{"id":5162,"date":"2026-11-09T03:35:59","date_gmt":"2026-11-09T03:35:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/?p=5162"},"modified":"2026-11-09T03:36:25","modified_gmt":"2026-11-09T03:36:25","slug":"sannomaru-shozokan-tickets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thejapanpro.com\/blog\/it\/sannomaru-shozokan-tickets\/","title":{"rendered":"Sannomaru Shozokan Tickets 2026: Hours & Best Works"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sannomaru Shozokan tickets for 2026 cost \u00a52,500 for adults, are free for anyone under 23, and must be booked in advance for a 30-minute time slot, because nothing is sold at the door. The Museum of the Imperial Collections, inside the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, fully reopened on 3 November 2026 with a three-part show of imperial treasures<\/a> that runs until 24 January 2027.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This guide covers prices, how to book on the two official ticket sites, opening hours and the many one-off closed days, which works are on show in each period, and how to reach the museum through the right gate. Every price and date below comes from the museum’s own pages or the Imperial Household Agency, checked on 5 November 2026. Where something has not been published, we say so.<\/p>\n\n\n

\u00a52,500<\/p>

Adult ticket, Nov 2026\u2013Jan 2027<\/p><\/div>

Free<\/p>

Under 23s and students (book ahead)<\/p><\/div>

9:30\u201317:00<\/p>

Fri and Sat to 20:00<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

\"Sannomaru
The Imperial Palace East Gardens, where the museum stands. Photo: On-1000<\/a> \/ photo-AC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Is Sannomaru Shozokan open again?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Yes. The museum announced<\/a> that it would fully open on Tuesday 3 November 2026, a national holiday, and it is now open. It had been partly open in a new wing since November 2023, then closed so the old and new sections could be joined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The museum opened in November 1993 to look after works the imperial family gave to the nation in 1989, after Emperor Sh\u014dwa’s death. More collections from other imperial households followed. In 2023 it moved from the Imperial Household Agency to the National Institutes for Cultural Heritage and took its current name, according to the museum history page<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rebuilt museum has three galleries, a lecture hall and a shop, all on one floor. Press reports put the new exhibition space at roughly eight times the old 160 m\u00b2 gallery (Bijutsu Techo<\/a>; Jiji Press via Nippon.com<\/a>). Bijutsu Techo counts about 6,300 works in the collection, including 10 National Treasures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How much are Sannomaru Shozokan tickets in 2026\u201327?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Each of the three grand-opening exhibitions has its own ticket. These are the official prices from the museum ticket page<\/a>, tax included. Lectures and slide talks need a separate event ticket at the same price, which includes exhibition entry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exhibition<\/th>Dates<\/th>Adult<\/th>Ticket sales<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Beauty Through the Ages: Treasures of the Imperial Collections<\/td>3 Nov 2026 \u2013 24 Jan 2027<\/td>\u00a52,500<\/td>On sale by period (see below)<\/td><\/tr>
Sacred Garden of Birds and Flowers (It\u014d Jakuch\u016b)<\/td>4 Feb \u2013 14 Mar 2027<\/td>\u00a53,000<\/td>Not yet on sale; date not announced<\/td><\/tr>
Japanese Calligraphy: A 1,300-Year Legacy of Beauty<\/td>25 Mar \u2013 16 May 2027<\/td>\u00a52,500<\/td>Not yet on sale; date not announced<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Who gets in free?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Free entry is generous, and many travellers miss it. The rules are the same for all three exhibitions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visitor<\/th>Price<\/th>Reservation?<\/th>Bring<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Anyone under 23 on the day<\/td>Free<\/td>Yes, required<\/td>ID showing age (passport works)<\/td><\/tr>
University, high school and junior high students<\/td>Free<\/td>Yes, required<\/td>Valid student ID<\/td><\/tr>
Elementary school children and younger<\/td>Free<\/td>Not needed<\/td>Nothing (come with a guardian)<\/td><\/tr>
Disability certificate holders plus one carer<\/td>Free<\/td>Not needed<\/td>Disability certificate or Mirairo ID<\/td><\/tr>
Japan Association of Museums or ICOM members<\/td>Free<\/td>Not needed<\/td>Membership card<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There is no senior discount on the published price list. A 70-year-old pays the same \u00a52,500 as a 30-year-old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to book Sannomaru Shozokan tickets 2026: ART PASS or 7 Ticket?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Il exhibition ticket page<\/a> lists two official sellers. Both sell the same timed slots; the difference is the format, the fee and what you can change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/th>ART PASS<\/th>7 Ticket<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Ticket type<\/td>E-ticket with QR code on your phone<\/td>Paper ticket printed at a 7-Eleven<\/td><\/tr>
Booking fee<\/td>None<\/td>\u00a5110 per ticket (web bookings)<\/td><\/tr>
Changes<\/td>Date or time can be changed up to twice<\/td>No changes<\/td><\/tr>
Cancellation or refund<\/td>Not possible<\/td>Not possible<\/td><\/tr>
Il migliore per<\/td>Most visitors, especially from abroad<\/td>Anyone who wants a paper ticket<\/td><\/tr>
Link<\/td>ART PASS booking page<\/a><\/td>7 Ticket booking page<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For 7 Ticket, a payment receipt or screenshot does not get you in; you must print the paper ticket at a 7-Eleven. The ART PASS page only loads in a JavaScript-enabled browser, and we could not confirm whether it offers an English interface, so a browser translation tool may help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When do tickets go on sale for each period?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The opening exhibition is split into three periods, and tickets for each period open separately at 10:00 Japan time:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Period<\/th>Dates<\/th>Tickets on sale from<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Early<\/td>3 Nov \u2013 23 Nov 2026<\/td>12 Sep 2026 (on sale now)<\/td><\/tr>
Middle<\/td>26 Nov \u2013 20 Dec 2026<\/td>Wed 11 Nov 2026, 10:00<\/td><\/tr>
Late<\/td>23 Dec 2026 \u2013 24 Jan 2027<\/td>Wed 2 Dec 2026, 10:00<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How the time slots work<\/h3>\n\n\n\n