Tokyo Game Show 2026: tickets, getting there and business meetings

Tokyo Game Show brings game demos, presentations and business meetings to Makuhari Messe in Chiba, outside the city of Tokyo. In 2026, the event runs for five days: September 17 and 18 for industry professionals, and September 19 through 21 for the public. A regular public admission ticket does not cover the first two days.

Schedules and rules can change at the last minute, even after our September 7 check. Check the official information and links again before buying your ticket or heading to the show.

Dates, opening hours and tickets

All times on the official schedule are in Japan Standard Time (JST). On Public Days, the doors may open up to 30 minutes early. Exhibitors, press and other accredited attendees should follow the entry times issued with their credentials, not this possible early opening for the public.

On September 19 and 20, first entry closes at 4 p.m.; visitors who leave can reenter until 4:30 p.m. On September 21, those cutoffs are 3 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Bags are checked at the entrance, and crowded areas may temporarily stop admitting visitors under the visitor rules.

For residents outside Japan, a regular ticket costs ¥3,000 per day, including tax. The official ticket page directs buyers to Trip.com, with entry using a QR code on a phone. Tickets will not be sold at the door.

A Fast Ticket costs ¥6,000 per day and includes priority entry and gifts. A Premium Ticket costs ¥30,000 for all three Public Days, with priority entry and access to the Energy Spot lounge. Both were sold out in the overseas-resident section when checked on September 7. Neither guarantees a reservation to play individual games.

If you already have a Fast Ticket, join its designated priority line by 9 a.m. to use that benefit. Children of Japanese elementary-school age or younger receive free regular admission; they need the corresponding paid ticket to receive Fast or Premium benefits.

Getting to Makuhari Messe by train and bus

From Tokyo Station, the main destination is Kaihin-Makuhari on the JR Keiyo Line. This is a JR train, not a subway line. The TGS access guide estimates 30 minutes by rapid train and another five minutes on foot to the Messe, at 2-1 Nakase, Mihama-ku, Chiba. That does not include walking to the platform, waiting for a train or queuing at the show.

First time in Japan? These are the basics for taking trains and the subway:

1. Paying your fare: buy a ticket to your destination from a station machine; look for its English option or ask a member of staff. Alternatively, use a Suica, a transit card you load with money before traveling.
2. Ticket gates: tap the same Suica when entering and leaving. With a paper ticket, insert it into the ticket slot and collect it after entering: you will need it at the exit. If the gate will not open, ask the attendant beside it.
3. Finding your platform: follow signs for the line name, then check the direction and stops. At Tokyo Station, look for JR Keiyo and make sure your train stops at Kaihin-Makuhari. Do not confuse it with Makuhari-Hongo, which is a different station.

Stay behind the safety line on the platform and let passengers get off before boarding. On the train, silence your phone, avoid phone calls and keep bags out of doorways. These basic courtesies also apply on the Tokyo subway.

From Makuhari-Hongo, you can also take a bus to Kaihin-Makuhari and walk the rest of the way. The Messe estimates 15 minutes on the bus and a five-minute walk, plus waiting time and possible traffic delays.

Registration and meetings on Business Days

Business Days are reserved for industry professionals, not a ticket option for seeing the show early. Even if you have an invitation code, you must preregister individually. The deadline without a code is September 8 at 11:59 p.m.; with a code, it is September 16 at 11:59 p.m. Both deadlines are in JST.

Bring your PDF ticket with its QR code, photo ID and two business cards. Printing the ticket is not required. People under 18 and students, including university students, are not admitted.

Standard, Gold and Black passes do not include Public Days. The Black pass's special entrance does not mean every accredited attendee can enter early.

Business Matching is the official platform for finding companies and arranging meetings. Profiles describe the products, technologies and services participants offer or are looking for. After buying a pass, you receive an invitation by email; register on the platform to browse those profiles and arrange appointments.

The listed meeting areas are on 1F (ground level) of the International Conference Hall and the 2F Esplanade in Hall 11. Another area is planned for the north corridor on 2F of Halls 7 and 8. The International Conference Hall is the conference center, not one of the numbered exhibition halls. Check the building, booth or table in your appointment details. Meetings at booths are also subject to that hall's entry rules.

If your meeting is early in the day, allow time for registration, security checks and the walk to its location. Exhibitors, press and anyone with specific instructions should follow the time and entrance assigned to their credentials. An appointment does not itself authorize entry before opening; if you need earlier access, arrange it with your host.

Entrances, parking and getting around the show

On Public Days, choose your entrance according to the first attraction you want to visit. Halls 1 through 8 are accessed from West Plaza, while Halls 9 through 11 use the ground-floor entrance in Hall 10. You cannot move between these two groups of halls in either direction before 10 a.m., so start on the side of your first attraction.

Messe parking is open from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., with last entry at 9 p.m. It costs ¥1,000 per standard car, per day and entry, and cannot be reserved. The parking lot opening at 8 a.m. does not grant access to TGS. Note that the prefectural Makuhari New City P1 underground parking lot is closed from August 1, 2026, through January 31, 2027, according to the Messe.

Overnight queuing is not allowed. Wheeled suitcases must be left at the paid baggage storage, and security checks also apply on Business Days and when reentering.

Before joining a game's line, check whether its demo requires a numbered ticket or reservation and whether there is a minimum age. Show admission does not guarantee a turn; bring photo ID and follow the time printed on any demo ticket you receive.

TGS lists Wi-Fi in the Central Mall on 2F but does not guarantee reception near every attraction. Portable Wi-Fi routers and phone tethering are prohibited in Halls 1 through 11.

Family Game Park is in a separate building

If you are bringing children, Family Game Park has its own address: TKP Tokyo Bay Makuhari Hall, at 2-3 Hibino, about a ten-minute walk from Kaihin-Makuhari. Entry is free for children through Japanese junior-high-school age and their accompanying guardians; adults without children are not admitted.

The route from Family Game Park into the Messe opens only after 10:30 a.m., with a ticket required for visitors age 13 and older. Free admission to the children's area does not extend to the main exhibition halls.

PlayStation booth at TGS 2018, by Sergey Galyonkin, CC BY-SA 2.0.