Kojima Productions’ Tokyo anniversary exhibition opens October 31: preview tickets, regular admission and merchandise pickup
BEYOND THE STRAND runs at Azabudai Hills Gallery through December 20. Separate the first four preview days from regular admission starting November 4, with hours and overseas booking cautions.
If you want to add the world of DEATH STRANDING to a Tokyo trip, do not rush to buy the cheapest ticket. The KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS 10th anniversary exhibition, BEYOND THE STRAND: The Odyssey of Creation and Endeavor, runs at Azabudai Hills Gallery from October 31 to December 20, 2026. Tickets for the first four days and the rest of the run cover different dates. Using official information available on October 27, this guide explains the exhibition, ticket categories and travel planning. It is not a report from a visit.
The opening four days use preview admission tickets. The official options are ¥5,000 with a tote bag or ¥18,000 with a limited-reissue original merchandise set, including tax and tied to a specified date and time. The website links to Lawson Ticket, Klook and Trip.com , but an ‘on sale’ label does not mean every date, session or package remains available. If your trip falls within these four days, a ¥2,600 regular advance ticket valid from November 4 is not a substitute. We have not tested checkout and cannot guarantee that a Taiwanese phone number, credit card or particular account will work on every platform. Follow the official links and check the actual checkout and admission rules for your selected ticket.
From November 4: regular admission and premium bundles have different conditions
Regular advance admission costs ¥2,600 for a specified date between November 4 and December 20. Same-day tickets cost ¥2,800; the official site lists sales through Trip.com and the venue ticket counter from November 4. Two Lawson-exclusive bundles, each priced at ¥57,600 and limited to 300 units, include either a reproduction of Yoji Shinkawa artwork signed by the artist or a white Ludens KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS × SEIKO watch, with one admission during the specified exhibition period. Do not treat these like an ordinary online credit-card purchase: the website specifies payment inside a Lawson store. Lawson also lists redemption beginning March 25, 2027 for the artwork and September 30, 2027 for the watch, well after the exhibition. Lawson explicitly states that these two bundles do not support payment from overseas, shipping, or overseas pickup. Merchandise must be collected at the same Lawson store where it was ordered, not another store, by home delivery or at the exhibition. The barcode in the pickup-start notification is required, and collection must take place within seven days of the available pickup date stated in that notification; an admission ticket alone cannot be used to collect merchandise. Short-stay visitors to Japan especially need to factor in collection during 2027 rather than assuming they can take the item home on the day of their exhibition visit.
Look for the traces left before a game is finished
The official preview includes Hideo Kojima’s high-school book report, early DEATH STRANDING prototype footage and original design drawings by Yoji Shinkawa. Material concerning the sequel will cover early ending concepts, location-research material and the production environment; the organizer also plans to connect to the studio through the ‘Mado’ telepresence system. Other announced elements include a recreation of the red door from OD - KNOCK, filming props, a 360-degree installation with a six-metre-diameter screen, and statues made for this exhibition. These are the organizer’s announced plans, not confirmation of playable game demos or a guaranteed appearance by Kojima himself. Our editorial suggestion is to look at sketches, prototypes and finished character designs together: following how a silhouette develops from a flat drawing into a world you can move through offers more than simply finding a photo backdrop.
Weekdays start at noon; December 16 closes early
The venue is on the MB floor of Azabudai Hills Garden Plaza A, 5-8-1 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo. Official access information lists a direct connection from Exit 5 of Kamiyacho Station on the Hibiya Line, or an approximately seven-minute walk from Exit 4 of Roppongi-itchome Station on the Namboku Line. Hours are 12:00–20:00 on weekdays and 10:00–20:00 on Saturdays, Sundays and Japanese public holidays, normally with last admission at 19:30. On December 16, closing moves to 17:00 and last admission to 16:30. Lawson separately specifies 10:00–20:00 for all four preview days, including Monday, November 2, an exception to regular weekday hours. All times are local to Japan. The exhibition is scheduled to open every day during its run, but changes remain possible. Once you choose a date, check its hours rather than applying the weekend 10:00 opening to a regular weekday.
Buying merchandise still means distinguishing the exhibition shop from neighborhood collaborations
The official site states that the exhibition’s special shop requires an exhibition ticket, so ‘just shopping’ is not a free-entry route. Announced items include concept-art acrylic dioramas, luggage straps, clear pouches and clothing; actual stock and purchase restrictions follow on-site announcements. Azabudai Hills also has restaurant and bookstore collaborations. Among them, a Yoji Shinkawa solo exhibition at Ogaki Books is listed as free from October 31 to November 3, a separate event from the paid main exhibition. This article’s three images are the official key visual, a Ludens reference image and a statue concept drawing. The organizer specifically notes that the Ludens illustration differs from the display at the venue; these must not be treated as photographs of the opening exhibition.
FAQ
Can I enter on October 31 with the ¥2,600 regular advance ticket?
Do not assume so from the price. Official regular advance tickets cover November 4–December 20; October 31–November 3 requires the corresponding preview admission ticket.
Can I enter only the shop without visiting the exhibition?
The official rules require an exhibition ticket for the exhibition shop. Neighborhood restaurant and bookstore collaborations follow their own rules and do not make the main exhibition free.
Can I collect the Lawson-exclusive watch on my exhibition visit?
Lawson lists watch collection from September 30, 2027 and the signed artwork reproduction from March 25, 2027, at the same Lawson store where the order was placed. The notification barcode is required, and collection must be completed within seven days of the available pickup date in the notification. Official rules explicitly exclude payment from overseas, shipping and overseas pickup.
Is this the stage event with the same name held in September 2025?
No. This guide concerns the exhibition at Azabudai Hills Gallery from October 31 to December 20, 2026. Check the year and venue when booking.
