Japan: How to Master the Movie Theater to Watch Tokusatsu Films

With summer vacation being underway, the Zi-O and Ryusoulger summer films will be releasing soon and now is a good time to learn how to master the experience of watching films in Japan.

Trying to watch a film in Japan isn’t as cut and dried as you may think. Going to any movie theater and assuming the film that you want to watch will be screened could leave you disappointed.

Let’s take a popular tourist spot in Tokyo like Shinjuku, for example. While you have options as to where you can watch a movie, not every theater chain will have the same screening. I suggest that you visit the websites and confirm (TOHO Cinemas most of the time will have a screening for a majority of Japanese and American films).

Seats are assigned when you purchase tickets either online or on location. I suggest that if you have credit card or a prepaid/debit card, you order your tickets online beforehand.

While the process will most likely be in Japanese depending on the theater, if you put a screen-shot onto the Google Translate app, the process goes much smoother. Buying tickets beforehand is something to think about if you want to grab some exclusive merchandise.

When you purchase your ticket, you also have to choose your seat. Thankfully TOHO Cinemas’ online site does have an English option, making the whole process a lot easier.

Once its all paid for you’ll receive your tickets and you will be all set. For the online purchase, you’ll receive a QR code to redeem your tickets at location.

Theaters also offer membership cards that can get you discounts if you plan on seeing a lot of movies. If you go often, you’ll be a master of Japanese theaters in no time!