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masahiThere are several ways to buy tickets for Takarazuka:
- at the theatre
- through a website such as TicketPia
- at vending machines in shops
- through auction sites
At the Theatre
This is by far the easiest and most reliable way of getting tickets. They will be able to show you seating charts and will have the latest updates on just how many seats are left for any show.
We found the staff very helpful. The majority speak a little English, but if worst comes to worst, simply write down the date and time of the show you want to see, then they will help you from there.
Through a Website
This is only really available if you are resident in Japan, from what I've heard. Non-Japanese credit cards are not accepted, and the sites are only written in Japanese.
However, there are intermediaries available, such as Crescent Shop, who will purchase and ship tickets outside of Japan. There are usually service charges included as well, which may mean you end up paying quite a bit more for your ticket.
There are also trading websites, but these remain for people who trade/buy inside Japan, and unless you know someone who knows how they work, it is near impossible to use them.
From a Vending Machine
This is another route that is mainly manageable if you can read in Japanese. I'm not sure if there are English options on the machine, so unless you can hijack a willing Japanese-reading person, it's probably easier to avoid them.
Through Auction Sites
Like buying tickets online, auctions only trade within Japan. However, unlike buying tickets direct from the sites at full price, sometimes, auctions can offer great seats at very reasonable prices.
Crescent Shop is one of the better intermediaries in auctions especially, and frequently, there are dozens of Takarazuka tickets on sale, depending on show, performer, dates etc.
A Word of Advice: Tokyo usually sells out more than Takarazuka, so take it into consideration if you're planning a trip.
Choosing Your Seats
One thing that surprised me about the Takarazuka theatres is that there isn't a single bad seat in the building. We sat in the main stalls, the front rows of the balcony and the back rows of the balcony in various performances, and still didn't miss a bit of the action.
Before you go in, you can rent opera glasses, should you be seated further back, but on the whole, the layout is one of the best I've seen, with the seats tiered in such a way that even if a taller person is in front of you, it's easy to see over them.
There are also the on-the-day tickets, which are cheaper than the seats themselves, as well as limited standing room at the very back of the theatre, which are available when the same-day seats sell out. If you go armed with binoculars, these budget positions can sometimes be the best option, if you want to save up your money for souvenirs.
- at the theatre
- through a website such as TicketPia
- at vending machines in shops
- through auction sites
At the Theatre
This is by far the easiest and most reliable way of getting tickets. They will be able to show you seating charts and will have the latest updates on just how many seats are left for any show.
We found the staff very helpful. The majority speak a little English, but if worst comes to worst, simply write down the date and time of the show you want to see, then they will help you from there.
Through a Website
This is only really available if you are resident in Japan, from what I've heard. Non-Japanese credit cards are not accepted, and the sites are only written in Japanese.
However, there are intermediaries available, such as Crescent Shop, who will purchase and ship tickets outside of Japan. There are usually service charges included as well, which may mean you end up paying quite a bit more for your ticket.
There are also trading websites, but these remain for people who trade/buy inside Japan, and unless you know someone who knows how they work, it is near impossible to use them.
From a Vending Machine
This is another route that is mainly manageable if you can read in Japanese. I'm not sure if there are English options on the machine, so unless you can hijack a willing Japanese-reading person, it's probably easier to avoid them.
Through Auction Sites
Like buying tickets online, auctions only trade within Japan. However, unlike buying tickets direct from the sites at full price, sometimes, auctions can offer great seats at very reasonable prices.
Crescent Shop is one of the better intermediaries in auctions especially, and frequently, there are dozens of Takarazuka tickets on sale, depending on show, performer, dates etc.
A Word of Advice: Tokyo usually sells out more than Takarazuka, so take it into consideration if you're planning a trip.
Choosing Your Seats
One thing that surprised me about the Takarazuka theatres is that there isn't a single bad seat in the building. We sat in the main stalls, the front rows of the balcony and the back rows of the balcony in various performances, and still didn't miss a bit of the action.
Before you go in, you can rent opera glasses, should you be seated further back, but on the whole, the layout is one of the best I've seen, with the seats tiered in such a way that even if a taller person is in front of you, it's easy to see over them.
There are also the on-the-day tickets, which are cheaper than the seats themselves, as well as limited standing room at the very back of the theatre, which are available when the same-day seats sell out. If you go armed with binoculars, these budget positions can sometimes be the best option, if you want to save up your money for souvenirs.
