The journey for many fans began in early 2019. The organizing committee utilized a tiered lottery system, first offering approximately 3.2 million tickets exclusively to residents of Japan in May 2019. Demand was staggering, with prospective buyers making nearly 57 million requests. International fans were required to purchase through specific to their home countries starting in June 2019.

Over half of all tickets were priced under 8,000 yen (approx. $71) to maintain accessibility. The Pandemic Shift: Banned Spectators How to buy Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games tickets internationally

Tickets ranged from a symbolic 2,020 yen (approx. $18) for group sales to 300,000 yen (approx. $2,700) for prime opening ceremony seating.