Sendai Umino-Mori Aquarium
A Sendai aquarium with an outdoor dolphin stadium and a part-open sea-mammal yard.
piggybackjapan.com
Sendai Umino-Mori Aquarium
SaveA Sendai aquarium with an outdoor dolphin stadium and a part-open sea-mammal yard.
The dolphin stadium is roofed, and the front three rows stay open late because they get soaked.
More about this place (history, size)
Sendai Umino-Mori Aquarium is part indoor and part open air: tanks and exhibits inside, a roofed outdoor stadium for the dolphin show, and an outdoor plaza, partly under cover, where penguins, beavers, and seals live. Parking is free and holds 800 cars, though it fills up during long school holidays, so the aquarium points visitors toward the train and bus. The nearest station is Nakanosakae on the JR Senseki Line, and a bus line named after the aquarium takes about seven minutes from there for 160 yen.
- There are two nursing rooms with a hot-water sink, one near the first-floor entrance and one near the jellyfish exhibit on the second floor.■
- The city's survey page lists the same nursing-room equipment: a hot-water dispenser for formula, a hand-washing sink, a trash can, and a diaper-changing table.■
- When the nursing rooms are full, staff may show you to a temporary nursing space, which an August 2025 review describes as having simple partitions that left the writer feeling watched.■
- A July 18, 2026 review reports that the second-floor nursing room has added a nursing chair beside the diaper-changing table, on top of the round stools.■
- Diaper-changing tables are in the multipurpose restrooms and the nursing rooms, and the official list names six places: near the first-floor entrance, beside the first-floor escalator, next to cabana on the second floor, near the second-floor jellyfish exhibit, and inside both nursing rooms.■
- The dolphin show takes place at Umino-Mori Stadium, which is outdoors, though the seats have a roof over them (visit article published August 12, 2026).■
- The marine animal plaza is an outdoor area that is partly under cover, home to penguins, beavers, seals, and others.■
- Performances still run in the rain, though rain blows into some spots, and they can be called off in rough weather (inquiries: 022-355-2222).■
- Spray from the dolphin show soaks the first three rows and still reaches rows four and five, and because many people would rather not get wet, those front three rows are often open even just before the show (August 2026 article on a summer visit).■
- The stadium has priority seating for up to four wheelchairs, with a chair next to each for one helper, reached from a first-floor waiting area with staff guidance rather than the second-floor seats, and the front row has an acrylic screen against the spray.■
- The official website has an English version, along with simplified Chinese, traditional Chinese, Korean, and Thai, giving hours and prices in English, and it offers an English floor map made to print double-sided.■
- Places to eat are the first-floor food court wakuwaku ocean, which looks out on a tank and the Umino-Mori Beach area, the light-bite spot cabana on the second-floor terrace serving one-hand food, and UMIMORI Cafe (Costa Coffee) beside the exit.■
- The food court has children's chairs with belts (family visit review published July 11, 2026).■
- Credit cards work at the ticket counter, wakuwaku ocean, and cabana, but not at the program desk, the ticket machines, the second-floor food cart, the capsule-toy machines, the vending machines, or the coin lockers, which all take cash.■
- You can come back in on the same day by getting the re-entry stamp on the back of your hand near the exit and showing it to staff when you return.■
- There is no ATM and no Wi-Fi.■
- The coin lockers are next to umimori shop on the first floor, under the stairs just to the left as you come in, in four sizes from 200 to 500 yen, and staff will hold anything that does not fit.■
- With an advance ticket bought online you can walk straight in without lining up at the ticket window, though advance tickets bought anywhere other than Asoview have to be exchanged at the window.■
- There are two entrance gates plus a special entrance, each 90 cm (35 inches) wide, according to the city's survey page, which is how you can judge whether a wide stroller fits.■
With kids, here's the plan
The main route through this aquarium runs on ramps and elevators, so you can push a stroller the whole way without lifting it over a step. If your kids want to get splashed, the front three rows at the outdoor dolphin show take the spray head-on, and because most people would rather stay dry, those rows are often still open just before the show starts. The first-floor food court looks out on a tank and has kids' chairs with straps, so lunch doesn't mean leaving the building. One family went in at 9:25 and left at 13:40 with lunch in between, so about four hours is a fair plan.
Rainy days, and what each age enjoys
- Rainy day Apart from the outdoor Umino-Mori Stadium, where the seats are roofed, and the half-outdoor animal plaza with the penguins, beavers and seals, the route is inside the building, on slopes and elevators. The performances are held even in the rain, though rain blows in at some spots and they may be suspended in severe weather.
- Ages 0-1 The main routes through the aquarium are ramps and elevators, so you can go round the exhibits with the stroller. The exhibition areas have no steps and plenty of room, and the tanks sit at a height that can be seen from a wheelchair. A visitor who came with a six-week-old in a type A stroller wrote that there were no steps, ramps were provided, the elevators were easy to find, and they got round smoothly.There are two nursing rooms, one near the 1F entrance and one by the jellyfish area, Kurage no Iyashi, on 2F. Each has a sink with a hot water tap for formula, one diaper changing table, and a bin. Each floor has just the one room and one family uses it at a time, and the hot water for formula is only inside it, so on busy days you queue even just for water: one record from the July 2023 holiday weekend has three families waiting, over 40 minutes. When the rooms are full, staff may show you to a temporary nursing space. Men cannot enter the nursing rooms, so a father changes diapers in one of the four multipurpose restrooms. Changing tables are in six places in all: the two nursing rooms, near the 1F entrance, beside the 1F escalator, next to cabana on 2F, and by the jellyfish area on 2F. Strollers are not allowed in the dolphin show seating, so you leave yours at the rack right beside it, where a notice says locking is at your own risk. A type B stroller can be borrowed free at the 1F information desk, but the number is limited and it cannot be reserved. The entrance gates are 90 cm wide.
- Ages 2-3 Kaiju Hiroba, the half-outdoor plaza, is home to penguins, beavers and seals. Uminomori Stadium, where the dolphin show runs, is outdoors, but the seating has a roof over it. On the 1st floor the food court wakuwaku ocean seats you looking out at a tank and at Uminomori Beach, and it has children's chairs with a belt.Ride-on things a child moves themselves, such as bicycles, toddler push cars, pedal strollers and kick scooters, cannot be used inside as a safety rule. Admission is free under 4 and 700 yen for children 4 and over. You may re-enter the same day: have the stamp pressed on the back of your hand near the exit, take a break outside, and come back in. Opening hours fall into four patterns depending on the day, 8:00-18:00, 9:00-18:00, 9:00-17:30 and 10:00-17:00, with last entry 30 minutes before closing in every case, so check the day on the official calendar. The aquarium is open all year.
- Ages 4-6 Hands-on programs such as feeding the penguins can be signed up for at the program desk once you are inside. The backyard tour, 500 yen, involves going up and down stairs, so a child walking on their own feet can go round behind the scenes. At the dolphin show the first three rows get thoroughly wet and the spray reaches rows four and five as well. Because most people would rather stay dry, those front three rows are often still free at the last minute, which is where a child who wants a soaking can sit.The hands-on programs cannot be booked in advance: you apply at the program desk after you are inside, and payment is cash only. The backyard tour is also 500 yen cash only, and its stairs mean it cannot be done with a stroller. Ticket machines, the 2F food wagon, the capsule toy machines, vending machines and coin lockers take cash too, so bring coins; credit cards work at the ticket counter, wakuwaku ocean and cabana. Admission is 700 yen for children 4 and over, 1,200 yen for elementary school age and 2,400 yen for adults. An advance ticket bought on the web lets you walk in without queueing at the counter, though tickets bought anywhere other than Asoview must be exchanged there first. One family with a kindergartner and a second-grader went in at 9:25 and left at 13:40, four and a quarter hours, lunch at the food court inside included.
Sources and evidence (5)
- 3.5 hours with a 5- and 8-year-old: penguin feeding ¥300, pearl ¥1,000, backstage ¥500, cash only and stairs only.■
- With a 6- and 3-year-old: the park next door is free, and the bouncy dome needs a numbered ticket from the park office.■
- Child seats with belts; at weekend lunchtime tables are hard to find and portions run small for adults.■
- First three rows get soaked and spray reaches rows 4-5, so sit further back with little ones. Ordinary rain is fine.■
- Bus stop: left round the rotary at Nakanosakae station, ¥160 one way. On foot it is 15 minutes under the expressway.■
How long to plan
4.5 h
How was it with your kids?
Not greatGreat
Family checks✓ easy for your family
- ElevatorElevator：with conditionsconditions
- Stroller OKStroller friendly：with conditionsconditions
- RentalStroller rental：with conditionsconditions
- NursingNursing space：with conditionsconditions
- ChangingDiaper changing table：with conditionsconditions
- Diaper binDiaper disposal bin：with conditionsconditions
- Family WCFamily restroom：with conditionsconditions
- Kids' toiletKids' toilet seat & step stool：not checked
- Own foodOutside food allowed：not checked
- EnglishEnglish support：with conditionsconditions
Green = we confirmed it. Gray = not checked yet. Gray with a line through = the place does not have it.
Stroller OK■
Nursing■
Changing■
See all conditions in detail (10)
Elevator Elevators cover the main routes together with slopes; 3 in the building (count per the city accessibility survey)■
See details (1)
- The building has three elevators, two rated for 20 people and one for 11 with a car 135 cm by 140 cm, as confirmed on the city's survey page, while the official site says only that the main route uses ramps and elevators.■
Stroller OKStroller friendly: Main routes are stroller-friendly with slopes and elevators. Strollers can't enter the dolphin-show seating — parking right beside it (per an Aug 2024 visitor review). The backyard tour is stairs only (per an Aug 2024 visit report)■
See details (3)
- Ramps and elevators cover the main route through the building, so you can go around in a wheelchair or a stroller.■
- The exhibit areas have no steps and plenty of room, and the tanks sit at a height you can see from a wheelchair, according to a hands-on survey by a wheelchair users' group in Sendai.■
- In an August 2024 review on Iko-yo, a parent came with a six-week-old in a full-recline stroller and got around smoothly, with no steps, ramps where needed, and elevators that were easy to find.■
RentalStroller rental: Free loaner strollers (B-type) at the 1F information counter; no reservations, limited number■
See details (3)
- Ramps and elevators cover the main route through the building, so you can go around in a wheelchair or a stroller.■
- The exhibit areas have no steps and plenty of room, and the tanks sit at a height you can see from a wheelchair, according to a hands-on survey by a wheelchair users' group in Sendai.■
- In an August 2024 review on Iko-yo, a parent came with a six-week-old in a full-recline stroller and got around smoothly, with no steps, ramps where needed, and elevators that were easy to find.■
Nursing 1F near the entrance and 2F near the jellyfish zone, each with a hot-water sink. One family at a time; men can't enter. Queues on busy days, with overflow spaces opened when full (per user reviews, 2023-2026)■
ChangingDiaper changing table: Baby beds in the 4 accessible restrooms and both nursing rooms. Nursing rooms are women-only, so fathers use the accessible restrooms (per a Jul 2023 user review; the women's restroom also has one)■
Diaper binDiaper disposal bin: A bin next to the changing table in both nursing rooms — confirmed in a Jan 2026 user review (same setup on both floors) and matching the city accessibility survey's equipment list■
Family WCFamily restroom: Four accessible restrooms: 1F entrance, 1F beside the escalator, 2F beside cabana, 2F near the jellyfish zone. The one near the 1F exit has an adult-size care bed and ostomate facilities; it also has a baby keep seat (per the city accessibility survey)■
See details (3)
- Four multipurpose restrooms can be used with a wheelchair: near the first-floor entrance, beside the first-floor escalator, next to cabana on the second floor, and near the second-floor jellyfish exhibit.■
- The multipurpose restroom near the first-floor exit has an ostomate washing fixture and a care bed for changing an adult.■
- The city's survey page breaks them down: the one near the first-floor entrance has a care bed, a baby seat, and ostomate equipment in a space 195 cm by 250 cm, while the other three, beside the first-floor escalator, next to the stadium on the second floor, and next to the special exhibition room, have a baby changing table and a changing platform.■
EnglishEnglish support: Official site in English, Chinese (simplified & traditional), Korean and Thai, with a printable English floor guide. In-facility signage and staff English: not stated■
Show all 2 checks
Indoor / outdoor: Exhibits are indoors. The dolphin-show stadium is outdoors with a roofed grandstand (per an Aug 2026 visit article); the marine-mammal plaza is semi-open-air. Shows run in ordinary rain■
Steps & slope caution: Main routes work with wheelchairs and strollers via slopes and elevators; the exhibit floor has no steps (per the city accessibility survey). Only the backyard tour is stairs-only■
Worth a look before you go
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
Sendai Umino-Mori Aquarium: plenty of hands-on events for children
3.5 hours with a 5- and 8-year-old: penguin feeding ¥300, pearl ¥1,000, backstage ¥500, cash only and stairs only.
for-better-life.com2024
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
[Miyagi] The free outdoor park next door where you can play all day, plus Sendai Umino-Mori Aquarium
With a 6- and 3-year-old: the park next door is free, and the bouncy dome needs a numbered ticket from the park office.
ri-mama-diary.com2025
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
A family review of the food court at Umino-Mori Aquarium: what worked and what didn't
Child seats with belts; at weekend lunchtime tables are hard to find and portions run small for adults.
littlekagetsu.com2026
Japanese · opens translatedFirst-hand
Do you get wet at the Sendai Umino-Mori dolphin show? Times, rainy days and the bird performance
First three rows get soaked and spray reaches rows 4-5, so sit further back with little ones. Ordinary rain is fine.
tabiiku-dayori.com2026
Japanese · opens translatedGuide
Photo guide to the bus stop for Sendai Umino-Mori Aquarium, and how to walk there
Bus stop: left round the rotary at Nakanosakae station, ¥160 one way. On foot it is 15 minutes under the expressway.
kurasiouen.net2023
Sendai Umino-Mori Aquarium · Links & reads ▾
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Where to go next
Near here
4-6 Nakano, Miyagino-ku, Sendai-shi, Miyagi 983-0013■
Before you go
- Strollers are not allowed in the seating at the dolphin show stadium, but there is a place to leave them right beside it, where a sign says you park at your own risk (August 2024 Iko-yo review).■
- The behind-the-scenes Backyard Tour (500 yen, cash only) goes up and down stairs, so a stroller cannot come along (August 2024 visit report).■
- For safety, children cannot ride their own wheels inside: no bicycles, toddler push-along cars, strollers with pedals, or kick scooters. Ordinary strollers are fine.■
- The first-floor information desk lends umbrella strollers free of charge; there are only a few and they cannot be reserved, so it is first come, first served.■
- Each nursing room has one diaper-changing table, a sink with a water server for hot and cold water, and a trash can. It is a tight squeeze with a stroller, and men may not go in; the second-floor room has the same setup and the same rule (January 9, 2026 review on Mamapapa Map, from a parent with an eight-month-old).■
More notes (6)
- Wheelchairs are also lent free at the first-floor information desk with no reservations, and the official site does not say how many there are.■
- Each floor has one nursing room, and it takes one family at a time. The hot water for formula is only inside, so on busy days you may line up just for water: one review logged three families ahead and a wait of over 40 minutes during the July 2023 holiday weekend.■
- Since men cannot go into the nursing rooms, a father changing a diaper has to use a multipurpose restroom (July 16, 2023 review on Mamapapa Map), and there is also a changing table inside the women's restroom.■
- Hands-on programs such as penguin feeding cannot be booked ahead, so you sign up at the program desk after you get in and pay in cash.■
- Parking is free and holds 800 cars, but it gets crowded during long school holidays, so the aquarium points visitors toward public transport, and the city's survey page confirms eight accessible parking spaces.■
- Service dogs, meaning guide dogs, mobility assistance dogs, and hearing dogs, may come in with you, while pets may not and there is no kennel on site.■
Basics
- Time to allow：4.5 h■
Basics in detail (6)
Hours and closures
- The aquarium has no regular closing days, though hours, unplanned closures, and which shows and programs are running can change without notice.■
- Hours follow one of four patterns depending on the date, 8:00 to 18:00, 9:00 to 18:00, 9:00 to 17:30, or 10:00 to 17:00, with last entry 30 minutes before closing in every case, so check the official calendar for the day you go.■
Fees
- Admission is 2,400 yen for adults, 1,800 yen for seniors 65 and over, 1,700 yen for junior and senior high school students, 1,200 yen for elementary school students, and 700 yen for preschoolers aged 4 and up, while children 3 and under get in free.■
- Showing a disability certificate (physical, mental, or intellectual) or a Mirairo ID gets 50 percent off the regular individual rate, and one caregiver aged 18 or over gets the same discount.■
- An annual passport costs the price of two admissions, and you can switch a same-day ticket over to one only on the day you visit, up to 30 minutes before closing.■
Getting there
- From the nearest station, Nakanosakae on the JR Senseki Line, a Miyako Bus route named for the aquarium takes about seven minutes and costs 160 yen; the buses are low-floor and take wheelchairs (bus type and time confirmed on the city's survey page).■
Once you've decided
evidence & sources (10)
- Official: Stroller friendly, Stroller rental, Nursing space
- mamamap.jp: Diaper disposal bin
- Official: English support
- Official: main site
An aquarium beside the port of Sendai. The dolphin show runs outdoors in the Uminomori Stadium, and the seating has a roof over it. Spray soaks the first three rows and reaches rows four and five. People who would rather stay dry avoid the front, so those three rows are often still open at the last minute. The sea-mammal yard, with penguins and seals, is part open to the sky. The exhibition floors have no steps, so a stroller goes everywhere.
| Stroller friendly | Yes | Main routes are stroller-friendly with slopes and elevators. Strollers can't enter the dolphin-show seating — parking right beside it (per an Aug 2024 visitor review). The backyard tour is stairs only (per an Aug 2024 visit report) | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | uminomori.jp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stroller rental | Yes | Free loaner strollers (B-type) at the 1F information counter; no reservations, limited number | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | uminomori.jp |
| Nursing space | Yes (2) | 1F near the entrance and 2F near the jellyfish zone, each with a hot-water sink. One family at a time; men can't enter. Queues on busy days, with overflow spaces opened when full (per user reviews, 2023-2026) | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | uminomori.jp |
| Diaper changing table | Yes | Baby beds in the 4 accessible restrooms and both nursing rooms. Nursing rooms are women-only, so fathers use the accessible restrooms (per a Jul 2023 user review; the women's restroom also has one) | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | uminomori.jp |
| Diaper disposal bin | Yes | A bin next to the changing table in both nursing rooms — confirmed in a Jan 2026 user review (same setup on both floors) and matching the city accessibility survey's equipment list | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | mamamap.jp |
| Family restroom | Yes | Four accessible restrooms: 1F entrance, 1F beside the escalator, 2F beside cabana, 2F near the jellyfish zone. The one near the 1F exit has an adult-size care bed and ostomate facilities; it also has a baby keep seat (per the city accessibility survey) | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | uminomori.jp |
| Kids' toilet seat & step stool | Not checked yet | ||||
| Elevator | Yes | Elevators cover the main routes together with slopes; 3 in the building (count per the city accessibility survey) | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | uminomori.jp |
| English support | English menu & signs | Official site in English, Chinese (simplified & traditional), Korean and Thai, with a printable English floor guide. In-facility signage and staff English: not stated | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | uminomori.jp |
| Outside food allowed | Not checked yet | ||||
| Indoor / outdoor | Indoor | Exhibits are indoors. The dolphin-show stadium is outdoors with a roofed grandstand (per an Aug 2026 visit article); the marine-mammal plaza is semi-open-air. Shows run in ordinary rain | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | tabiiku-dayori.com |
| Steps & slope caution | Barrier-free | Main routes work with wheelchairs and strollers via slopes and elevators; the exhibit floor has no steps (per the city accessibility survey). Only the backyard tour is stairs-only | Web-checked | checked Aug ’26 | uminomori.jp |
Reviews
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