This is based on official information from railway companies, theme parks and attractions as of October 24, 2026. Where the 2026-27 details haven’t been announced yet, we tell you what happened “last year” (2025-26). We’ll update this page once they’re announced.
New Year is also when people in Japan travel, many of them heading home to their families. Once your dates are set, there are a few things worth taking care of in November.
The answer first — this is our short answer
Hotels first. Then Shinkansen seats for the days you travel. Book your hotel as soon as your dates are set. Book Shinkansen reserved seats on the day they go on sale (at stations and other ticket outlets, from 10 a.m. one month before the day you ride; see the table below).
If you have New Year’s Eve plans, your deadlines are in November. USJ’s New Year countdown tickets go on general sale from around 9 p.m. Japan time on Wednesday, November 4 (presales have already started), and the Tokyo Skytree first-sunrise lottery runs until the night of Thursday, November 26 (Japan time).
Tokyo Disney Resort will not hold its special year-end countdown operation (“New Year’s Eve”) on December 31, 2026. December 31 has the same hours as the other days from December 26 to January 2: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Key dates
| When (Japan time) | What |
|---|---|
| Wed, Nov 4, from around 9 p.m. | General sale of USJ’s “Party Pass” (the New Year countdown ticket) |
| Thu, Nov 5, 12 noon – Thu, Nov 26, 11:59 p.m. | Tokyo Skytree first-sunrise lottery (official website) |
| Wed, Nov 25, 10 a.m. | Shinkansen reserved seats go on sale for December 25 (the first day the Nozomi has no non-reserved seats) |
| Fri, Nov 27, 10 a.m. | Reserved seats go on sale for December 27 (★last year, December 27 was the peak booking day for trains leaving Tokyo) |
| Tue, Dec 1 | Tokyo Skytree lottery results (scheduled; sent by email). At 10 a.m., reserved seats go on sale for December 31 |
| Thu, Dec 3, 10 a.m. | Reserved seats go on sale for January 3 (★last year, January 3 was the peak booking day for trains heading to Tokyo) |
At stations and other ticket outlets, reserved seats go on sale at 10 a.m. one month before the day you ride (the same date in the previous month). The dates in the table above are counted from that rule. On JR Central’s booking services “smart EX” and “Express Reservation,” seats go on sale from 5:30 a.m. Japan time one year before the day you ride, according to JR Central.
For the New Year’s Eve temple bell at Chion-in in Kyoto, last year you applied online from December 1, first come, first served. How it will work for 2026-27 hasn’t been announced yet (see section 5).
1. Hotels — look as soon as your dates are set
New Year in Japan overlaps with people in Japan going home and traveling. With hotels, the best move is to decide while there’s still plenty to choose from.
On the booking screen, check two things: the final amount you’ll pay (including taxes and fees) and the deadline for free cancellation. If your plans might change, choose by the cancellation terms.
Not sure which area to stay in? → Where to Stay in Tokyo on Your First Trip
See places to stay in Tokyo on Agoda (affiliate link)
See places to stay in Osaka on Agoda (affiliate link)
See places to stay in Kyoto on Agoda (affiliate link)
2. Shinkansen — from December 25 to January 5, the Nozomi is reserved seats only
The Nozomi, which runs between Tokyo, Shin-Osaka and Hakata, will be reserved seats only on every train from Friday, December 25, 2026 to Tuesday, January 5, 2027. With a non-reserved ticket you can’t get a seat, and even if you get on, you’ll be standing in the deck area (the space by the car doors). The same applies over the three-day weekend from Saturday, January 9 to Monday, January 11 (a national holiday).
The Hikari, Kodama, Sakura and Mizuho still have non-reserved seats during this period. But JR Central itself describes the Hikari and Kodama as “very crowded every year.” On days when you want to sit, get a reserved seat.
Last year, as of mid-December, bookings were concentrated on Nozomi and Hikari trains leaving Tokyo on the mornings of December 27–31 and arriving in Tokyo on the afternoons of January 2–4. JR Central announced that, with some exceptions, other trains still had seats available. If this year follows the same pattern, traveling at a different time may make it easier to get a seat.
The limited express Hida from Nagoya to Takayama and the Shinano to Matsumoto and Nagano are also reserved seats only from December 25 to January 5. When the reserved seats are full, standing tickets (立席特急券; limited in number) go on sale. You can’t buy them on Eki-net or e5489.
3. New Year’s Eve at USJ — general sale starts the night of November 4
Universal Studios Japan in Osaka will hold a New Year countdown event from 7 p.m. on Thursday, December 31 to 9 p.m. on Friday, January 1, with up to 26 hours of fun. Around midnight (11:50 p.m. to 12:05 a.m.), there’s the “Countdown Moment” with fireworks.
To get in, you need a special ticket, the “Party Pass” (from ¥16,900 including tax). General sale starts from around 9 p.m. Japan time on Wednesday, November 4, on USJ’s official website and through Lawson Ticket (online and at Loppi machines in Lawson stores). Presales have been opening in stages since October 7, and Lawson Ticket’s first-come, first-served presale runs until 11:59 p.m. Japan time on Tuesday, November 3.
There’s one thing to watch out for here. If you enter on December 31 with a regular ticket, you can only stay until 5 p.m. The park closes from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., and from 7 p.m. on December 31 only Party Pass holders can enter (with a January 1 ticket, you can enter from 2 a.m. on New Year’s Day).
Plan your way back ahead of time, too. Last year, the Osaka Loop Line and the JR Yumesaki Line (the line to USJ) ran extra trains after the last regular train on New Year’s Eve, until around 3 a.m. But they did not run all night. If you’ll be staying until morning, booking a place to stay nearby will give you peace of mind.
4. First sunrise from Tokyo Skytree — the lottery closes November 26
Tokyo Skytree will open specially from 5:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. on Friday, January 1, 2027 so visitors can watch the first sunrise of the year. Entry to the observation decks (the Tembo Deck at 350 m and the Tembo Galleria at 450 m) is limited to 800 people. Starting this year, tickets are allocated by lottery instead of first come, first served.
- How to apply: on the official website, Thu, Nov 5, 12 noon – Thu, Nov 26, 11:59 p.m. (Japan time)
- Price: ¥11,000 per person (an observation deck ticket plus a ¥1,000 voucher to use at Skytree shops). Elementary school students and adults pay the same price (children aged 5 and under, and 6-year-olds who haven’t started elementary school, are free, up to 2 per group)
- The official website has 580 tickets. You can apply for up to 5 at a time
- Results: scheduled for Tuesday, December 1, sent by email
- You need to register a credit card to apply. If you’re not selected, the temporary charge for those tickets is removed automatically
There are no refunds even if rain or clouds hide the sunrise. You also can’t cancel once you’ve applied.
If tickets don’t sell out in advance, same-day tickets may be available, the official site says. Even if you’re not selected, regular hours start at 8 a.m. on New Year’s Day. You can still see Tokyo from above on New Year’s morning.
5. The New Year’s Eve bell at Chion-in (Kyoto) — last year you had to apply
The New Year’s Eve bell ringing at Chion-in in Kyoto starts at 10:20 p.m. on Thursday, December 31, 2026.
★Last year, you had to apply in advance to attend the New Year’s Eve bell ringing (two ways: online, first come, first served, or tickets bought with cash at the temple’s counter). You couldn’t just show up on the night, and it was for watching only; you couldn’t ring the bell yourself. How it will work for 2026-27 hasn’t been announced yet.
Last year, Kyoto’s subway and city buses also stopped after their last regular runs on New Year’s Eve. If you’re going to watch the bell at night, work out how you’ll get back first. We’ll cover New Year’s Eve night in a separate article.
Before you go
- We’ve put what closes over New Year into a day-by-day table. → New Year in Japan 2026-27 | What’s Open, What’s Closed
- Decide how your phone will get online by the night before you leave, and you won’t be stuck working it out at the airport. → eSIM, SIM Card or Pocket Wi-Fi for Japan?
Summary
Once your dates are set, hotels first. Then Shinkansen reserved seats for the days you travel (at stations and other ticket outlets, from 10 a.m. one month before the day you ride). For New Year’s Eve at USJ, general sale starts the night of November 4; for the first sunrise from Tokyo Skytree, apply by the night of November 26.
Once that’s done, all that’s left is to look forward to the day.
