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Visiting Japan can take a little bit more planning than some other destinations – and one reason for this is that some of the very popular things to see can sell out in advance or simply don’t take walk-in customers. Here’s what you need to book in advance in Kyoto and Osaka to ensure you don’t miss out.
What to Book In Advance in Kyoto
Here are the main things you’ll need to book in Kyoto.
1. Nintendo Museum
The Nintendo Museum is so popular they offer their first ticket release by lottery; to be in with a chance of winning tickets you need to register for this.
The lottery opens three months before the date you want to visit, so if you wanted to enter in March, you’d apply in December. It’s drawn on the last day of that month.
If you want to enter, first register for a free Nintendo account via the link on the Nintendo Museum ticket website and then apply for the time and date you’d like to visit the museum.

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You can pick up to three possible dates and times, and they give you a clue as to how many other people are in the draw when you go to book – so, get strategic and try for quieter times. Not surprisingly, the weekend times are busier than those in the week. It’s open 10 am to 6 pm but closed on a Tuesday.
The Lottery is drawn on the 1st of the next month – so Jan 1st for March, and winners will be notified by email.
If you don’t win, you have a second chance to buy tickets. Winners are given until the 7th of the month to buy their tickets – if they don’t, they are released for sale. So, start checking for your dates from the 8th of the month.
If you want to know more about what to expect if you do go inside, read our longer Nintendo Museum review after this.
2. Saihoji – Kokodera Moss Temple
This temple in Arashiyama is famous for its lush moss garden, but you can’t just walk in as with the other Kyoto temples; you must book in advance.
This used to be a tricky process that involved sending a postcard to Japan, but now, you can book online. This means that more people are visiting than there used to be, and I was surprised by how busy it was – especially as the entrance fee is 4000 yen.

If you want to visit, bookings open two months before the day you want to enter, and remain open until 11.59 pm the day before you want to attend. Find the booking form here.
You can see my guide about what to expect at Saihoji here.
3. Kichi Kichi Omurice
Famous for its theatrical chef, this restaurant located down a tiny alley in Pontocho is immensely popular – and every day, people head there thinking they can walk in, but no, you have to have a reservation!
They do like to change up how you make these – at one point, you had to queue up outside to make one, but now they are done online.
Reservations are only for the same day. If you want to book lunch (currently weekends only), you can reserve between 9 am and 10 am; if you want to book dinner, you can book between 1 pm and 2 pm. No reservations are taken outside of these times.

This is where you need to book. Ensure you also read the help page, as there are a few rules to know about and things you need to have ready. The restaurant has only eight seats, so slots fill up quickly, so you’ll want to be organised.
As I said, I’ve seen their process change a few times over the years, so if it’s somewhere you want to visit, then check the website in advance in case they’ve changed things again.

Need Extra Planning Help?
Our Japan trip planners can help. Choose from our 62-page Japan Super Planner, which includes tips on everything from picking hotels to sightseeing. Or, try a specific planner like Tokyo Tips, Kyoto Tips, or the Rail Pass Planner. Find them in our Planners store – printable and digital versions are available.
4. Sagano Romantic Train
Booking this far in advance is not always necessary, but the train does sell out if you’re travelling here during the autumn leaf season.
To ensure you get the best seats, I would book them the day they go on sale, one month before the date you want to travel. They go on sale at midnight Japanese time.
This is the site you need to visit to buy them directly.

The best seats are on the right of the train if you are travelling from Saga/Arashiyama to Kameoka and on the left if you’re going the other way.
The rest of the year, it’s a good idea to book in advance just to make sure you get a good seat, but you don’t have to jump online immediately.
5. Aoniyoshi Sightseeing Train
While sellouts on the Sagano are mostly seasonal, booking seats on the Aoniyoshi train is always necessary. The service travels between Kyoto and Nara and Osaka and Nara, and as it only has 84 seats and has become a bit of a star on social media, it will fill up.
Tickets go on sale a month before the date you want to travel at 10.30 am Japanese time. Some of the seat types go within the hour.
You can book them via the Aoniyoshi train website.

It’s important to note that the booking on the website is only for your seat on the train. You must also pay for the base fare to travel on the train when you arrive. You can buy a ticket from the machine at the station where you get on or use a Suica card to go through the gates and tap out at the other side.
If you want to travel on the Aoniyoshi, I’d definitely suggest reading our longer post, which explains this process in more detail and explains how the seating works – especially if you’re travelling solo or as a group of three or five as it’s not as simple as you might think.
6. Fushimi Sake Museum
The Fushimi Sake area is located a short train ride south of the famous Fushimi Inari shrine. It’s home to sake breweries offering tastings, a restaurant selling sake ramen, and the Sake Museum.
Sadly, I can’t tell you much about what’s inside this because… I didn’t make a reservation.

The museum operates on a two-tier system. Visitors with bookings can enter the museum at 15 or 45 minutes past the hour, while those without reservations can only enter at 00 or 30 minutes – I got there at about three minutes past! And I was on too tight a schedule to wait another 30 minutes as I had to get to my timed entry at the Nintendo Museum.
So, while booking this one might not be as essential as some others on this list, if you’re on a tight schedule, as I was, you might want to book in advance.
7. Tea Ceremonies
As there are a few different providers of these in Kyoto, you don’t have to book these the second they go on sale, but you’ll also be unlikely to find a proper tea ceremony that takes walk-ins, hence the need to book in advance.

By booking in advance, you can also choose a slot around the middle of the day. This is when I suggest the best time to do a tea ceremony, as it’s when the crowds are highest at many of the other must-see sights.
See more tips on beating the Kyoto crowds here.
By booking an experience that only allows a set number of people to attend, you can escape the crowds during the busiest period.
Click here to book a tea ceremony by a tea master in one of Kyoto’s shrines.
8. Miyaki Odori, Kamagora Odori and Gion Odori
The three events above are one of the chances that tourists can see a performance from a real Kyoto geiko (the Kyoto name for geisha). Seeing an actual geiko perform (rather than the trainee maiko) is actually very hard for tourists to do, so these events are quite special.
Miyaki Odori
This event happens in April. Four performances occur throughout each day of April, and you will need to book tickets in advance.
See more about the event, view the seating chart and book tickets via the official website.

Kamagora Odori
This happens in May, and tickets go on sale to the public in early April (travel agencies can sell tickets earlier than this). See the dates of the performances and buy tickets for the Kamagora Odori here).
Gion Odori
If you’re traveling to Kyoto in November, you might be able to catch one of the performances in this series by the geishas of Gion.
Two performances happen each afternoon for around a ten-day period in the beginning of November. Tickets go on sale in August. Check the dates and ticket availability for the Gion Odori here.
If you are not in Kyoto for one of the Odori performances, you can see nightly dance performances at Gion Corner. These are more likely to be performed by a maiko or trainee geiko, but they are still beautiful to watch. Book your tickets here.
9. My Only Fragrance
My favourite perfume has been discontinued, so I am desperate to try this service, which now has four shops in Kyoto. It allows you to blend our own personal scent – and it only costs 5000 yen. That’s a bargain for this kind of thing.
It takes about 30 minutes to create the scent, and reservations are needed as it does book out.
You book via the Line app but start off at their website, which gives you the QR code to scan when you choose the correct store.
10. Kimono Hire
You can do this as a walk in, but, if you already know you want to dress in a kimono on your Kyoto trip, it’s a good idea to book it in advance, so you can get one of the early morning slots to be dressed.

There are kimono shops all over Kyoto, so you could find one near your accommodation when you arrive – which also allows you to pick a day when you know the weather will be nice, or, you can pick from one of the many stores available on Klook.
If you’re wondering if it’s okay to dress in kimono, or, if you are looking for some ideas of places to have your photo taken in Kyoto wearing one, have a look at our guide to wearing a kimono like a local.
Things to Book in Advance in Osaka
There’s a lot to do in Osaka, but only a handful of things that you definitely need to book in advance. Here they are…
11. USJ Express Passes
Universal Studios Japan is now the fourth busiest theme park in the world, and the lines can get very long. Express Passes can help cut a two or three-hour wait down to about 20 minutes. But, you can’t buy them on the day.

Express Passes go on sale two months before the date you wish to visit the park, and they do sell out – particularly the Express Pass 7 that covers the most popular rides.
Book your Express Pass in advance via Klook here. And don’t forget that you also need a Studio Pass to enter the park itself.
If you’re confused by the Express Passes, take our interactive Express Pass quiz which can help narrow down the best passes for you.
12. Pokemon Cafe
Osaka also has a branch of the Pokemon Cafe in Shinsaibashi, and while it’s a little bit easier to get a slot than the Tokyo branch, it still sells out in minutes.
Reservations open at 6 pm Japanese time, 31 days before the date you want to visit – so, if you want to go on June 30th, you must be online to book May 30th.

This is the Osaka booking page – and I’d strongly suggest knowing your way around the process before the day comes so that if you do get through, you don’t lose our slot by delaying making decisions.
Find some tips that might help you snag one of the coveted reservations in the Pokemon Cafe section of our guide to what to book in advance in Tokyo.
13. Chicken Ramen Factory at the Cup Noodle Museum
You don’t need to book in advance to visit the Cup Noodle Museum or to take part in the popular experience where you customise your own cup noodle (although get there early if you want to do this as you have to book a slot on the day and they do fill up), but if you want to take part in the Chicken Ramen Factory experience where you make your cup noodle totally from scratch reservations are required.
Dates open three months before the day you want to take part via the museum’s website.
Check opening hours and get directions on the main Cup Noodle Museum website. If your schedule means leaving a bit later, you can also check availability of tickets for the customisation service – click the Availability button.
14. Osaka Expo 2025
This is taking place in Osaka between April 13th 2025, and October 13 2025.
Tickets should be purchased in advance, and once you have them, you’ll need to book the date of your visit and book times for some of the pavilions that you might want to enter.

Some of the pavilions are also working with a lottery system, with tickets being drawn two months before the date you want to visit and then a second lottery 7-days before, so if you want to maximise your chances of seeing everything, you’ll want to book your ticket at least two months before the day you want to attend.
See more about the different tickets and the rest of the process at the official Osaka Expo site.
15. Sumo Tickets
Osaka hosts one of the six Grand Sumo tournaments a year – in March.
You’ll need to book your tickets well in advance if you’re here when it happens. Tickets go on sale a month in advance and sell out fast.
Check the official Grand Tournament website for exact dates of the tournament and the on-sale date for tickets.
Klook often also offers packages for the Grand Tournament, so if the official site can’t help, check there too.
If you’re not traveling in March, you can also see live Sumo at The Sumo Hall Orikuza, which offers tourists a chance to see bouts up close at any time of year..
Save Time Queuing At…
Some other attractions in Osaka that you might want to book in advance to save time queuing include Osaka Castle, Umeda Sky Building, teamLab at Osaka Botanical Gardens and the Osaka Aquarium.
All of these also accept walk-ins, but there might be longer queues or tickets for certain times may have sold out, meaning you need to wait longer to get in than if you book your ticket in advance.
It’s also a good idea to book the Street Go-Karts if you want to ride them (don’t forget you need an international driving license for this).