Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan Tickets 2026: Prices & Timed Entry

Short answer: Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan tickets cost ¥2,700–¥3,500 for adults in November–December 2026 (most days ¥2,800), priced by date. Book a dated e-ticket with a 15-minute entry slot on kaiyukan.com up to about 30 days ahead; re-entry is no longer allowed and the Osaka Amazing Pass does not cover admission.

Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan tickets cost ¥2,700–¥3,500 for adults (about US$17–22) in November and December 2026, depending on the date, with children ¥1,400–¥1,800 and kids aged 3–6 ¥700–¥900. Buy a dated e-ticket with a 15-minute entry slot on the official site, up to 30 days ahead, and skip the ticket queue.

Three things catch visitors out this winter. Re-entry ended on 15 June 2026, suitcases aren’t allowed in, and the Osaka Amazing Pass doesn’t cover the aquarium. Here’s what each ticket costs, which combo is worth it, and how to time your visit around the whale sharks.

Last checked: 1 November 2026

How much are Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan tickets in 2026?

Kaiyukan uses dynamic pricing. Each date has its own price on the official calendar, set by expected demand. There’s no fixed weekday or weekend rate.

Ticket	Price (Nov–Dec 2026)	About
Adult (16+ or high school)	¥2,700–¥3,500	US$17–22
Child (elementary and junior high)	¥1,400–¥1,800	US$9–11
Infant (age 3–6)	¥700–¥900	US$4.50–6
Age 2 and under	Free	–
Disability certificate holder + 1 carer	Half price	–

Prices include tax. Source: the price calendar on the official ticket page, checked 1 November 2026 for November and December. The calendar only loads in a browser; tap a date to see the child and infant prices for that day.

A few things most guides get wrong:

• Most days are ¥2,800. That’s the standard weekday and ordinary-weekend price through November and December 2026.
• The cheapest days are ¥2,700. In 2026 there are only four: 15–18 December (Tuesday–Friday).
• ¥3,500 days are holiday weekends and New Year. That means 22–23 November and 29–31 December. Some weekend days and holidays are ¥3,200 (1, 3 and 21 November; 26–28 December), and 2 November and 25 December are ¥2,900. January prices aren’t published yet.
• There’s no senior rate. Visitors aged 60 or 65+ pay the adult price.
• Old prices are still online. Some listings, including an Osaka Info booking page, still show ¥2,400 and same-day re-entry. Both are out of date.

For a family of two adults and two primary-school children, a ¥2,800 day costs ¥8,400 and a ¥2,700 day in mid-December ¥8,200. A ¥3,500 holiday costs ¥10,600. Moving one day can save you up to ¥2,400.

Do you need to book Kaiyukan tickets in advance?

Not strictly, but you should. Entry runs on 15-minute time slots, and each slot has a cap (official notice, 30 May 2026). If you buy at the window on a busy day, you may have to wait for the next slot with space.

How the official e-ticket works:

1. Sales open about 30 days ahead. Buy on the official Webket site, linked from the ticket page. You’ll need to register a Webket account first. Adding tickets to your cart before you register can throw an error.
2. Pick a date and an entry time. Slots are every 15 minutes.
3. Running late? Change your slot in Webket’s My Page. If nothing’s free, go to the gate anyway. Late arrivals get in, but people booked for that slot go first.
4. Cancelling is free for card payments, up to the day of your visit, through My Page. It isn’t possible once a receipt has been issued.
5. Payment: credit cards and PayPay online. At the window you can also use iD, PiTaPa and Rakuten Pay.

Avoid fake sites. In June 2026 the aquarium warned about a fake ticket site, kaiyukan.world, that mainly targets overseas visitors. Official tickets are sold only on kaiyukan.com and through Klook, KKday and Trip.com (official warning). Tickets bought anywhere else, including resale sites, won’t get you in.

Which Kaiyukan ticket should you buy?

1. Official dated e-ticket (Standard admission)

The Lowdown: The default choice. You get a fixed entry slot and skip the ticket-window queue. Same price as the window ticket on the same date.

Where: Show the QR code at the entrance gate, Kaiyukan, 1-1-10 Kaigandori, Minato-ku.

The Vibe: Walk straight past the queue snaking round the plaza on a Saturday morning.

Price: ¥2,700–¥3,500 adult, by date.

Official Link: Kaiyukan admission tickets

💡 Japan Pro Tip: Book the 14:00–15:00 slots. You avoid the late-morning peak and still have time to stay for the 17:00 lighting change.

2. Same-day window ticket (Walk-up)

The Lowdown: Only for today, and only if the slot you want hasn’t sold out. Fine on a wet Tuesday, a gamble on a holiday weekend.

Where: Ticket windows outside the main entrance.

The Vibe: Long queues from opening to lunch at weekends.

Price: Same as that day’s e-ticket price.

Official Link: Kaiyukan admission tickets

💡 Japan Pro Tip: If you’re already in the queue, check e-ticket availability on your phone. Buying online can be faster than waiting.

3. Kaiyukan + Santa Maria set (Combo with harbour cruise)

The Lowdown: Admission plus a 45-minute cruise round Osaka Port on a replica of Columbus’s Santa Maria. The ship leaves on the hour, and you can board any sailing that day.

Where: Santa Maria piers at Kaiyukan West Wharf and Tempozan West Pier, both a short walk from the aquarium.

The Vibe: Breezy deck, bay views, the Tempozan Ferris wheel overhead. Chilly in December, so bring a layer.

Price: Set price varies by date (shown on the official calendar), and the set is sold at adult rates only. On its own, the Santa Maria day cruise is ¥1,800 adult and ¥900 child, sailing hourly from 11:00, with the last sailing around 16:00 on weekdays and later at some weekends. The set e-ticket goes on sale 5 days before.

Official Link: Kaiyukan + Santa Maria set

💡 Japan Pro Tip: The ship doesn’t sail on 31 December and has a maintenance break each winter. That ran 13 January–6 February in 2026. The 2027 dates are TBA, so check before booking a January trip.

4. Kaiyukan + Captain Line set (Combo from USJ)

The Lowdown: Admission plus the Captain Line shuttle boat between Universal City Port and Kaiyukan West Wharf. It’s about 10 minutes across the bay and much easier than changing trains.

Where: Universal City Port and Kaiyukan West Wharf.

The Vibe: A short, fun boat ride that turns two big sights into one day.

Price: Set price by date. The boat alone is ¥1,700 return. Timetables change monthly, and nothing sails on USJ or Kaiyukan closure days.

Official Link: Kaiyukan + Captain Line set

💡 Japan Pro Tip: Do Kaiyukan in the morning and USJ’s evening hours after, or the reverse. See our Universal Studios Japan tickets guide for how USJ’s dated tickets work.

5. Kaiyukan + LEGOLAND Discovery Centre set (Family combo)

The Lowdown: Admission plus the indoor LEGO play centre in Tempozan Marketplace next door, aimed at young children.

Where: Sold only at the Kaiyukan ticket window, for same-day use, until 15:00.

The Vibe: Noisy, colourful, good for burning off energy after two hours of quiet fish-watching.

Price: Set price by date. LEGOLAND alone is ¥3,300 at the door.

Official Link: Kaiyukan + LEGOLAND set

💡 Japan Pro Tip: LEGOLAND won’t admit adults without a child, or children without an adult. Couples without kids can’t get in.

6. Jinbei Backyard (Behind-the-scenes add-on)

The Lowdown: A 20-minute look down into the Pacific tank from the staff area on the top floor, where you see the whale sharks from above. The 30-minute “dinner time” version includes a feeding.

Where: 8th-floor backyard, inside the aquarium.

The Vibe: Small groups looking straight down onto the whale sharks’ backs.

Price: ¥1,500 (about US$10), or ¥2,500 (about US$16) for the feeding session, plus admission. Primary-school age and over; children need an adult (16+) with them. Online sales open 30 days ahead and close 30 minutes before each session.

Official Link: Jinbei Backyard

💡 Japan Pro Tip: The feeding sessions are at 10:15 and 14:45 and sell out first. Unsold places go on sale on the day from 11:00 on the 8th floor.

What are Kaiyukan’s opening hours and closing days?

Hours change by date, so check the official hours calendar for your day. Last entry is one hour before closing.

• November 2026: usually 10:30–20:00 on weekdays and 9:30–20:00 at weekends. Holidays and busy Saturdays open at 8:30 or 9:00 (1, 3, 21–23 November).
• December 2026: 10:30–20:00 on weekdays until 11 December, then 10:00–20:00 on weekdays from 14 December; 9:30–20:00 at weekends. From 26 December it opens at 9:00, and 29–31 December runs 8:30–20:30.
• Closing days: Kaiyukan closes two days a year, both in January. The official calendar now lists the next ones as Wednesday 13 and Thursday 14 January 2027.

Evening: “Night Kaiyukan”. From 17:00 every day the lighting and music change, and the tanks are lit like a night sea (official page). It’s included in your ticket. In November and December it’s dark outside by then too.

No re-entry. Since 15 June 2026, once you leave, you can’t come back in on the same ticket. Eat before you go in. You can still loop back to the start of the route and see the tanks again before last entry.

Bag rule. Since 24 April 2026 you can’t bring in suitcases, carts, or bags of 120 cm or more in total dimensions (or over 70 cm on any side) (official notice). Leave luggage at your hotel or in coin lockers at the station or in Tempozan Marketplace.

How do you get to Kaiyukan?

Take the Osaka Metro Chuo Line to Osakako Station (大阪港, signed “Kaiyukan-mae”). Leave by Exit 1, and it’s about a 5-minute walk (official access page). Follow the signs towards the Ferris wheel. The aquarium is the building with the coloured-tile fish mural.

From	Route	Notes
Umeda / JR Osaka	Midosuji Line to Hommachi, change to Chuo Line for Osakako	About 35–40 min including walks
Namba	Osaka City Bus 60 to Tempozan, or Metro via Hommachi	Bus stops right outside
Universal Studios Japan	Captain Line boat from Universal City Port	About 10 min
Kansai Airport	Limousine bus to Tempozan (Kaiyukan)	Drops at the door

Driving? The Tempozan car park costs ¥200 per 30 minutes on weekdays (maximum ¥2,000 a day) and ¥250 per 30 minutes at weekends (maximum ¥2,500). It fills up on holidays.

Is Kaiyukan included in the Osaka Amazing Pass? No. The aquarium doesn’t accept it. The pass does cover the Metro ride to Osakako, the Tempozan Ferris wheel, the Santa Maria day cruise and the Captain Line return trip. See our Osaka Amazing Pass guide to check whether those add up for your day.

What will you see inside, and are the whale sharks there now?

Yes. Two whale sharks live in the Pacific tank. Staff measured them on 30 October 2026 (official news). Kai, the male, is 5.76 m long and about 1,500 kg, up 46 cm on last year. Yu, the female, is 6.20 m and about 1,800 kg.

The route works top-down. An escalator takes you to the 8th floor. You walk through the Japan Forest, then wind slowly down a ramp around the huge central Pacific tank, passing smaller habitats along the way: Monterey Bay, Ecuador’s rainforest, Antarctica, the Great Barrier Reef. You see the whale sharks at several depths as you go. The lower floors have the Japan Deep (giant spider crabs), the Jellyfish Galaxy, the Arctic and the Falkland Islands.

New this winter:

• Arctic tank additions from 8 November 2026. 17 species and 85 animals collected by staff on a 43-day Arctic research voyage this summer, including the first Arctic sculpins the aquarium has shown (official news).
• A king penguin chick, announced on 6 October 2026, can be seen being raised by its parents (official news).
• Closed for renovation: the Aleutian Islands zone, as listed on the official exhibits page.

Most visitors take about 2 hours. Allow 3 if you have small children or want to see a feeding. Feeding times are posted daily on the official feeding page and can change at short notice.

When is the best time to visit Kaiyukan?

• Busiest: 11:00–14:00 every day, and all day at weekends and over New Year.
• Quieter: 14:00–16:00 on weekdays, and the last hour before closing.
• School groups: weekday mornings from October to early December, so a weekday afternoon beats a weekday morning in November.
• Cheapest: 15–18 December at ¥2,700, or any ¥2,800 day. Avoid three-day weekends and 29–31 December, when it’s ¥3,500 and packed.
• Rainy days: everything is indoors, so it’s the obvious Osaka rain plan. It fills up for the same reason. Book ahead. More options in our biggest aquariums in Japan round-up.

Our pick for November and December: a weekday 14:30 slot. You get the quieter afternoon, the 17:00 lighting change and a dark bay outside when you leave.

What else is there to do around Tempozan?

Kaiyukan is part of Tempozan Harbor Village, so you can fill a half-day without moving far.

• Tempozan Giant Ferris Wheel: ¥1,000 (about US$6). Open 10:00–21:00 on weekdays and to 22:00 at weekends, with last boarding 15 minutes before closing. It’s free with the Osaka Amazing Pass and best just after sunset.
• Santa Maria day cruise: 45 minutes, ¥1,800 adult. The twilight cruise ended for the season in October.
• Tempozan Marketplace: shops and food next door. The retro food court, Naniwa Kuishinbo Yokocho on the 2nd floor, is closed for renovation from 29 September 2026 until late March 2027, apart from a few shops (official news). Show your Kaiyukan ticket to get a Tempozan Marketplace coupon.
• Onsen after: Osakako is two stops from Bentencho on the Chuo Line. Solaniwa Onsen is linked to the station by a walkway, and on most days its evening rate starts at 17:00.

Is Kaiyukan worth it?

Yes, if you book an off-peak date and a mid-afternoon slot. The whale shark tank alone justifies ¥2,800, and the evening lighting is a bonus most visitors miss. Buy the e-ticket, leave the suitcase at the hotel, and pair it with the Ferris wheel, a soak or a morning at Osaka Castle. When you’re ready to plan the rest of your trip, explore Japan Pro.

Sources: Kaiyukan official ticket and price calendar, hours calendar, access, time-slot and re-entry notice, bag rule and whale shark measurements; Osaka Amazing Pass facility list; Osaka Info (Santa Maria). Last checked: 1 November 2026.

Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan Tickets FAQ