January Tickets: Results and Payment Deadlines
| Step | Date or deadline |
|---|---|
| January 2027 drawing entry | Closed October 31, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. |
| Check drawing results | November 1, 2026, from the afternoon; emails may arrive later that day |
| Pay if selected in the initial drawing | November 7, 2026, by 11:59 p.m. |
| Pay if selected from the waitlist | By November 14, 2026, Japan time; follow the instructions in your offer |
The November dates follow Nintendo’s published monthly drawing and payment schedule. All dates and times in this article are in JST. Sign in to the official ticketing website with the Nintendo Account you used to apply, and check your own result and payment instructions. Do not rely only on the arrival time of the email.
Selection alone does not complete your booking. If payment is not confirmed by the deadline, your tickets will be automatically canceled.
If Selected: Complete Your Purchase
Your ticket is for a specific admission date and time. Before paying, review the visitor details and booking instructions in your ticketing account. Nintendo allows purchases of up to eight tickets for a visit.
- Check that every visitor’s full name matches their identification. For overseas visitors, use the passport name.
- Keep access to the phone number registered with your application; you must be able to make a verification call from it.
- Prepare a Visa, Mastercard, or JCB card with 3D Secure authentication for payment. Accepted debit and prepaid cards must also meet the payment requirements.
The official booking requirements cover the account, phone number, payment card, and visitor names. Before the payment deadline, make sure you can complete your bank’s authentication process.
Booking From Overseas: Check Your Phone First
Nintendo’s phone-verification instructions specifically explain calls from outside Japan. To complete a purchase, call the designated number using the phone number registered with your application. Caller ID must be enabled; when calling from abroad, use Japan’s +81 country code. You do not need to speak during the verification call.
A data-only travel SIM cannot make this call. Check that your regular phone service can call Japan, and keep access to that number through the purchase process. Nintendo says the registered number cannot be changed; entering an incorrect number can prevent you from buying the tickets even if selected.
Ticket Prices and What You Can Do Inside
| Visitor age | Admission, including tax |
|---|---|
| 18 and older | ¥3,300 |
| 12–17 | ¥2,200 |
| 6–11 | ¥1,100 |
| 0–5 | Free |
Children 11 and younger must be accompanied by a guardian with an adult ticket (age 18 or older). See the museum’s user guide for accessibility ticket conditions and other admission rules.
The museum brings together Nintendo products from different generations and hands-on exhibits such as Big Controller, where two people operate an oversized controller together. For longtime fans, the appeal is seeing familiar hardware alongside earlier toys and games, then trying the interactive experiences. Browse the official exhibit descriptions to decide whether it fits your trip.
Interactive exhibits use a limited allocation of digital coins, so admission does not let you try every interactive exhibit in one visit. Hanafuda workshops require a separate fee and a reservation after arrival. The café and shop are inside the museum and are accessible only to ticket holders.
If You Are Not Selected or Missed the Drawing
The January drawing is closed, so you cannot submit a new January drawing entry now. Some applicants receive waitlist status. If selected later, Nintendo contacts them around a week after the initial results; waitlist status does not guarantee a ticket. Nintendo does not send an email if you are not selected from the waitlist.
Separately, remaining or canceled tickets may go on sale on a first-come, first-served basis for visits up to two months ahead. Watch the official ticketing site for the sale announcement and actual availability. As of November 1, the public calendar lists first-come sales for visits through December 2026; it does not announce January first-come sales. Check again for updates rather than assuming January tickets are already on sale.
If your travel dates are flexible, the drawing for February 2027 visits is open until November 30, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. This is a separate drawing for February visits, not another chance to enter the January drawing.
Keep another Kyoto activity in mind until your ticket purchase is complete. Nintendo does not sell same-day tickets, so arriving without a reservation is not a backup option.
Plan the Journey to Uji After Your Ticket Is Confirmed
The museum is in Uji, south of central Kyoto. Nintendo lists a five-minute walk from the east exit of Kintetsu Ogura Station (近鉄小倉駅, Kintetsu Ogura-eki), or an eight-minute walk from the north exit of JR Ogura Station (JR小倉駅, JR Ogura-eki). These are different stations; check which one your train uses.
Nintendo asks visitors to use public transportation and not arrive by taxi, car, motorcycle, or bicycle. Visitors with accessibility needs receive separate parking-reservation information. If using a stroller or wheelchair, consult the official access map for the alternative route around the stairs near Kintetsu Ogura Station.
Issue your QR ticket from 2 p.m. on the day before your visit. Once issued, it cannot be canceled. Bring your passport: Nintendo’s English visitor instructions specify passports as the accepted ID for non-Japanese nationals.
Information checked: November 1, 2026. Availability and ticketing announcements may change; check the official ticketing website before making plans.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is the museum open on New Year’s Day?
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No. Its regular New Year closure runs from December 30 through January 3. It is also normally closed on Tuesdays; when Tuesday is a national holiday, the closure moves to Wednesday.
- Can I visit just the shop without a museum ticket?
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No. The shop and café are inside the ticketed museum. Plan your reservation around the museum visit rather than treating the shop as a walk-in stop.
- Can I buy resale tickets if I miss out?
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Nintendo prohibits resold tickets and transfers to people other than the registered visitors. Use the official ticketing site for any later availability.
For the rest of your booking plan, see Japan trip preparation guide for a practical sequence covering documents, accommodation, transportation, and time-sensitive reservations.
