- Timed-entry reservations open on Friday 18 September 2026, first come first served, for the whole run of the Expo.
- Caps on the number of reservations will be set according to expected crowding.
- You can change your entry date and time up to three times. Once your slot starts, you can enter at any time that day.
- Some exhibits will use same-day reservations only: one per ticket per day, released in three batches through the day.
- You can walk around the outdoor gardens and flower beds freely, without a reservation.
- Opening hours are 9:30 to 21:30, with last entry at 21:00.
- Shuttle bus users need to reserve in advance.
Our take
At Expo 2025 Osaka, pavilion reservations went through several rounds of advance lotteries, and the effort before the visit became a sore point. Here the only advance reservation is your entry slot; exhibit reservations are made on the day at the venue, one per ticket per day, released in three batches. A system built so that everything cannot be gone by mid-morning.
Three changes to your entry slot suit a horticultural expo. Flowers look different in the rain; if the forecast turns, move the day. Once your slot starts you can enter at any time that day, so lateness costs nothing. Slots run from 9:30 to 17:00 in seven bands, and after 17:00 is evening-ticket time.
Still unknown: which exhibits will require reservations, where same-day reservations are taken (an app or a counter at the venue), and at what times the three batches open. Whether any of this comes before reservations open on 18 September is not said.
Tips for visitors
- Have a ticket ready before reservations open on 18 September so you can book from day one. Ticket types are in our ticket guide.
- If the weather is uncertain, book anyway and move the date closer to the time. Three changes are allowed, so keep the last one in reserve.
- On busy days, build the day around the outdoor gardens, which need no reservation. Exhibit reservations are one per day, so decide the one you most want beforehand.
- Repeat visitors should read how to think about the season pass. Free access to the outdoor gardens is the biggest point in its favour.
Our take
You can change your entry slot up to three times, and the outdoor gardens need no reservation at all, so planning is far easier. Some exhibits use same-day reservations only, one per ticket per day.