The Yamato Museum (大和ミュージアム) in Kure, home of the 1:10 model of the battleship Yamato, reopened on April 23, 2026, after a renovation that began in February 2025. Adults pay ¥1,000 unless they live in Kure.
You don't need a reservation unless you're coming as a group. Buy a same-day ticket at the booth, or get a web ticket in advance and skip the ticket line.
The museum is open 9 a.m.–6 p.m. (last entry 5:30 p.m.), closes most Tuesdays and stays open over New Year's. It's a 5-minute walk from JR Kure Station.
The web ticket needs an account on the Webket site, takes credit cards only and can't be refunded.
Admission prices
Visitor | Individual | Group (20+) |
|---|---|---|
Adults (university age and up) | ¥1,000 | ¥800 |
High school students | ¥300 | ¥200 |
Elementary and junior high students | ¥200 | ¥100 |
Preschool children are free. Kure residents pay less but must show ID with a Kure address.
Visitors with a Japanese disability certificate get in free, along with one caregiver. Show the card, or the disability-certificate app on your phone, at the ticket booth.
Your Yamato Museum admission ticket also gets you into the Yamato Museum Satellite (大和ミュージアムサテライト) in central Kure for free that day. The satellite closes for good on December 20, 2026.
Same-day ticket vs. web ticket
Same-day ticket | Web ticket | |
|---|---|---|
Where | Ticket booth in the shop building outside the entrance | Webket (online) |
Payment | Not stated by the museum | Credit card only (Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express) |
Account needed | No | Yes |
Refunds | Not stated by the museum | No |
Discounts (residents, groups, disability) | Yes | No |
Same-day ticket line | You queue | You skip it |
With a web ticket, show the QR code on your phone at the entrance. The code becomes valid about 3 minutes after purchase. See the museum's web ticket guide (in Japanese).
See Yamato Museum admission tickets on a travel booking site
Hours and closed days
Exhibits are open 9 a.m.–6 p.m., with last entry at 5:30 p.m. The museum shop keeps the same hours; the 4th-floor library closes at 5 p.m.
The museum is normally closed on Tuesdays; when Tuesday is a national holiday, it closes on Wednesday instead. The museum stays open on Tuesdays April 29–May 5, July 21–August 31 and December 29–January 3.
There's a maintenance closure in January 2027; check the date on the museum's calendar before you go.
A special exhibition on the anime Space Battleship Yamato (宇宙戦艦ヤマト 全記録展) runs January 30–May 9, 2027. As of November 11, 2026, the museum hasn't announced pricing or whether you'll need to book.
Peak periods and parking
The museum lists Golden Week (late April to early May), the summer holidays and New Year's as its peak periods, when ticket sales hours and dates may change.
If you're going then, buying a web ticket ahead lets you skip the ticket line. Without one, plan on queuing at the booth.
Parking at the museum is limited, and nearby lots get very crowded during long holidays. The museum asks drivers to use lots north of Kure Station or come by public transport.
Three city-run lots, Kure Station West (呉駅西), Kuramoto (蔵本) and Hondori (本通), give a one-time discount of up to one hour of parking on the day of your visit. Show your paper ticket stub at the parking office, or pick up a discount certificate at the 1st-floor reception if you have a web ticket.
Getting there from Hiroshima
The JR Kure Line rapid train takes 32–35 minutes from Hiroshima Station to Kure, and from there it's a 5-minute walk. Buses run from Hiroshima Bus Center (about 46 minutes) and Hiroshima Airport (about 60 minutes) to Kure Station.
You can also take a Setonaikai Kisen (瀬戸内海汽船) boat from Hiroshima Port to Kure Central Pier (呉中央桟橋), a 1-minute walk from the museum. Adults pay ¥2,900 for the high-speed boat or ¥1,200 for the cruise ferry.
The high-speed boat is in dry dock through November 13, 2026, and again from November 30 to December 5. Until November 13 there's no Hiroshima-to-Kure service, with sailings resuming from the 3:15 p.m. departure from Hiroshima Port that day. There's no Hiroshima-to-Kure service November 30–December 4, and sailings resume with the midday boats on December 5.
The cruise ferry cancels some weekday sailings December 1–25 and runs a special timetable January 6–March 12, 2027. Check the high-speed boat and cruise ferry timetables for your travel date.
Museum rules and the Iron Whale museum nearby
Tripods, monopods, selfie sticks and drones aren't allowed, and some exhibits ban photos or flash.
There's no eating or drinking inside; for drinks, use the area by the vending machines or the free rest area at Kure Central Pier next door. Put large bags in the lockers.
The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) Kure Museum (海上自衛隊呉史料館), better known as the Iron Whale (てつのくじら館), is a short walk away and free to enter.
It opens at 10 a.m., an hour after the Yamato Museum, and is closed December 29–January 3, so over New Year's you can't combine the two.
This article was translated from the original Japanese with AI assistance and reviewed by our editorial team. The Japanese version is authoritative.
