From October 1 (Thursday) to November 13 (Friday), 2026, Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise will host its autumn event, "Aki Para!," inviting guests to enjoy the arrival of the season.
The event's theme is an autumn that only Sea Paradise can offer. Aki Para! is organized around autumn-inspired themes — art, learning, sports, and food — with exhibits and performances that highlight the appeal of the park's animals.
The island will also serve a range of autumn-only food items, so guests can enjoy the season through taste as well.
A Season for Art
Renewed This Summer: "Super Iwashi Illusion: Miracle of the Shimmering School" — An Epic Underwater Drama With 50,000 Sardines
Inside the aquarium "Aqua Museum," the large tank "Schools and Shimmering Fish Living in the Open Sea" — 8 meters tall and holding 1,500 tons of water — is home to a performance by 50,000 Japanese sardines. The content of this performance, "Super Iwashi Illusion," was renewed starting July 18, 2026 (Saturday), relaunching as "Super Iwashi Illusion: Miracle of the Shimmering School."
Set against the backdrop of the large tank "Schools and Shimmering Fish Living in the Open Sea," "Super Iwashi Illusion: Miracle of the Shimmering School" is a performance in which the vitality and movement of the sardine school combine with music, letting guests experience the richness of the ocean.
Fifty thousand sardines form a large school and swim freely through the 8-meter-tall, 1,500-ton tank, shifting into a variety of formations. In this newly renewed version, the show is presented as an underwater drama: even amid the harsh, everyday reality of "eat or be eaten" found in the natural sea, the sardines form a large school and survive with strength and resilience across the open ocean.
Times:
- Weekdays in October and November: 10:30 AM / 12:30 PM / 3:00 PM
- Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays in October and November: 10:30 AM / 12:00 PM / 1:30 PM / 3:00 PM / 5:00 PM
- Each performance runs approximately 5 minutes.
- Some performances may be presented in a collaboration event version; see the official Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise website for details.
- The times above apply to the schedule from October 1 (Thursday) through November 13 (Friday).
Location: Aqua Museum, LABO 5 Large Tank "Schools and Shimmering Fish Living in the Open Sea"
Before Opening, Limited to 20 Guests: A Relaxed View of the Sardines' Underwater Drama
Before the aquarium opens for the day, "Super Iwashi Illusion: Miracle of the Shimmering School" will be shown to a limited group of 20 guests per day, offering a special, uncrowded viewing of the performance in the large tank "Schools and Shimmering Fish Living in the Open Sea."
Guests can take in the underwater drama created by the schooling of 50,000 sardines in this special space before the park opens.
Dates: October 3 (Sat), 4 (Sun), 12 (Mon, national holiday), 17 (Sat), 18 (Sun), 24 (Sat), 25 (Sun); November 1 (Sun), 3 (Tue, national holiday), 7 (Sat), 8 (Sun)
Time: Check-in at 9:45 AM, starts at 9:50 AM (approximately 5 minutes per session)
- Same-day check-in takes place in front of the Aqua Museum's 1F main entrance.
Location: Aqua Museum, LABO 5 Large Tank "Schools and Shimmering Fish Living in the Open Sea"
Price: ¥1,000 per person (ages 4 and up)
- An aquarium admission ticket is required to take part.
Capacity: 20 guests per session
How to book: Advance reservation through the official Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise website
- Sales close as soon as each session reaches capacity.
"Autumn of the Sardines" Panel Exhibit: Explaining How Sardines Survive in the Open Sea
The large tank "Schools and Shimmering Fish Living in the Open Sea" inside the Aqua Museum is home to 50,000 Japanese sardines on display. To protect themselves from predators, sardines sometimes form schools of hundreds of millions of fish and migrate across the open sea. Though each fish measures only about 20 centimeters and is classified as a small species, together they swim in schools with enough presence to seem to cover the ocean. During the event, panels sharing what keepers have learned through caring for the sardines — details not usually shared — will be on display, alongside the chance to observe the fantastical schooling of the 50,000 fish.
A school of Japanese sardines
Location: Aqua Museum 1F, LABO 5 Large Tank "Schools and Shimmering Fish Living in the Open Sea"
The Large Tank: "Schools and Shimmering Fish Living in the Open Sea"
Representing the "schools and shimmer" of creatures surviving with strength in the harsh natural sea, the large tank "Schools and Shimmering Fish Living in the Open Sea" is home to around 20 species — including small fish that shift into various formations to protect themselves, the mid-sized fish that hunt them, and top predators such as sharks — recreating the everyday reality of "eat or be eaten" found in the natural ocean.
By focusing on the behaviors of "schooling," "migration," and "predation" among fish that travel in groups across the open sea, the tank recreates the "harsh" world of the open ocean, while also letting guests experience the shimmering beauty of fish that can only be seen because they live within that same harsh, natural world.
Aqua Museum large tank, "Schools and Shimmering Fish Living in the Open Sea"
Evening Shows on Select Dates Only
"Fireworks Symphony": A Live Entertainment Show of Music and Light
Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise is once again presenting "Fireworks Symphony," its live entertainment fireworks show combining music and light.
Fireworks Symphony is a Sea Paradise original fireworks show in which fireworks and music are synchronized through digital control, with approximately 2,500 fireworks launched over 10 minutes. Guests can enjoy fireworks that light up the night sky and the sea's surface, made possible only by the park's setting on the sea and on an island.
Dates: October 10 (Sat), 11 (Sun)
Time: 8:00 PM (approximately 10 minutes per show)
Location: Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise, Boardwalk area
Note: The show may be cancelled due to inclement weather or other circumstances.
"LIGHTIA: Miracle of Seven Colors" — An Immersive Nighttime Performance Synchronizing Dolphins With Video, Light, Sound, and Fountains
"LIGHTIA: Miracle of Seven Colors," an immersive nighttime performance synchronizing dolphins with video, light, sound, and fountain effects, is currently being held.
The performance follows the dolphins on a journey through the past, present, and future, depicting the birth, history, and connections of life as it builds toward a "miracle flower" that bridges the harmony of life with hope for the future. Dolphins, trainers, and visual effects form a synchronized triangle, delivering an overwhelming 20 minutes immersed in the dolphins and a world of varied colored light.
Times:
- October 3 (Sat), 4 (Sun), 12 (Mon, national holiday), and Saturdays/Sundays within October 17 (Sat) – 31 (Sat): 6:00 PM
- October 10 (Sat), 11 (Sun): 6:30 PM
- Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays within November 1 (Sun) – 8 (Sun): 5:30 PM
- Each show runs approximately 20 minutes.
- The times above apply to the schedule from October 3 (Sat) through November 8 (Sun).
Location: Aqua Museum 4F Live Stadium
Note: See the official Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise website for further details.
A Season for Learning
Renewed This Autumn: New Hands-On Content Added to "Polar Animal Lecture Time: Learn About Extreme-Cold Animals Through Hands-On Experience!"
At LABO 4, "Animals Living in Icy Seas," inside the Aqua Museum, the "Polar Animal Lecture Time" program — which explains the ecology of cold-climate animals such as polar bears, walruses, and penguins — will be renewed starting October 1, 2026 (Thursday), relaunching as "Polar Animal Lecture Time: Learn About Extreme-Cold Animals Through Hands-On Experience!"
Along with commentary from keepers, the renewed program offers hands-on experiences: guests can smell food from roughly the distance at which a polar bear's keen sense of smell would first detect it, or hold a bucket weighted to match the amount of food a walrus actually eats. Through these experiences, the program aims to deepen guests' interest in animals that live in the Arctic region. Visitors can enjoy learning about the animals' real ecology — details not available from textbooks or picture books alone — while having fun.
Times:
- Weekdays in October and November: 12:00 PM — Mondays and Thursdays: walrus session; Tuesdays and Fridays: polar bear session; Wednesdays: penguin session
- Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays in October and November: 12:15 PM (penguin session) / 12:30 PM (polar bear session) / 12:45 PM (walrus session)
- Each session runs approximately 10 minutes.
- The times above apply to the schedule from October 1 (Thursday) through November 13 (Friday).
Location: Aqua Museum 1F, LABO 4 "Animals Living in Icy Seas"
Note: The hands-on content varies by season and by day.
Explaining How Group Living Helps Animals Survive: "Animals That Live in Groups" Panel Exhibit
At the Aqua Museum and Fureai Lagoon, explanatory panels will be on display featuring animals that live in groups.
Many animals form groups in order to survive. A group is commonly known as a way to protect against predators, but it is equally an effective way to catch prey — so animals form groups whether they are predators or prey.
This exhibit explains the survival strategy behind each animal's group behavior.
Japanese sardines (top), scalloped hammerhead shark (center)
Schooling bannerfish
Red-bellied piranha
Location: Aqua Museum, Fureai Lagoon
Multiple Animals Appearing Together: "Animal Performance: Fure-n-Do! Time" Highlights Each Species' Unique Abilities
"Animal Performance: Fure-n-Do! Time," held at Fureai Lagoon, features Cape penguins, Asian small-clawed otters, Harris's hawks, South American sea lions, and other animals showing off a variety of performances drawn from their natural behaviors. During the show, guests can watch multiple species up close and see firsthand how their diets and ways of moving differ, while keepers explain the abilities and traits each animal has developed based on its habitat and way of life.
After the performance, guests can take commemorative photos with the animals.
Times:
- Weekdays in October: 12:30 PM / 3:00 PM
- October 3 (Sat), 4 (Sun), 12 (Mon, national holiday), and Saturdays/Sundays within October 17 (Sat) – 31 (Sat): 10:30 AM / 1:00 PM / 3:00 PM
- October 10 (Sat), 11 (Sun): 11:00 AM / 1:00 PM / 3:00 PM
- Each show runs approximately 25 minutes.
- The schedule for November onward can be checked on the official Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise website.
- Content may change or the show may be cancelled depending on the animals' condition.
Location: Friendly Circle, Fureai Lagoon
A Season for Sports
Experience the Animals' Abilities and Energy Up Close: "Animal Life Live!"
"Animal Life Live!," held at the Live Stadium inside the Aqua Museum, lets guests experience the animals' real movement and energy during the performance, offering a chance to reflect on the natural environment and the animals' future. The show includes a collaboration between the dolphins and a fountain effect that showers water from above the stadium, an interactive quiz about walrus ecology with guest participation, dynamic jumps from bottlenose dolphins and Pacific white-sided dolphins, and an elegant underwater performance by beluga whales. Together with music, the show lets guests experience the animals' natural abilities and appeal.
Times:
- Weekdays within October 1 (Thu) – November 13 (Fri): 11:00 AM / 1:00 PM / 3:30 PM
- October 3 (Sat), 4 (Sun), 12 (Mon, national holiday), Saturdays/Sundays within October 17 (Sat) – 31 (Sat), and Saturdays/Sundays/holidays within November 1 (Sun) – 8 (Sun): 11:00 AM / 1:00 PM / 3:30 PM
- October 10 (Sat), 11 (Sun): 10:30 AM / 12:00 PM / 2:00 PM / 4:00 PM
- Each show runs approximately 25 minutes.
- Some performances may be presented in a collaboration event version; see the official Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise website for details.
- The times above apply to the schedule from October 1 (Thursday) through November 13 (Friday).
Location: Aqua Museum 4F Live Stadium
A New Immersive XR Attraction Using the Latest XR Technology: "XR Crossing Mission"
Starting September 17, 2026 (Thursday), Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise added "XR Crossing Mission," an immersive attraction in which the latest XR technology links movement in the real world with a virtual space.
In "XR Crossing Mission," guests wear VR goggles and become the protagonist of a story, working with teammates to complete a mission. Guests can choose between two experiences: "Ninja Breaker: Yokai Showdown," in which players walk through the XR space on their own two feet and become ninja themselves, taking on enemies with shuriken and ninjutsu, and "Zombie Storm," in which players fend off wave after wave of approaching zombies.
The biggest feature of "XR Crossing Mission" is "free-roam" movement, in which the virtual space is linked to guests' real-world movement. By wearing VR goggles and physically walking around the field, guests can experience a sense of realism as though they have stepped inside the story itself.
Start Date: In operation from September 17, 2026 (Thursday)
Location: Bay Market Building B, 2F
Price: ¥1,000 per session
- Also usable with a One Day Pass, Pleasure Land Pass, or Sea Para Premium Pass.
Duration: Approximately 8 minutes
Height Requirement: None
Age Requirement: Ages 9 to 64
Capacity: 6 guests
A Season for Food
Full of Autumn Flavors: "Recommended Autumn Menu"
Restaurants and casual food stands across the island will offer menus suited to the season of hearty appetites. The lineup of autumn-only items includes a "Purple Sweet Potato and Sweet Potato Tart (with drink)," made using sweet potato — one of autumn's signature seasonal ingredients — and a cute-looking "Red Panda Parfait," among other seasonal offerings.
