The only official way to get Nintendo Museum tickets is through the operator's monthly drawing on museum-tickets.nintendo.com entered three months in advance (for December 2026 visits, entries close on 30 September at 23:59 JST; for January 2027 visits, enter between 1–31 October), with results announced on the 1st of the following month and payment due by 23:59 JST on the 7th. All tickets are tied to individual visitor names, your passport is the only accepted form of identification at the gate for international visitors, and tickets purchased through unauthorized resellers or third-party booking platforms like Klook are voided.
Located in Ogura, Uji—just a short 20-minute train ride south of Kyoto Station—the Nintendo Museum is built inside the renovated Uji Ogura Plant, where Nintendo originally manufactured Western playing cards and Hanafuda cards before servicing game consoles. Unlike Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka, which is a bustling theme park filled with roller coasters, the Nintendo Museum is an expansive cultural and interactive exhibition dedicated to over a century of gaming heritage, playful engineering, and hands-on hardware prototypes.
Because entry is strictly capped to preserve the interactive exhibit experience, landing a reservation requires understanding a rigid calendar system. If you miss your drawing window or fail to complete payment before the midnight deadline in Japan, you cannot buy tickets at the museum turnstiles.
This guide details the official drawing schedule, the ticket purchasing rules, what to do if your drawing entry is unsuccessful, and how to build a seamless Kyoto day trip around your confirmed time slot.
The Official Drawing Calendar: Key Windows and Deadlines
Per the Nintendo Museum ticketing calendar, tickets are allocated through a monthly lottery system conducted three calendar months prior to your intended visit month. For example, anyone intending to visit on any day in December must enter the drawing during September.
Entries do not require upfront payment. You select your party size, preferred visit dates, and desired entry times. If your entry is selected, you are notified by email and given a strict seven-day payment window to finalize the purchase.
Visit Month | Drawing Entry Window (JST) | Results Announced (Afternoon JST) | Payment Deadline (23:59 JST) |
|---|---|---|---|
December 2026 | Open until 30 September 2026 | 1 October 2026 | 7 October 2026 (Waitlist: 14 Oct) |
January 2027 | 1 October – 31 October 2026 | 1 November 2026 | 7 November 2026 (Waitlist: 14 Nov) |
February 2027 | 1 November – 30 November 2026 | 1 December 2026 | 7 December 2026 (Waitlist: 14 Dec) |
March 2027 | 1 December – 31 December 2026 | 1 January 2027 | 7 January 2027 (Waitlist: 14 Jan) |
(Note: The December 2026 drawing deadline reflects the live schedule on the official ticketing portal; subsequent months follow the operator's standing three-month advance lottery rule).
Missing the payment deadline on the 7th of the month at 23:59 JST results in the immediate, automatic forfeiture of your reservation. The ticketing system does not offer payment extensions, and forfeited tickets are redirected to waitlisted applicants or returned to inventory for subsequent release.
Ticket Pricing and Age Requirements
Admission tickets include entry to both exhibition buildings and 10 digital play coins loaded onto your personal entry pass to experience the interactive ground-floor installations.
Ticket Category | Age Band | Admission Price (Tax Included) | Identification Required at Gate |
|---|---|---|---|
Adult | Ages 18+ | ¥3,300 | Original physical passport |
Youth | Ages 12–17 | ¥2,200 | Original physical passport |
Child | Ages 6–11 | ¥1,100 | Original physical passport |
Preschooler | Ages 0–5 | Free (reservation required) | Original physical passport |
Per Nintendo Museum's official user guide, children aged 11 or younger cannot enter unaccompanied and must be accompanied by an adult aged 18 or older. Visitors aged 12 and above may enter independently provided they possess their own confirmed ticket and passport.
For visitors with certified accessibility needs, tickets are priced at ¥1,100 across adult, youth, and child bands (free for preschoolers), and one accompanying companion may also purchase admission at the ¥1,100 child rate upon presenting official physical certification or Mirairo ID at the gate.
Step-by-Step: How to Enter the Ticket Drawing
Entering the lottery is free and straightforward, but each step must match your official travel documents exactly.
1. Set Up a Free Nintendo Account
Every lead applicant must possess a free Nintendo Account. If you already own a Nintendo Switch, you can log in with your existing credentials. Ensure that your verified mobile phone number is linked to the account, as security codes and critical booking updates are transmitted to this number.
2. Submit Your Preferred Dates and Slots
Navigate to museum-tickets.nintendo.com during the active entry window. Each Nintendo Account can submit only one drawing entry per month. You will be asked to enter the total party count, the full legal names of all accompanying travelers, and your preferred dates and entry time windows.
Tip: Entering the drawing on day 1 confers no statistical advantage over entering on day 28. All entries submitted before the final midnight cutoff are pooled into the same randomized drawing.
3. Review Drawing Results on the 1st of the Month
In the afternoon of the 1st of the month following your application, Nintendo issues lottery results via email to the address tied to your account. You can also view your status directly by logging into the ticketing portal. Your outcome will display as selected, unselected, or placed on the waitlist.
4. Pay by 23:59 JST on the 7th with a 3-D Secure Card
If selected, you must complete online payment before 23:59 JST on the 7th. Per Nintendo's visit flow policy, only credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, and JCB) registered with 3-D Secure authentication are accepted. Prepaid and debit cards issued by these networks are valid only if they support two-factor cardholder security. If you were placed on the waitlist and receive a secondary selection email approximately one week later, your payment deadline extends to the 14th of the month at 23:59 JST.
5. Assign Tickets to Party Members (Optional Mii Customization)
If you purchased tickets for friends or family, you can use the Assign Ticket feature on the portal up to 30 days before your visit. If your guests link their individual Nintendo Accounts, their personal Mii avatar will be custom-printed on their physical play card at the turnstile, and scores or photos from interactive exhibits will save directly to their own accounts. If you do not assign tickets, the lead buyer simply presents the digital QR code for the entire party at security, and all gameplay records accumulate under the primary account.
6. Issue Your QR Code at 14:00 the Day Before Your Visit
Starting at 14:00 JST on the day prior to your reservation, a button labeled "Issue QR Code" becomes active in your portal.
Important Cancellation Notice: Under the operator's cancellation rules, confirmed tickets may be canceled and refunded online only before the QR code is generated. The moment you tap "Issue QR Code," your ticket becomes permanent, non-refundable, and non-cancellable. Wait until your travel schedule and transit arrangements are completely locked before generating your entry barcode.
What to Do If You Don't Win: Unclaimed Releases and Resale Warnings
If your lottery entry is not drawn, you still have legitimate options to secure entry.
First-Come, First-Served Ticket Releases
Whenever winners fail to complete payment by the 7th or travelers cancel their bookings prior to issuing their QR codes, those forfeited tickets return to circulation. Per Nintendo's official ticket sales guidance, unclaimed tickets are put on sale on a first-come, first-served basis directly on the ticketing website.
These release batches cover dates up to two months in advance. While various third-party travel forums claim that cancellations release on a predictable "second Wednesday," the operator publishes no fixed release schedule. Unclaimed inventory appears dynamically on the ticketing calendar whenever processing batches clear. If you missed out, check the ticketing website daily between the 8th and 15th of the month.
The Strict Prohibition on Ticket Resale
You will see secondary broker sites, auction listings, and forum resellers offering Nintendo Museum QR vouchers at steep markups. Avoid these completely.
Per Nintendo's official resale warning, the resale or transfer of tickets to third parties is strictly prohibited. The operator states plainly: "Tickets sold anywhere else are not valid." Nintendo actively monitors secondary ticketing sites; if unauthorized transfers are detected, the operator reserves the right to cancel all tickets held by the purchaser without compensation and permanently ban the account.
Furthermore, because security staff match the lead purchaser's name printed on the reservation against an original physical passport at the gate, buying a voucher with an unfamiliar name guarantees you will be turned away. Similarly, authorized ticket agencies like Klook, KKday, or travel agencies do not hold ticket allocations for the Nintendo Museum.
Essential Visitor Rules: Hours, Workshops, and Exhibits
Knowing what to expect inside ensures you maximize your timed entry.
Operating Hours and Closures
Standard Hours: 10:00 to 20:00 daily.
Weekly Closure: Closed every Tuesday. If a national holiday falls on a Tuesday, the museum remains open and closes on the following Wednesday instead.
Year-End Closure: Closed for the New Year holiday season from 30 December through 3 January.
Craft & Play Hanafuda Workshops
In addition to the main exhibits, the museum hosts two hands-on workshops where visitors can craft traditional Japanese Hanafuda playing cards or learn to play the classic card matching game. These workshops require a separate fee (about ¥1,000 to ¥2,000) and can only be reserved on the day of your visit inside the museum on a first-come, first-served basis.
Photography and Recording Rules
Photography and video recording are welcomed in the 1st-floor interactive exhibit zones. However, photography is strictly prohibited in the 2nd-floor historical exhibition gallery, which displays rare hardware archives and archival design documents from Nintendo's founding eras. Across all museum areas, selfie sticks, tripods, and live streaming are forbidden.
Food, Drinks, and Lockers
Outside food is prohibited inside the building, with exceptions for infant food, baby formula, or medically necessary snacks. Bottled water or tea in resealable containers is permitted but subject to quick inspection at the entrance security checkpoint. The facility provides free coin return lockers near the foyer to stow daypacks and coats while you play.
How to Get There: Transit Routes from Kyoto and Osaka
The Nintendo Museum is located at 56 Kaguraden, Ogura-cho, Uji-shi, Kyoto 611-0042.
Per Nintendo Museum's official access directions, the museum has no parking spaces for passenger cars, motorbikes, or bicycles. The operator explicitly asks visitors not to arrive by private car, taxi, or rideshare to prevent traffic congestion in the surrounding residential streets. Arriving by train is fast, comfortable, and environmentally responsible.
Kyoto Station ──── Kintetsu Kyoto Line (≈20 min) ────> Ogura Station (5-min walk)
Kyoto Station ──── JR Nara Line Local (≈20 min) ──────> JR Ogura Station (8-min walk)
Osaka / Umeda ─── JR Special Rapid to Kyoto ────────> Transfer to JR Nara Line (≈55 min)
From Kyoto Station
You have two direct train options depending on which station exit you prefer:
Kintetsu Railway Kyoto Line: Take a Local or Semi-Express train from Kyoto Station to Ogura Station (approx. 20–25 minutes, ≈¥360). From the East exit of Ogura Station, the museum entrance is an easy 5-minute walk along clearly marked neighborhood paths. If taking an Express train, transfer to a Local train at Tambabashi Station.
JR Nara Line: Board a Local train from Kyoto Station to JR Ogura Station (approx. 20 minutes, ≈¥240). Note that Miyakoji Rapid trains bypass JR Ogura, so you must select a Local service. From the North exit of JR Ogura Station, walk 8 minutes east to the museum gates.
Bus Option from Uji: If you are already touring downtown Uji, the Route 64 Bus runs directly from the South exit of JR Uji Station to the museum neighborhood in about 6 minutes.
Before traveling, make sure your digital transit card is topped up on your smartphone; check our guide to the best Japan travel apps for navigating local Kansai rail timetables and setting up mobile Suica or Pasmo cards.
From Central Osaka
From Osaka Station (Umeda), board the JR Kyoto Line Special Rapid train to Kyoto Station (approx. 29 minutes, ≈¥580), then transfer directly to the JR Nara Line Local train down to JR Ogura Station (approx. 20 minutes, ≈¥240). Total journey time is roughly 55 to 60 minutes with fares totaling ≈¥820.
If you are traveling between hotels in Osaka and Kyoto with heavy luggage on your museum day, arrange hands-free luggage delivery via Takkyubin between your accommodations in the morning so you can explore Uji completely unburdened.
Building Your Kyoto Day Around the Museum Slot
Because your entry slot is tied to a specific time, plan the rest of your day around your assigned entry window. Uji is the historic capital of Japanese green tea production and home to UNESCO World Heritage shrines, making it an ideal destination to explore in tandem with your museum visit.
If You Win a Morning Slot (10:00 to 12:00)
09:30: Take the Kintetsu train from Kyoto Station to Ogura and clear the security checkpoint.
10:00 – 13:00: Spend three hours exploring the historical archives, playing the giant controller games, and sampling customized burgers at the on-site Hatena Burger café.
13:30 – 17:00: Walk back to Ogura Station, hop on the train or Route 64 bus into central Uji, and spend the afternoon wandering our curated Uji matcha morning and temple day trip route. Stroll the peaceful grounds of Byodoin Temple (the iconic Phoenix Hall depicted on the 10-yen coin), cross the Uji River footbridges, and sample stone-ground matcha soft serve and tea ceremony soba noodles along the historic Omotesando approach.
Evening: Take the JR Nara Line back to Kyoto Station for dinner in the Gion district.
If You Win an Afternoon Slot (14:00 to 16:00)
09:00 – 12:30: Begin your morning early at Fushimi Inari Shrine in southern Kyoto while the torii gate pathways are quiet, then take the JR Nara Line south to Uji for an authentic matcha lunch.
13:30: Head west to Ogura Station and enter the museum for your afternoon slot.
14:00 – 17:30: Experience the interactive exhibits and browse the exclusive museum shop for limited-edition retro gaming memorabilia.
Evening: Return north to central Kyoto or catch the direct rapid train west into downtown Osaka for an evening exploring Dotonbori.
If you are planning an extended journey through the Kansai region, this Uji day trip slots naturally into Day 4 or Day 5 of our comprehensive 10-day Japan itinerary, which pairs Kyoto's historic shrines with Tokyo's modern neighborhoods as detailed in our 10-day Japan itinerary for first-timers. Much like reserving passes for Studio Ghibli exhibits as outlined in our guide on how to buy Ghibli Park tickets, securing tickets for the Nintendo Museum requires setting a calendar reminder months before you pack your bags.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the Nintendo Museum ticket lottery work?
The ticket drawing takes place three calendar months before your planned visit month on the official ticketing portal. You log in with a free Nintendo Account, select your preferred dates and time slots, and submit your entry without paying upfront. Results are announced on the 1st of the following month, after which winners have until 23:59 JST on the 7th to purchase tickets using a 3-D Secure credit card.
What are my chances of winning Nintendo Museum tickets?
The operator does not publish lottery odds, and success rates vary significantly based on the season, day of the week, and entry time. Weekends, Japanese national holidays, and morning slots between 10:00 and 12:00 have the highest demand. Entering on weekdays or selecting late afternoon slots improves your chances, but you should never rely on unsourced third-party claims of specific percentage probabilities.
Can I buy Nintendo Museum tickets on Klook or Viator?
No. Nintendo has no official third-party ticket distributors. Tickets are sold exclusively through the official Nintendo ticketing website. The operator explicitly states that tickets acquired through unauthorized channels or resellers are invalid and will be denied entry at the gate.
What should I do if tickets are sold out?
If you did not win the lottery, check the official ticketing calendar between the 8th and 15th of each month. When lottery winners forfeit their slots by missing the payment deadline or cancel reservations before issuing their barcodes, those tickets return to the system for first-come, first-served purchase. Alternatively, prepare to enter the drawing for the subsequent month.
Can I cancel or refund my ticket?
You can cancel and refund confirmed tickets on the ticketing website as long as the scheduled visit date has not arrived, the ticket has not been assigned to another guest, and you have not clicked "Issue QR Code." Once you generate your digital entry QR code (which becomes available at 14:00 JST the day before your visit), the reservation is strictly non-refundable and permanent.
Do young children need tickets?
Preschoolers aged 0 to 5 enter free of charge, but they must still be included in your ticket drawing reservation so the venue can track capacity. Children aged 6 to 11 require a ¥1,100 child ticket. All children aged 11 and under must be accompanied by an adult aged 18 or older throughout their visit.
Is the Nintendo Museum the same as Super Nintendo World?
No. Super Nintendo World is a themed entertainment area with rides and interactive attractions located inside Universal Studios Japan in Osaka. The Nintendo Museum is an independent, dedicated museum facility run directly by Nintendo in Uji, Kyoto, celebrating the company's design history, historic toy products, video game hardware innovations, and creative philosophies.
How much time should I spend at the Nintendo Museum?
Plan for approximately 2.5 to 3.5 hours. This provides sufficient time to tour the 2nd-floor historical gallery, use your 10 gameplay coins on the interactive 1st-floor hardware exhibits, visit the museum shop, and enjoy a custom meal or snack at the Hatena Burger café.
Are photos and videos permitted inside?
Photography and video recording are allowed in the 1st-floor interactive experience spaces. However, photography is strictly prohibited in the 2nd-floor exhibition gallery containing vintage design documents and hardware archives. Tripods, selfie sticks, and live streaming are forbidden across the entire property.
Build Your Kyoto Day Trip Route
Securing a reservation at the Nintendo Museum is one of the most rewarding additions to a Kansai vacation, but coordinating transit lines, museum slots, and temple visits across Kyoto and Uji takes careful pacing. Use our trip planner to customize your day around your exact ticket time, link transit connections, and generate a custom Japan travel itinerary ready for your trip.
