listed in the update history.
Who edits this guide
One editor looks after this guide
Japan, Booked. is run and edited from Japan. The same editor checks the Japanese and English sources, writes the traveller-facing guidance and keeps the correction history up to date.
What changed
Update history
- Scheduled recheck
Rechecked on 11 October 2026: the dated facts in this guide were compared with their primary sources. Nothing had changed.
- Rebuilt as a full guide
Rebuilt as a full guide with key facts, a chooser, a worked example and FAQs, checked against official sources on 8 October 2026.
- First published
Published in English as a short problem guide.
If an operator, organiser or product changes in a way that affects the guide, we check it again sooner. Reader reports help us spot what to investigate, and we verify them against current official information before publishing. Read our update and corrections policy. See every guide's review schedule. Suggest an improvement to this guide.