Aquarium Mystery Event Ends July 20 at Sunshine Aquarium
The night-only interactive puzzle event Sunshine Aquarium x The Aquarium Does Not Dance: A Challenge from the Director runs through July 20, 2026, at Sunshine Aquarium on the rooftop of the World Import Mart building in Ikebukuro. It is the second collaboration with the free horror game The Aquarium Does Not Dance, and it turns the nighttime aquarium into an immersive puzzle-solving rally.
The event runs from June 12 to July 20, with entry between 16:00 and 19:00 on weekdays, and between 17:00 and 20:00 on weekends and holidays. Last admission is 30 minutes before closing. The mystery rally takes place entirely inside the aquarium after dark, so you walk among the tanks and solve clues as marine life moves around you.
How the puzzle works and what you get
Participants receive an original ending card with a design that changes between the first and second halves of the run, so visiting in late June and again in mid-July gives you two different cards. The original illustrations are by Daidai, the author behind the game. There is also a line of original goods and a special collaboration menu at the in-aquarium Tully's Coffee Sunshine Aquarium Store.
Participation is included with the aquarium's general night-entry admission. You do not need a separate puzzle ticket, but you do need to enter during the night-event window. The aquarium's regular daytime hours continue as normal before the night event begins.
Why the closing date matters
The July 20 close is the same day as the One-Punch Man Exhibition at Tenbou Park on the floor below, and it falls on the Marine Day holiday. Both events end the same Monday, which makes this weekend the last chance to combine the two in one visit. From July 24, the aquarium's night slot is taken over by the Tsukuyomi Aquarium collaboration with the anime film Chou-Kaguya-hime!, so the horror-game puzzle event does not continue into late summer.
Sunshine Aquarium is on the rooftop of the World Import Mart building, a 10-minute walk from JR Ikebukuro Station or a short walk from Higashi-Ikebukuro Station. The aquarium is an outdoor-and-indoor facility, so check the weather if you plan to attend on the final weekend.
The collaboration with The Aquarium Does Not Dance is a natural fit for a nighttime aquarium setting. The game is a horror-puzzle experience set in a haunted aquarium after hours, and the live event translates that premise into a physical space. Solving clues in a dimly lit building with jellyfish drifting in the background and penguins visible in the outdoor tanks gives the puzzle a texture that a convention-hall mystery rally cannot match. The event is recommended for visitors who already enjoy escape rooms or immersive theatre, though the difficulty level is accessible to beginners and families.
Practical Details
- Dates: June 12 to July 20, 2026
- Time: Weekdays 16:00 to 19:00; weekends and holidays 17:00 to 20:00; last admission 30 min before close
- Venue: Sunshine Aquarium Main Building, rooftop of Sunshine City World Import Mart, 3-1 Higashi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo
- Nearest station: Higashi-Ikebukuro Station (Yurakucho Line), 3 min walk; JR Ikebukuro Station, 8 min walk
- Price: Included with aquarium night-entry admission (adult ¥2,600 to ¥3,200, child ¥1,300, toddler ¥800)
- Website: sunshinecity.jp/aquarium
