Kyoto's biggest manga-and-anime weekend is almost here. KYOMAF 2026 — the Kyoto International Manga Anime Fair — runs on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 September, with its main exhibition at Miyako Messe and ROHM Theatre Kyoto plus a separate venue at the Kyoto International Manga Museum.

This is a useful event for travellers because the organiser has now published the dates, venue hours and current ticket structure clearly enough to plan around. It is also easy to misread: the two main Okazaki venues close earlier on Sunday, the Manga Museum keeps different hours, and buying a general admission ticket now does not reopen the stage-lottery deadline that passed in August.

Quick take: buy the correct one-day ticket from an official seller, choose Saturday for the longest main-venue window or Sunday for a slightly shorter day, and decide in advance whether the Manga Museum is genuinely part of the plan. The fair is close enough to central Kyoto to combine with another area, but big enough to swallow a day if you arrive without priorities.

KYOMAF 2026 dates and hours

The fair runs for two days. At Miyako Messe and ROHM Theatre Kyoto, the confirmed hours are:

  • Saturday 19 September: 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
  • Sunday 20 September: 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
  • Last admission: 30 minutes before closing.

The Kyoto International Manga Museum venue runs from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on both days, again with admission ending 30 minutes before closing. That later museum finish can be useful, but it is not in the same complex as Miyako Messe.

What KYOMAF actually is

KYOMAF is one of western Japan's major manga-and-anime events. The official overview says publishers, television stations, animation production companies and other exhibitors use the fair to present new releases, merchandise, stage programmes and related attractions.

For an overseas visitor, that means this is closer to a large industry-and-fan exhibition than a neighbourhood festival. Expect an exhibition floor and programmed activity rather than a single show with one start time. The sensible question is not merely whether manga or anime interests you, but whether the current exhibitors and programme justify the time you would otherwise spend exploring Kyoto.

The simplest ticket: Miyako Messe advance admission

The standard advance ticket for Miyako Messe costs ¥1,800 including tax for each day for junior-high-school age and older. The current sale period runs until 11:59 p.m. on Friday 18 September, subject to each seller's operating times and tickets remaining available.

Children of elementary-school age and younger enter Miyako Messe free with a guardian. Ticketing platforms may add system or issue fees, so the checkout total can be higher than the face value.

A standard ticket is for one date. If you want to attend both Saturday and Sunday, plan on the relevant admission for both days rather than assuming a single ticket covers the weekend.

The joint ticket: fair plus Manga Museum

The organiser also lists a ¥2,700 advance joint ticket for Miyako Messe and the Kyoto International Manga Museum on the selected day. It is on sale through 18 September under the same broad advance-sale window.

This can be good value for an adult who genuinely wants both venues. It is not automatically the best choice for every student or family: the organiser specifically notes that younger visitors may pay less by combining a Miyako Messe ticket with the museum's age-based admission on arrival.

The museum's listed walk-up prices during the event are ¥1,200 for adults, ¥400 for junior-high and high-school students, and ¥200 for elementary-school pupils. Preschool children enter free. Check the current conditions before buying, especially if your group spans several age categories.

What happens if you wait for an on-the-day ticket?

The listed same-day Miyako Messe ticket is ¥2,300 for junior-high-school age and older. The organiser warns that quantities are limited and expects the ticket area to be busy, so I would not make walk-up availability the foundation of a carefully planned trip.

There is no same-day joint ticket with the Manga Museum. If the museum matters, either choose the advance joint product while available or plan the two admissions separately.

The stage-lottery deadline has already passed

This is the detail most likely to disappoint someone who only skims the ticket page. Applications for the advance-lottery stage seats required an eligible ticket bought by 19 August. That purchase and application deadline has passed.

The official ticket page refers to possible day-of viewing areas or standing sections for some stages, but that is not a promise that a particular session will be accessible. A general admission ticket still gets you into its covered venue and the exhibition experience; it should not be treated as guaranteed entry to every stage programme.

If one appearance is the whole reason for going, check that exact programme item and its viewing rules on the live KYOMAF site before purchasing. Do not rely on a reposted timetable or assume an empty seat on a diagram means a ticket exists.

Two venue clusters, not one continuous hall

Miyako Messe and ROHM Theatre Kyoto sit beside each other in the Okazaki cultural district. This is the main event cluster and the sensible starting point for most visitors.

The Kyoto International Manga Museum is near Karasuma Oike in central Kyoto. It is a separate trip from Okazaki, not another room down the corridor. Build transfer time into the day and do not schedule an important programme item at one venue immediately after an activity at the other.

If your priority list is concentrated at Miyako Messe, I would stay in Okazaki and use any remaining time for the area's museums, canal paths or nearby sights. If the Manga Museum is an equal priority, the joint ticket and later museum hours create a workable two-stop day.

How to reach the venues

For Miyako Messe and ROHM Theatre Kyoto, the official Kyoto event listing points visitors to Higashiyama Station on the Tozai subway line. It also lists city bus services to the Okazaki Park / Museum and Heian Shrine area. Use a live journey planner for the exact route from your accommodation because weekend crowding and your starting point matter more than one universal instruction.

For the Manga Museum, use Karasuma Oike Station, served by the Karasuma and Tozai subway lines. The subway is particularly useful if you are connecting the two event clusters because both reference stations sit on the Tozai line.

Our Kyoto transport guide has the wider network context. For the event itself, the organiser's current access page should win over any old map screenshot.

How much time should a traveller allow?

If you only want to browse exhibitors, see the atmosphere and buy something, a focused half-day can work. If you have several stage or merchandise priorities, expect the fair to take longer and leave slack for queues.

I would make a shortlist under three headings:

  • Must see: the exhibitors or programme items that justify the ticket.
  • Would like: booths worth visiting if the queue is reasonable.
  • Easy to drop: anything that turns the day into line management.

That is less romantic than declaring you will see everything. It is also far more likely to produce a good day.

Language, photography and merchandise

KYOMAF has an English event overview and access information, but individual exhibitor pages, ticket sellers and stage details can still be Japanese-led. I would save the official URLs, keep a translation tool ready and confirm any session-specific rules rather than assuming full English service throughout the venue.

Photography and recording permissions may vary by booth, display and stage. Follow the posted instruction at the exact place you are standing. The same applies to queues and merchandise limits: each exhibitor can have its own process.

Buy tickets through links published by the organiser and avoid unofficial resale. The ticket conditions reject purchases for resale and generally do not allow refunds or changes except when the event itself cannot proceed for specified reasons.

Should this replace a normal Kyoto sightseeing day?

For a first visit of only two or three days, I would be honest about the trade-off. KYOMAF can be excellent if manga and anime are a real interest. If they are not, Kyoto's temples, neighbourhoods and food probably deserve the limited daylight more.

For a repeat visitor, a longer trip or anyone who plans holidays around pop culture, the event is an easy yes. Okazaki is also a better place to emerge from an exhibition than an isolated convention district: you can still give the evening a distinctly Kyoto shape.

My planning rule: choose the date, ticket and top three priorities before arrival. Then let one tempting extra happen naturally instead of trying to speed-run an exhibition hall like the final episode depends on it.

Official sources checked

Cheers, Carpe Diem & may your queue be shorter than your wish list! 🍻⏳📚
TATS Man
Your Kyoto expo-floor, three-priorities-not-thirty planning mate