How to Buy Tokyo 2020 Olympic Tickets: Ticket Lottery Starts on May 9th

Residents of Japan will be able to enter the lottery application process for buying Tokyo 2020 Olympic tickets on the Tokyo 2020 Official Ticket website at 10AM on May 9th.

Overseas residents aren’t eligible to buy tickets from the official website and must purchase from your country’s designated Authorized Ticket Resellers.

Please note that if you try to access the official ticketing page during the scheduled maintenance period (which runs until just before the lottery period starts at 10AM on May 9th), you will get a “scheduled maintenance” screen.

The official lottery application site is expected to experience very heavy traffic immediately after the application period starts on May 9th and immediately before it closes on May 28th, but remember that as long as you submit your application during the period, you will be entered in the lottery. The time at which you submit your application for the lottery will not affect your chances in the lottery.

Below is an overview of the steps and important things to know about buying Tokyo 2020 tickets.

How to Buy Tokyo 2020 Olympic Tickets: For Japan Residents

1. Before you can enter the lottery: Sign up for a Tokyo 2020 ID

  1. Sign up for a Tokyo 2020 ID
    1. Submit: Email address, password, your name, gender, date of birth, home address, domestic phone number
    2. Receive verification phone call at the number you registered.
    3. Please note that obtaining multiple IDs in order to enter the lottery is prohibited.
    4. You’re now ready to proceed to the application (lottery) phase.

2. Lottery application phase: May 9th to 28th

  1. Login to the Tokyo 2020 Official Ticket Website
  2. Select which competition(s) you want to see by session, ticket lineup, seat category, and number of tickets
    1. You’ll be able to search for tickets for the 33 sports and 339 disciplines  by date, sports/discipline, and area/venue
    2. You can choose from three types of tickets: General Ticket, Wheelchair Ticket and Companion Ticket, Group Ticket
    3. There are a maximum of 5 seat categories (A to E), with “A” being the best seat category
  3. You can win the right to purchase a maximum of 30 tickets.
    1. You can apply for between 2 and 8 tickets per session.
    2. A “Session” is a specific competition, date, and time. For example: Judo, August 1st, 5PM to 7PM
    3. This chart, from the official Tokyo 2020 Olympic Ticket Guidelines PDF explains how many tickets you can apply for.
    4. How many tickets can you buy per session for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics? Source: Tokyo 2020 Olympics Ticketing Guidelines

       

    5. How does the ticket lottery work?
      1. There are two lottery options available in order to help you maximize your chances of winning the right to purchase tickets.
      2. Cascade Service
        1. If you don’t win the lottery for your first choice ticket category, you will be entered in the lottery for a ticket that is one seat category lower than the one that they have originally applied for. For example, if you entered the lottery for a “C” seat for an event and don’t win it, you’ll be entered into the lottery for a “D” seat for the same session.
        2. Cascade service will only be applied if there are unsold tickets in the lower category. If you want to use  cascade service, you must request it at the beginning of the application process.
      3. Option to apply for 2nd choice
        1. This service allows you to select a “second choice ticket” at the time of lottery application. By doing so, you may be able to purchase tickets for your second choice if you don’t get your first choice. First and second choice tickets cannot be from the same session. For example, your first choice is Swimming on 7/27 from 10:30AM to 12:30PM, but you don’t win the lottery for this session. You’ll then have the option of entering the lottery for your second choice session, for example, Badminton on 7/27 from 10AM to 3:30PM
    6. During the lottery application period, you can add, change, and cancel your application details but not afterwards.
    7. You are required to purchase all wining tickets.
    8. On the confirmation page for the lottery application, you’ll see your application details and the total amount you will have to pay, once the results are announced.
    9. Expect heavy traffic at the beginning and end of the application period.
      1. As explained in the intro, the official lottery application site is expected to experience very heavy traffic immediately after the application period starts on May 9th and immediately before it closes on May 28th, but remember that as long as you submit your application during the period, you will be entered in the lottery; and the order in which applications are received will not affect your chances in the lottery.

3. Announcement of lottery results: June 20th

  1. Lottery results will be sent to your registered e-mail address.
  2. You can also check the “My Ticket” link on the official Tokyo 2020 Olympic ticketing site.

4. Ticket purchase procedures

  1. You can choose to receive tickets on your mobile phone, to print them at home, or to receive physical tickets.
  2. Payment is accepted in cash or by Visa card.
    1. Cash payment limit is up to ¥300,000 (including tax). For purchases above ¥300,000, payment can only be made by Visa card.
  3. You must submit the name and contact information for each ticket user.
    1. You can change the ticket user information up to the day of the match in the purchase history section of “My Ticket”.
    2. The ticket purchaser must be able to contact all ticket users.
    3. Only those who are registered as ticket users can enter the venue.
  4. Payment for tickets is due by July 2nd.

5. Important ticket rules

  1. You should only purchase tickets from the official Tokyo 2020 Olympic Ticket site.
  2. Tickets purchased through an unofficial service cannot be used to enter the venue.
  3. Re-selling of Tokyo 2020 tickets is strictly prohibited by law.
  4. Ticker user identification
    1. To prevent illegal reselling of tickets, ticket users are required to submit their personal information before using the ticket. If the ticket user changes, please change the information in “My Ticket”. The name of the original purchaser will be written on the ticket.
    2. “Ticket users may be asked to present their ID before entering the venue and/or inside the venue. Ticket users must bring their personal IDs with a photo. You may also be asked to confirm the original purchaser’s contact information. For TOKYO 2020 Group tickets of the Ceremonies, we require ID confirmation for all members of the group, and all members of the group must be present when entering the venue.” (Official Ticketing Guidelines)

6. Official Ticket Resale Service

The official ticketing guidelines allow you to re-sell your tickets starting in the spring of 2020, if you aren’t able to use your ticket(s). This can be done through the Official Ticket Resale Service.

The process and rules for re-selling tickets will be announced when they are decided.

If you are successful in re-selling your tickets, you will be charged a reseller handling fee.

7. First-come first-served ticket sales

Official first-come, first-served ticket sales will start in the fall of 2019 (for those who did not enter or did not win the right to purchase a ticket in the ticket lottery).

Source: Tokyo 2020 Olympic Ticketing Guidelines


You may also be interested in: Tokyo 2020 Olympic village to be reborn as high-rise apartments, will go on sale in spring of 2019


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