A bayside park on reclaimed land
The park was built on land reclaimed off Kasai, and its first 38 hectares opened in June 1989, with the aquarium following in October. The bird sanctuary followed in 1994, the Crystal View rest house in 1995 and the Ferris wheel in 2001. Today it covers about 81 hectares, is free and never closes, although each facility keeps its own hours.
From the station, the central path leads past a fountain toward the sea. On the left lie the lawns and the Ferris wheel, ahead the aquarium dome, and along the seawall the Viewing Plaza, where Crystal View frames the bay through glass walls. Like the aquarium, it was designed by the architect Yoshio Taniguchi, and it is free to enter from 9am to 5pm. On clear winter days Mount Fuji stands across the water to the west, and Tokyo Skytree rises behind you.
Tokyo Sea Life Park before the rebuild
Tokyo Sea Life Park opened on October 10, 1989 under its glass dome. It is known for the ring-shaped tank where Pacific bluefin tuna circle endlessly, a large outdoor penguin area and a seabird area where tufted puffins and common murres dive.
The aquarium is open as usual in 2026, but a new building is going up next door, planned by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to open in September 2028. The current main building will stay open until then and be preserved afterwards. In the meantime the displays are changing: the freshwater area has closed, several World Oceans tanks now show Japanese fish, and no new tuna are being added, so the school is slowly shrinking. From December 3, 2026 the main gate moves, and the gift shop and rest house by the old gate close.
As of 2026, adults pay 700 yen, 65 and over 350 yen and junior high school students 250 yen (free if they live or study in Tokyo); primary school children and younger enter free. It opens 9:30am to 5pm, with last entry at 4pm, and is closed on Wednesdays (Thursday when Wednesday is a holiday) and from December 29 to January 1. Entry is free for everyone on May 4, October 1 and October 10. No reservation is needed, though dated online tickets are sold.
- Free-entry days are the most crowded of the year. On any day, the official site has a crowd forecast calendar.
- A Ferris wheel ticket shown at the aquarium ticket window gives 20 percent off entry.
The beaches of Kasai Marine Park
Beyond the seawall, Kasai Nagisa Bridge crosses to West Nagisa, an artificial beach about 830 m long that belongs to Kasai Marine Park. East Nagisa, a second beach offshore, is a sanctuary closed to people. In October 2018 the two beaches and the surrounding shallows became Tokyo's first wetland listed under the Ramsar Convention. The beach area is open from 9am to 5pm, later in summer, and from 6am on January 1 for the first sunrise of the year.
Swimming is allowed only during the summer swimming programme, from mid-July to late August, 10am to 4pm, inside a marked zone. It is free, but changing rooms and lockers cost extra. Wear marine shoes: shells are sharp and the depth changes suddenly. Outside that season you can paddle at the edge but not swim, and nobody should go into the water after drinking.
Clamming at low tide is allowed, though there are few asari now. Fishing is allowed on the channel side only, with underhand casts and no chum. Kites are fine; drones, fireworks and bonfires are not. Only pop-up tents without pegs are allowed, and no parasols. Bikes cannot be brought onto the beach, even pushed. Barbecue is possible in a marked area of West Nagisa, by reservation and with your own equipment.
- Check the tide table on the Marine Park site. At low tide the flats are full of small crabs.
Birds, flowers and the seasons
At the east end, the bird sanctuary has a freshwater pond and a brackish pond watched from hides with small windows. Its Watching Center (9:15am to 4:30pm, free) has displays on the birds, and guided walks run on some days. Winter is the best season, with ducks, grebes, cormorants and herons on the ponds and shorebirds on the flats.
In January and February tens of thousands of narcissus flower on the lawn at the foot of the Ferris wheel. Kawazu cherries follow in late February and Somei Yoshino in late March, with hydrangeas in June and yellow sea hibiscus by the shore in July. In summer 2026 about 25,000 sunflowers on the lawn were lit up in the evenings as part of Tokyo's Flower and Light Movement, a programme held in several metropolitan parks each year. Autumn is quieter, with ginkgo and red spider lilies.
- Sunsets over the bay are the reason many locals come. Stay on West Nagisa until the light goes, then walk back past the lit Ferris wheel.
Ferris wheel, barbecue and a day with kids
The Diamond and Flower Ferris Wheel is 117 m high, with 68 gondolas and a ride of about 17 minutes. From the top you see the bay, Tokyo Disney Resort, the city skyline and, on clear days, Mount Fuji. It runs into the evening, later on weekends and in school holidays, and closes on some Wednesdays.
The Kasai Rinkai Park BBQ area near the aquarium needs a reservation even if you bring your own grill, bookable up to 60 days ahead, and offers plans with food and equipment included. It runs year round in the daytime, with evening sessions in summer. Picnics on the lawns are free and need nothing.
Wakuwaku Hiroba next to the lawn is a playground for children under seven, and a park train loops the grounds (not on Wednesdays). Next door, the Kasai Canoe Slalom Center, built for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, sometimes runs rafting and canoe sessions for the public.
Getting there and pairing it with Disney
JR Kasai-Rinkai-Koen Station on the Keiyo Line sits right at the park entrance. The aquarium is about 5 minutes on foot and West Nagisa about 11. Trains from Tokyo Station take around 15 to 20 minutes, and Musashino Line trains come from Nishi-Funabashi. From Kasai or Nishi-Kasai on the Tozai Line, Toei buses take about 20 minutes. The park car park has about 180 spaces and fills on holiday weekends.
The Tokyo Mizube Line water bus used to link Kasai with Odaiba, Ryogoku and Asakusa. It was suspended from January 2026 and restarted on October 17, 2026 with its Asakusa to Odaiba route, so check the operator's site before planning to arrive by boat.
Maihama, the station for Tokyo Disney Resort, is the next stop, about 3 minutes away. Many visitors combine the two: a morning at the aquarium and on the beach, then an evening at Disney, or a quiet day here after a long day in the parks.
- The Keiyo Line platforms at Tokyo Station are deep underground and far from the other lines. Allow 10 minutes to walk there.
