Events · Expo '70 Park
Sakana Japan Fes 2026 at Expo '70 Park
Three days of Japan's real seafood, at the foot of the Tower of the Sun
The 2–4 October 2026 dates have passed. The next edition is in Odaiba, Tokyo, on 4–6 December 2026, with free entry.
Catch from fishing ports across Japan, and the knife work of the people who cut it, arrive together on the Festival Plaza at Expo '70 Commemorative Park. This seafood festival has drawn 2.95 million visitors over its run, and this autumn it comes to Osaka.
The essentials
One adult needs ¥950 to get in: ¥500 for the festival and ¥450 for the park itself. Children pay neither, so a family only pays for its adults. The park raised its entry fee from ¥260 to ¥450 in April 2026 and made school-age children free at the same time.
Four things worth queueing for
1Seafood bowls piled past the rimKaisen-don
Tuna, wild salmon, snow crab, raw sea urchin and salmon roe that bursts as you bite. The bowls are built in front of you and filled until the rice disappears. The one you want to photograph is usually at the end of a queue.
2A whole tuna, cut in front of youLive Tuna Show
A full-size bluefin is broken down on stage, several times a day. Cutters from Toyosu market work through the fish and the akami, chutoro and otoro go straight into three-colour bowls and sushi while still glistening.
3Fukushima's Joban-mono, with local sakeJoban-mono
A Fukushima area runs alongside the main festival, supporting the region's recovery from the 2011 earthquake. Blackthroat seaperch and flounder from the waters where the Oyashio and Kuroshio currents meet, plus sea urchin baked in its shell, served with Fukushima sake.
4Charcoal grills and seafood ramenGrill & Ramen
Not everything here is raw. Scallops and oysters go onto charcoal in their shells, seafood ramen arrives with the dashi cooked down hard, and paella is finished in pans wide enough to feed a queue. In October, the cooked side of the menu is the better bet.
What else is on, besides eating
An area devoted to Fukushima's seafood runs alongside the main festival for the first time. It centres on 'Joban-mono', the prized fish landed where the Oyashio and Kuroshio currents meet, plus desserts made with the prefecture's fruit. It is a reconstruction-support event.
Live music, a comedy stage with young performers, and a bingo game with prizes.
There is an inflatable play area. Elementary-school children and under pay neither the festival entry nor the park admission.
Reading the Japanese signs
Booth signs are in Japanese only. Here are the words you will actually see, with how to say them. Pointing at the Japanese on this screen works just as well.
Fish
Shellfish, crab, squid & octopus
Roe and sea urchin
Dishes and cooking
Prawn and crab (crustaceans) appear in many dishes. If you are allergic, showing the written words エビ（prawn）・カニ（crab） works well.
Even seafood dishes are often finished with sake or mirin (both contain alcohol). We could not confirm any halal-certified booth. Ask at the booth if this matters to you.
Getting there
The station is Banpaku-kinen-koen on the Osaka Monorail. Leave the ticket gates, enter the park through the Central Gate, and walk about five minutes to the east of the Tower of the Sun.
The same festival, elsewhere
If your dates do not line up with Osaka, the festival runs in Tokyo too.
Friday 4 – Sunday 6 December 2026, 10:00–18:00. Free entry. Yurikamome to Daiba or Tokyo International Cruise Terminal.
The city's default ground for outdoor food festivals, next to Harajuku and Shibuya. It ran for four days in February 2026.
Green space near Ginza and the Imperial Palace — where this festival started.
Practical notes for visitors
Almost every stall takes contactless credit cards (Visa, Mastercard and others) as well as IC transport cards such as ICOCA and Suica. There is no need to queue at a currency exchange first.
Signs and menus carry large photographs of each dish. You can order without a word of Japanese by pointing at the picture.
Inside the same park you can go into the Tower of the Sun and walk the Japanese garden. Next door are EXPOCITY and the NIFREL aquarium. The festival does not have to be the whole trip.
Eating near the venue
The festival closes at 17:00. For dinner afterwards — or the night before — here is what is nearby.
1220 m from Banpaku-kinen-koen Station · 20 min walk4.4 ★伝助
1180 m from Banpaku-kinen-koen Station · 19 min walk4.3 ★すし智
1170 m from Banpaku-kinen-koen Station · 19 min walk4.1 ★花車
1200 m from Banpaku-kinen-koen Station · 19 min walk4 ★和牛焼肉 平城苑 EXPOCITY店
470 m from Banpaku-kinen-koen Station · 8 min walk4 ★すし釜めし百万石
1520 m from Banpaku-kinen-koen Station · 24 min walk3.4 ★
Common questions
▾Do I have to pay to get in?
Yes — ¥500 for the festival, plus ¥450 to enter Expo '70 Commemorative Park itself. That is ¥950 for one adult. Elementary school children and under enter the festival free, and primary and junior high pupils enter the park free.
▾What happens if it rains?
It is an outdoor event, so severe weather can change or cancel the programme. Check the official site on the day.
▾Which station do I use?
Banpaku-kinen-koen on the Osaka Monorail. Enter the park through the Central Gate and walk about five minutes east of the Tower of the Sun.
▾Can I pay by card?
Almost every stall accepts contactless credit cards and IC transport cards such as ICOCA and Suica.
▾Is it worth bringing children?
Elementary school children and under get into the festival free. The park has wide lawns and playgrounds, and the NIFREL aquarium is next door at EXPOCITY.
Where this information comes from
- Booth count, the co-located Fukushima Festival and the stage line-up: SAKANA & JAPAN FESTIVAL official site and the PR office's press release (checked 16 September 2026)
- Dates, hours, venue and festival fee: SAKANA & JAPAN FESTIVAL official site (checked 20 August 2026)
- Park entry fee: Osaka Prefecture, notice of revised Expo '70 Park admission (effective 1 April 2026)
- Cumulative attendance and the Odaiba edition: festival organising committee press release (August 2026)
Prices and hours can change. Please check the official site before you travel. This is an independent guide by suita.city and is not affiliated with the organisers.
Sources: public information from Google Maps, Tabelog, official sites (surveyed Aug 2026). Hours and prices change.