Universal Studios Japan

Universal Studios Japan, was a fun experience but we learned a few lessons from our trip. If your visiting here on vocation or overseas book your tickets and fast passes 3-6 months in advance. Tickets and fast passes get sold out quickly. Some popular rides can have more than 2 hour wait times if you dont have the fast passes. Try to avoid going during Japan's silver, gold weeks and really popular holidays like Halloween and Christmas as it will be even packed more than usual. If your traveling with family and or little ones it would probably be more preferable to get multi-day pass instead of a single day. Check the hight requirements for rides beforehand as they will strictly adhere to the policy if your kids are not tall all enough, regardless if you ride with them or not. Some restaurants in Universal Studios Japan require reservation so sign up early before they get packed and fill up around 11 am. Bring extra spending money as the gift shops have a lot of fun items to buy. The minion section of theme park was done really well and enjoyed it. The Super Mario Park is fun and designed well but was smaller than I had imagined and was really packed too. The Jaws boat ride was fun but the water explosions and fire can scare the little ones 😅. There was still much we couldn't do or experience during this trip to USJ but would definitely go again and plan it better.

We visited Universal Studios on a Thursday during the Halloween event and had an express pass for timed entry into the Super Nintendo World and included 4x express pass for rides. Overall, the rides were really enjoyable and wait times not too long apart from Mine cart Madness. For the Flying Dinosaur and Hollywood Dream, these rollercoasters are quite intense, so it is probably only advisable to try these if you know that you enjoy rollercoasters. Highly advise walking around the Harry Potter area and Super Mario areas - the theming for these areas and rides is very impressive. The list below are the rides we tried and the respective wait times. List of rides we went on: * Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey (wait time ~15mins using express pass) * Jurassic Park - The Ride (wait time ~ 40mins) * The Flying Dinosaur (wait time ~5mins using express pass) * Illumination's Villain-Con Minion Blast (wait time ~25mins) * Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem (wait time ~30mins) * Mario Kart: Koopa's Challenge (wait time ~15mins with express pass) * Mine Cart Madness (wait time ~150mins) * SPYxFAMILY XR Ride (wait time ~10mins with express pass) * JAWS (wait time 10mins) * Hollywood Dream - The Ride (wait time ~5mins with express pass) The Halloween event also started from around 6PM until park closure, which was great to see all of the zombies and characters walking around the Hollywood area of the park. As a side note, they do have zombie-free paths and zones within the park, and the wait times for rides was reduced while this event was ongoing. While keeping to the path inside of the Halloween event area, the characters would not generally interact with you unless you are on the main road part, but everything was safe and enjoyable. Some negatives with the park include us paying for a timed-entry express pass specifically to get into the Nintendo themed area, yet that area got opened up to all of the public before our timed-entry started. It feels like we wasted some of our money on getting the express pass as it was already available and the queues for the rides increased a lot due to this. Also, while the app is very useful for navigating the park, I feel that the signage could be better, with a lot of people having to ask the park staff on where to go rather than logically being able to follow the signs. Overall, a great experience and worth visiting even if you have visited the other Universal Studios parks - there are enough unique rides and attractions to make it worth it!

Full day as couple Universal Studios Japan delivers non-stop energy from park opening to fireworks. The theming is spectacular, rides are thrilling, and the attention to detail in lands like The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Super Nintendo World makes the whole visit feel immersive and cinematic. --- ### Highlights - **Harry Potter area:** Breathtaking set design, authentic shops, and a ride that blends storytelling with intense motion—one of the best theme-park experiences I’ve had. - **Super Nintendo World:** Smart, playful tech interactions; the atmosphere is joyful and addictive for gamers and non-gamers alike. - **Thrill rides:** Hollywood Dream and other coasters are fast, smooth, and visually exciting. - **Entertainment:** Parades and street shows are energetic and tightly choreographed; timing them around parade schedules paid off. --- ### Practical Tips - **Buy Express Pass for peak days** to cut wait times dramatically. - **Arrive at opening** and head to the most popular attractions first (Super Nintendo World or Harry Potter) to avoid long lines. - **Download the official app** for wait times and show schedules. - **Pack light and wear comfy shoes** — you’ll walk a lot and queue outdoors sometimes. - **Try the themed snacks** (butterbeer and character treats are must-tries). --- ### What Could Improve - Food queues at peak times can be long and options get crowded; more quick-service spots would help. - Some attractions have limited capacity during rainy weather, so plan indoor alternatives on wet days. --- ### Quick Verdict Universal Studios Japan is a must-visit for thrill-seekers, fans of immersive worlds, and anyone who loves big, joyful theme-park production. Expect to leave exhilarated, a little tired, and already planning your next trip. Tried to add photos by not having away much come and explore.

Universal Studios Japan (USJ) is a premier entertainment destination located in Osaka, offering a captivating blend of thrilling rides, spectacular shows, and immersive attractions based on beloved films and characters. September is an exciting time to visit USJ, as the park hosts a variety of special events, including a Pokémon-themed celebration and Halloween festivities that enchant guests of all ages. However, it's worth noting that September can feel a bit crowded due to the ongoing expo, attracting many visitors eager to experience the magic of the park. Despite the crowds, the atmosphere is lively, and the excitement is palpable. Families and friends can create unforgettable memories as they explore the diverse attractions and enjoy the vibrant ambiance. The joyful screams from thrill-seekers on roller coasters and the laughter of children meeting their favorite characters fill the air, enhancing the overall experience. This month, the Pokémon special event invites fans to immerse themselves in the enchanting world of Pokémon, featuring unique attractions, themed merchandise, and interactive experiences that bring the beloved franchise to life. Additionally, Halloween celebrations add another layer of fun, with spooky decorations and themed shows that cater to both the adventurous and the faint-hearted. Visiting USJ in September is an opportunity to bond with loved ones while navigating the bustling atmosphere. The blend of excitement from the Pokémon event and the thrill of Halloween makes this experience truly special. Whether you're a first-time visitor or a seasoned fan, Universal Studios Japan promises a memorable adventure filled with joy, laughter, and a touch of magic, making it a fantastic choice for families and friends alike.

Visiting Universal Studios Japan was absolutely worth it. We bought the Express Pass, which is quite expensive, but honestly essential — especially for areas like Super Nintendo World, where regular waits can easily exceed two hours. Thanks to the pass, we managed to enjoy 7 top rides with priority access, and combined with other attractions that had around 30–40 minutes of waiting, we ended up doing 11–12 rides in total. Everything was perfectly organized, and the overall experience was seamless. The park itself is on another level — the design, the attractions, the atmosphere… it’s by far the best theme park I’ve ever been to. Worth every yen.

One of the best theme parks in Asia but easily the most crowded and longest lines I’ve ever experienced in my life. The fast track tickets are NECESSARY here and I highly recommend them for Nintendo World or else you’re waiting in line for 2-3+ hours PER RIDE. The food at the restaurants isn’t great so that’s why I have to give it 4 stars, and there aren’t too many vegetarian options either.

Visiting Universal Studios Japan was an excellent experience. The Express Pass wasn’t necessary since we went on a weekday and the lines were very manageable. The One Piece show was an extra cost, but it was absolutely worth it. Lunch at the Jurassic Park area was fantastic, both the food and the atmosphere. The Harry Potter World is almost an exact replica of the one in Orlando, with the same magical attention to detail. And the Nintendo World was a true spectacle for the eyes, full of surprises at every corner. Even if you don’t ride the most intense roller coasters, it’s a park you can fully enjoy as a whole-day experience.

I wouldn't normally buy a Fastpass, but I'd read beforehand that the lines can be incredibly long. So I bought one and was very happy I did. Jurassic Park - The Ride and Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey were really cool. Flight of the Hippogriff was a bit disappointing, as the ride was slow and, above all, very short; I wouldn't have wanted to wait in line for that long. The prices are reasonable compared to European or American theme parks. I highly recommend a visit to the park.

Pro: Online ticket booking ahead, close to the train station, cute and delicious food Con: very long lines for most of the rides This was my first time to any Universal Studios ever so I was really looking forward to having some fun. Make sure you have your IC card (suica or pasmo) so you hop on the train in the morning and get there. We arrived 'late' around 8:30am and were only to get the entrance to 'Mario World' until 7pm, unfortunately, everything was taken for Harry Potter, so my recommendation is to get there earlier than me. After choosing either 'Super Mario World or Harry Potter' head to the shops to buy some headbands, they are the cutest! My biggest recommendation is that if you want to get on the rides quicker, do the 'solo/single' lines, I did that a couple of times (because my husband had just eaten) and I was able to ride just after 10 mins, soooo fast, but when doing the lines together it would be from 1-2 hours (at least the Harry Potter ones). NOTE: Check on their website the time for the parade, you cannot MISS IT. The characters, the songs, the happiness of every kid and adult singing brought me to tears as it healed my inner child!

I would give it 2 stars but it's cheap compared to universal Florida so bumping it up to 3. Tip: arrive 60-90 min before park opens. They will open gates like 45 before so you can dart to Nintendo land. We arrived 90 and there was huge crowd ahead. Cons: Really crowded so they have extremely long waits for almost everything including food Lines are boring. Minimal entertainment. In the USA parks at least there is interesting things to watch while in line Speaking of lines there are significant portions where you are exposed to elements. Basically uncovered. We were there on a hot summers day so this was tough. Wifi is only available in very limited section. Most of the park has no service. Express pass is a major rip off, but necessary if you want to do more than a few rides due to the aforementioned long lines Timed entry to Nintendo world. So there's a chance you will miss out Pros: Staff friendly Food reasonable priced Entry reasonable Mario Land cool but small Transit access easy

I like it because I like all the stars such as Tell John Cliff Robinson and Sylvester Stallone.

I spent the whole day here with my husband. Well worth it. The only thing is if you are there for the Nintendo world, make sure you have the universal studios app on your mobile phone. Book the standby asap so that you can go in. Otherwise if you do not book a spot (free) you cannot enter. We basically went for the super Mario ride! So much fun! Worth the wait. Also went on some of the Harry Potter rides, minion ride and grabbed some snacks. There is a Jurassic park ride. Actually 2. We went on the ride with the feet dangling! Omg I left my soul in the sky and kept my eyes shut the whole time. lol great time.

We had so much fun at Universal Studios Japan also known as Universal city (subway lines refer to it this way) you can bring bottled. Water but no other drinks or outside food. Need to prepare for long lines. Bring umbrella it is hot and bright. We had about 80-120 minute wait for rides and cafe. As soon as you get inside you can request timed experiences. Do it early before fills up. We got there around 8am and only a few spots left for 11:30 entries to Super Mario which you really don't want yo miss. About 30 min wait to get pics with characters. We found the food and souvenirs inexpensive. This is a must visit if you are in Osaka with family

You might want to skip Universal Studios Japan for your first visit to Japan unless you're a die hard fan of the characters/movie themes. The place is swamped and the lines are relentless, even with an express pass. I spent ages waiting for stuff, like photos that turned out bad and for their food, which I've tried is not bad and pretty cute and on theme. Besides Super Nintendo World, it's not much different from Universal Orlando, which I've been. Some of the merch, including my chef Toad keychain and some others are exclusive to Japan though. Super Nintendo World is now in Hollywood so it's not anymore unique to Japan. Mondays don't make it less crowded either - it's packed when we went on October 23. Food queues are insane, even for a hotdog over 30mins long and with our tight express pass schedule, we didn't have time to queue for it during lunch. For a sit down meal we were quoted over 2-3hrs and told us to check back around 4pm. I couldn't eat at the Pokemon restaurant or the Super Nintendo restaurant because it was packed for hours and settled for the Jaws restaurant around 4pm-ish. The horrible thing is that they prevent you from bringing outside drinks and food but they also aren't able to handle the traffic to feed you on time. So be prepared and have a hearty breakfast before you go in. We got the Halloween Horror Night Express and including entrance passes for ~$480 CAD for two (33600JPY for Halloween express and 19600JPY for entrance for 2), which covers for the Mario Kart ride and a few others and a scheduled entrance to the Super Nintendo World. The Halloween theme after 6 pm was spooky fun with zombies littered across the streets. Some rides had narration only in Japanese. The themed snacks were a highlight and lighter wait, but overall, it felt like a regular Universal day you can find elsewhere with crazy lines and a Halloween twist. Some place you'll have fun if you go but also fun without, given the steep price and wait. There are plenty of other things to do in Japan if you decide to skip this spot. So overall I feel indifferent towards coming here.

Holy Moly, way better than Disneyland in Tokyo. A quick 10 minute walk from Universal Studios station is Universal Studio Japan in Osaka. Arrived at 7:45 and got in line. They officially open the park at 9 AM on a Tuesday but they started to let people in at 8:04 AM for regular 1 day ticket holders. I highly suggest getting the Express Pass. Purchased the Express Pass 4'on Klook and it was totally worth it. The pass came with times entry times for Harry Potter, Spider Man, Super Nintendo World and Minion Mayhem. Even with the express pass wait time was about 20 minutes max. The best ride by far was Mario Kart inside Super Nintendo World. The average wait time was 60-80 minutes without express pass. Mario Kart was an interactive ride where you are immersed in a VR type race. Download the Universal Studio Japan app and you can check if there are wait times to go in Nintendo World. You can get into Super Nintendo World via a e-ticket on the app with designated time slots. So was able to go in the morning with an app e-ticket and timed entry at night via the express pass. FYI-try going at night because it is that much cooler. More food options More rides Let's you in early Very clean All staff seem to be in good moods and happy

My friends wanted to check out USJ so I figured why not?! We went early in the morning and got fast pass tickets into the amusement park. PROS: Great for kids. Lots to do. Food was good and I enjoyed the alcoholic drinks there too. Rides were fun and I really enjoyed buying the USJ merch there! "The Flying Dinosaur" which is a USJ exclusive ride, was really fun! CONS: It's literally exactly the same parks in the U.S. but I think USJ was busier and more compact. The lines were long at the Harry Potter area. It was just a lot. When I went to L.A, the lines weren't too crazy and I didn't feel as claustrophobic as I did in Osaka. Price-wise, USJ was still pricey. I brought my own wand from Universal Studios Hollywood and it still worked from 2018! You can also reuse the Nintendo wristbands so I would suggest keeping it if you plan to go to Universal Studios again. If you're visiting Japan, I wouldn't suggest going to USJ (unless you have kids). But there are other great places to check out in Japan that aren't in the U.S. as well!

One of the Best Universal Studios. Park is really clean. Lines are not that bad considering the popularity. What you don't see is the chaos in lines sometimes you get in the LA or FLA parks. ***Important note: once you leave Mario land you cannot get back in again so book your entry ASAP. The Mario Kart Ride has Single Rider so use that if your group is small and you don't mind sitting apart.

Never been to a universal studios, so this was a first time. It was very hot, but this location had some cooling areas with fans and misters. Harry Potter land was cool. Had Hogsmeade village and all the Harry Potter stores. We waited probably 15 minutes in line for the Butter Beer. You only need one and you can share because it got super sweet after a few sips. They have Jurassic park land, with Turkey legs and even chicken legs. We weren't able to go to Mario land, apparently there's like a 3 hour wait. So that was a bummer.

My first universal experience, and in Japan! It was a great experience and I can't wait to visit more Universal Studios around the world! They had a limited Doraemon attraction which was super cute. Line was always long so we didn't get to experience the ride, but we did have their minion themed goodies. Even bought minion themed snacks back! We visited almost everything, including Nintendo world which requires a reservation as it's always packed! They check your reservation upon entry into Nintendo world. I'm pretty sure their biggest attraction was/is Nintendo world. We made sure to visit everything from Harry Potter to Universal Hollywood as well a try a bunch of churro varieties and snack. Definitely a fun day and a great experience. Can't wait for more universal experiences to come!

It's Universal Studios Japan and similar to the US counterpart, but cleaner and nicer overall. Staff are super friendly and reminded me of Disney. Overall a great theme park.

Universal Japan was alot of fun I spent most of my day waiting for my time ticket entry into super Mario world where they feature the one ride of its kind - yoshi! It was a lot of fun I mainly enjoyed going around and trying all the unique foods that you can only find here in universal Japan! The park comparatively to other universal parks is small. It's very walkable and easy to get through in half a day.

Pro: lots of rides, close to train station, online ticket booking. Con: very long lines Never been to a universal studio before so, coming here was an experience to remember. Taking the train to the studio would be the best option and I would highly recommend getting your ticket online early to avoid waiting in the long lines to purchase one. After the bag check you enter and are greeted with many gift shops, rides, photogenic building, and food stall. There was a long lines at every ride & attractions which led to some wait times of 60-90 minutes just for one which is insane. The food stall weren't better since they also had long lines. We walk around site seeing around the studio but didn't get in any rides since the wait time was long but we were able to purchase a few items from the gift shop. All in all, I wouldn't highly recommend everyone come here because no matter the time or day it will always be busy and unless you commit your entire day to the studio I don't think you will be able to get your money worth.

I was staying in Osaka for a few days last year and wanted to visit Universal Studio there since I love amusement parks. During that time there was an event for Halloween called 'No Limit' Halloween Horror. There were 3 walk-through haunted houses, Universal Monsters: Legends of Fear, Biohazard: Extreme, and Cult of Chucky: Chucky's Hospital Ward of Madness. The legends of fear is a haunted house with legendary monsters such as Frankenstein, Dracula, werewolves, etc. The biohazard is connected to the Resident Evil 2 (the video game) where there are 2 routes you can choose to explore, Leon or Claire. Chucky's hospital is a spooky hospital maze layout with Chucky and real-life patient actors popping out at you. I've only been to the legend of fear and the biohazard haunted house since I didn't have time to visit Chucky (mostly because I couldn't find where it was). I love horror genre and Halloween themed anything. The haunted houses were well decorated. There is a tour guide for each group to guide us through the haunted house. To me, it wasn't scary since I'm pretty immune to fake horror, but it was still fun going through and seeing my family freaked out and grabbing onto me. I enjoyed the Biohazard haunted house where you need to reserve a time slot though the USJ app. No reservation, no entry. I chose the Claire route since I really liked her story in the game. USJ has more rides than the Hollywood location. Although it doesn't have the studio tour ride, it did have larger coaster rides such as The Dream and The Flying Dinosaur. Both are amazing rides and feels liberating with the larger and multiple drops. There is also Harry Potter World, but the layout and rides are exactly the same as the Hollywood location. I would recommend to explore other locations in USJ if you already been to Harry Potter World in Hollywood. USJ Mario World, you need to reserve a time slot to enter the area. Again, no reservation no entry. We saw a lot of people got turned away at the entrance of Mario World since they did not have a time slot reserved. Mario World was smaller than I expected. It was super crowded so I understand why they set the time slot entry. I was able to reserve a slot at 7:30pm but by then the ride for Mario Kart was already closed. Here some tips regarding USJ (these were from my experienced last year but it could change over time. I recommend to visit their website for detailed info): 1. They only allowed 500ml bottle water for each guest. Any more they will throw away your bottles. 2. The online ticket system on their website do not accept foreign credit cards. We had to book the tickets by the concierge at our hotel. Or you can purchase the ticket on the day of an hour before the park opens. 3. I recommend to download the USJ app to reserve the time slot entry such as for Mario World or Biohazard. You can only reserve a time slot on the day of after you pass through the entrance gate. 4. The lines are hectic and I went last year on the day Japan reopened. I recommend to get through all the popular rides first because at around 11:00am, the lines are about 2 hours or more wait time. There are single rider lines which are faster wait times but the longest I've waited was 2 hours for The Dream and the non-single rider is a 4 hour wait. 5. The rides without single rider line were both Harry Potter rides: The Hippogriff and The Forbidden Journey. 6. The lines for foods/snacks are as long as the rides. We waiting for over an hour for pizza. 7. On weekdays, the tickets are cheaper than weekends but the hours of operation are shorter on weekdays. For weekdays, they are closed at 9:00pm, but most rides will start closing at 7:00pm. For lunch, we tried a restaurant in USJ that only serves 3 different types of pizza with some sides and desserts. We got their Halloween special seafood pizza, a side of fried chicken, and a Minion banana cream puff. The seafood pizza was pretty good. The fried chicken was excellent with their pesto aioli sauce. Super juicy and flavorful. The cream puff was alright, it wasn't too sweet but the banana cream tasted artificial. Overall, I love most of the rides at USJ. I would totally return. I wasn't too crazy about the 3D/screen rides but their other rides were fun. I spent most time waiting in lines even though I went to the single rider lines if they are available. One day was not enough to fully explore the whole park for me. Their Halloween event was pretty lackluster than I would have expected. At night, there were some zombies roaming around but there were only 3 zombies for each main areas. There were also heavy security around them so they can't get near you and you can't get near them, therefore it wasn't scary. I also expected more haunted houses or haunted theme rides. The haunted houses were fun but it was like a 5 minute walkthrough. We went home at around 8:00pm since most of the rides were already closed.

Clean. Friendly. So much fun. Rides don't have translations though. Recommend buying pass and fast pass before hand because it gets packed.

So fun! We had only one day to spend at the park so we purchased a Universal Express Pass to use with our Studio pass for park entry. You need a Universal Express Pass for each person and it puts you in the much shorter express pass line and also guarantees admission into the popular Super Nintendo World. We bought our passes from the Japan website and were able to pick a combination of times for entry to 7 attractions. Getting there was easy as the train stops right at the park! The park is clean, crowded, and the staff is the nicest. My only gripe would be the food lines were so long!! I wish they sold an express pass for food lines!

Wonderful experience at USJ! My husband and I came from Kobe directly here and were able to store our luggage in lockers outside the park entrance. We got in line outside the gate around 7:15am and the parked opened around 8:15am. We jogged towards Super Mario like everyone else and were able to get in (we didn't have a pass). We were also able to walk into The Wizarding World without a timed entry ticket. The park was too crowded (we waited 30 minutes for butterbeer) and we made good use of the Limited Express Pass. The Doraemon XR ride was a must!

The roller coasters were different than the ones in the US. The Dream was smooth, fast and magical. Jurassic Ride was wild with insane high speed backwards drops and twists. Hogwart's meat pies were delicious. Love that there is a chicken and rice offering. The park was so clean and well organized. Felt like a kid again!!

First things first, do arrive at least an hour before the scheduled opening time if you want a good chance of walking into one of the timed entry areas (Super Nintendo World and Harry Potter World). Or get an Express Pass that includes the most attractions you're interested in. The main goal of our visit was Super Nintendo World, and we were not disappointed. Theming was better in person despite how good it looks in photos and video. And there are little gems to discover all over, even if you do not opt to get the wristbands. The Yoshi ride was very cute, tame, and simple. The Mario Cart ride was chaotic and fun; I think it would get better with multiple tries when you can get more used to the controls and actually feel like you're scoring points more from skill than luck lol. I do wish the area was bigger because I bet they could really make good use of it. Like having more than one station for some of the wristband games so the lines for them don't crowd up the walkways. Although we visited before summer, according to locals, the day we visited was peak summer heat. So I can advise that when you need to cool down, the best place is probably Snoopy Studios in Universal Wonderland! It's indoors and has strong A/C lol. Go enjoy yourself taking lots of photos with the Peanuts scenes.

My daughter wanted to experience Super Nintendo World. This part of the park is not in the U.S. The Universal Studios in the U. S. are in the works of adding Super Nintendo World to their parks. The park was pretty crowded. You do have to pre-book the passes to Super Nintendo World and Harry Potter. They allow you a time slot to enter that part of the park. We really liked the Super Nintendo world. It's really cool. You can buy a wrist band to collect coins. There is a special game you have to complete with the wristband.to enter a special area of the park. There are two rides. One is a Yoshi ride and the other is Mario Kart. The Yoshi ride is cute, more for little kids. The Mario Kart is pretty cool. We really liked it and wanted to go on it again, but the line is way too long. More than an hour wait. You can buy like a fast pass to these rides and bypass the long lines. Overall, we had a lot of fun. The food and merchandise are different from the U.S. I really think the food in Japan is way better than the U.S. food in the park.

Went last week and it was certainly an experience! Pros: The rides truly are fantastic and the workers really try to put in effort to stay in character and make the experience magical. My favorite ride was The Amazing Spider-Man which was a 4D ride that made you feel like you were flying in the sky with spidey. The Harry Potter ride was another fantastic one, as was the flying dinosaur. They have lockers for you to store things before rides and shoe bands for rides that could leave your feet hanging so they don't fly off. Cons: VERY confusing trying to understand how to buy tickets. Time entry was confusing and I couldn't enter Super Nintendo World until night time. I thought my express pass meant I can skip the lines for any ride but that is not the case--so read that carefully. As expected, extremely long lines (even with express passes.) We waited an hour and half for the flying dinosaur. The food is not very good. Very dry churro and bad pizza. The rides don't use English subtitles or anything so any movie theater experiences or interactive rides will be in Japanese. No biggie to me but subtitles would be nice if possible. Overall it was worth doing at least once but it was a very long day! Wear comfortable shoes and go with someone you like because you'll be spending a lot of time standing in line!

I've been to Universal Studios in Los Angeles, but my recent visit to Universal Studios Japan has completely won me over! For those planning a trip, I highly recommend staying at a nearby hotel for convenience. We arrived at the park around 7:30 am and were greeted by a substantial queue, so a pro tip for future visitors: arrive early! One great perk is that the park opens earlier than the official 9 am time; we were pleasantly surprised to see gates opening around 8 am. Arriving early also means you can enjoy many of the major attractions without needing an express pass. We breezed through the lines for both Jurassic Park rides and the Jaws ride without any waits! However, purchasing express passes, like we did through Klook, is a smart move. They give you specific times to ride, which is a huge advantage if you're not a fan of long lines. The highlight of Universal Studios Japan for me was the anime-themed areas. As a fan of Jujutsu Kaisen and One Piece, I was thrilled to see these inspirations come to life. Nintendo World was another standout - it's a dream come true for anyone who grew up playing classics like Super Mario Brothers and Duck Hunt. It's like stepping right into the Marioverse! My favorite ride has to be the Hollywood Dream Roller Coaster - a must-try for any visitor. In summary, Universal Studios Japan offers an incredible experience, especially for anime enthusiasts. It's an adventure that shouldn't be missed!

Yeah the butter beer is good, but if you are an average sized american in the single riders line expect to be turned away from rides for being too big. they like to call it "safety check" yet and overweight Japanese male can get on.....

We came here on a Tuesday, and it was super packed. It was alo quiet cold. The lines were all roughly about 55 mi he's to 145 minute wait. We were only able to get on 2 rides and one 4d show. If you plan on coming with a group one of two things, opt to get the express pass or do the single rode route. The single ride route cuts the air time to more than half of the wait time. For example, the jurassic Park Ride was 100 minute wait whereas single riders were 20 minutes' wait. It's quite different at the Universal Studios compared to the one in California. Some examples are that in japan, universal encompasses snoppy, sesame Street, some Japanese anime ( spy x family, detective Co nam, etc). Their 3d / 4d shows are quiet graphic. The chairs will move as the show is showing. They spray water and have fans moving to really immerse us into the showings. They also have carnival games. And of course, if you lose, you still get a consolation prize. The plushies are adorable and big. They also have shops dedicated to each team to shop as. They have one whole section dor despicable me, spider man, Harry Potter, jurassic Park, snoopy and they also have a section that is similar to our San Francisco district. Within the San francisoc distric area you have areas that resemble Lombard street, pier 39, China Town and Italian street.

It was sad that despite us picking a weekday to go to USJ it was still way too packed and crowded. It literally took more than 40 minutes waiting in line to do anything (more than 2 hours for popular rides). In addition, the Super Nintendo World, which sets this Universal Studios apart from the other ones, needs a reservation ahead of time. Without a reservation, one has to enter a lottery and the chances of being granted entry are very low. Overall it was our worst theme park experience so far.

Quite similar to Hollywood, but missing rides like transformers and mummy. The classic Jurassic park ride was unavailable when I went. Long lines for a lot of food places and lines are long for rides as well.

This was the highlight of our Osaka trip. The one place my wife absolutely had to come to the extent that she spent hours planning it out... so I could sit back and do nothing. We had just gone to a couple theme parks in Orlando in April 2022, which included Universal Studios as well. With all that in mind, this was an amazing place! So magical! Super Nintendo World was hands down the most creative and over-the-top themed world in any adventure park I've been too. Just going there to see it in person made the trip worth it. Yes, the prices are outrageous and the lines are long but I still loved this place. Compared to an American theme park, everyone here is so polite-- no aggressiveness--- and the park is so incredibly clean.

Came here for Super Nintendo World and it lived up to my SUPER expectations! Its like walking into the video game world of your childhood and all the merch and props and details are EPIC! The Mario Kart ride was a VR ride with interactive shells you can shoot at enemies. I loved this ride and it was the most fun I've had in a long time! Highly recommend you visit this place and go as early as possible since it gets totally packed! So soo many people and I went on a "slow" day ...Wednesday. If you love Super Mario, you will totally enjoy USJ and Super Nintendo World!

Great theme park for the entire family. Loved the Express Pass, character day-time parade and food in the restaurants.

My visit was kind of really disappointing and sad due to the circumstances. It was because we arrived a few days after the grand opening of Super Nintendo World. Majority of the attractions and rides were either uninteresting or shut down. A positive is that we were there for the Universal Japan collaboration with Jujutsu Kaisen. The showing was really impressive and cute! We bought a Yuji coat because it was perfect for the weather there at the time. Unfortunately due to the overwhelming amount of people that wanted to get into either the Super Nintendo World or Harry Pitter section, there is a lottery you have to enter. You only get one chance per DAY to try to have the chance to get in there. I'm unsure of if that was lifted after the grand opening back in February 2023. It was our main reason for wanting to go to Universal Japan, but it was our fault for not considering how popular it is going to be from the soft to grand opening. If you aren't able to make it into the areas, there is no way of getting the merchandise you'd like either. They will not be able to acquire them for you. As for customer service, they were really kind people and I'm not basing this review/experience on them, but rather the almost chaotic concentration around the two most popular themed areas. Also, the majority of buildings and rides being closed at the time for maintenance making the price for going unreasonable (about $70) The Spiderman attraction was down as well as a few other I couldn't remember. I do recall trying to buy a churro, but the line was so long that it looped around the food cart twice, maybe three times in the Hollywood area. We did go to the kid themed area and ride on a merry go round because at that point, there was nothing we could do after losing the lottery. We made up for the day by going to a Wagyu place in Chuo, Osaka which was great.

While we have Universal Studios not too far away in LA, there was one main reason we went while in Osaka, and that was for Super Nintendo World. (When we visited, Super Nintendo World was a Japan exclusive but since then it has just come to LA). Coming to Universal was easy. We wanted to get there as soon as they opened so we took an Uber to make it as easy and direct as possible. You can get there via subway but we just wanted something more straightforward. It was also easy to get through the entrance as we had pre purchased out tickets online through Klook. When you wank into Universal Japan, it's very much like LA, with similar worlds like Harry Potter, Jurassic Park, Minions, etc. One thing we did notice, in contrast to the US, is that the lines and employees are incredibly efficient. While there were still long lines on some rides, we felt that the flow of those lines and the organization of the employees was much better. Another things to note is that obviously everything is in Japanese. From the staff to the animatronics (we went on a 4D Jujutsu Kaisen movie ride and the whole movie was in Japanese so we didn't understand anything but it was still fun to watch). Another fun area, specifically for us was this area dedicated to famous US cities and there was a recreation of San Francisco which was entertaining to walk through. We did try a couple random food options. Overall, it wasn't bad but nothing necessarily to rave about. I do think that Disney still has some of the best theme park food, but I will say the food here was very cute and aesthetic. One of the dishes we tried were Snoopy shaped baos which were okay but pretty cute. Overall the park was a great way to spend the day during one of our three days in Osaka. Be sure to take advantage of the Japan exclusive mech here cuz it's a total trap and we definitely indulged haha

It was such an amazing experience! We booked our tickets in advance on the Universal Studio Japan website. Make sure to take advantage of the birthday pricing! Anyone in the group who has a birthday 1 month before or 2 months after their birthday month are allowed to get birthday priced tickets (for the entire group too!). Birthday priced tickets are about $5 USD off; its not much, but still something. We went on Thanksgiving day and the crowd was bearable. There is a decent amount of people (as expected), but everyone is kind and courteous. My main goal was to visit Nintendo World since it just official opened! USJ is a must visit if you're visiting Osaka! Its recommended to buy the ride passes (which cost extra money), but if you don't really care for riding all the rides, you can stand in line for an attraction- it will be just a longer a wait.

Compared to Universal Studios Hollywood, there's enough uniqueness at USJ to make it worth the visit on a weekday when it's less busy. We went on a Wednesday at opening (830am arrival, 8:55 entry with the line), and bolted straight to Nintendo World. Pro tip: go to the Jaws shark prop first, and with the Universal app, navigate to 'e-tickets' and register for a time slot for Nintendo World. It will allow you to register in this checkpoint without having to trek it all the way to Nintendo World which is a little further down. We were quick enough to choose an early 9:10am time slot, but the wait for Mario Kart was still about an hour when we got in. So make sure you do this first, otherwise you might not be able to get in until way later in the day when it's at pretty much max capacity. Mario Kart: You put on a plastic hat which clips on augmented reality goggles. The ride moves around on a track while you shoot shells at various targets and opponents which collect coins. A little disorienting at first while I got used to the concept, and it was already half over till I "got it". We had fun, but if the wait for this was more than 100 minutes, I would wait until it came down below that, or try for a single rider line which can be 10-20% shorter of a wait. Hollywood Dreams: first coaster you see when you're entering the park. I thought the actual coaster was fun and the ability to pick your own playlist with tracks from Taylor Swift or Michael Jackson was gimmicky but fun. The Flying Dinosaur: So fun. Flying coasters never disappoint and this was no exception. That first inside loop into a tunnel made the hour+ wait totally worth it. If you like roller coasters this is a must-do. Harry Potter and Flight of Griffyndor: Super long wait with a queue that seems to never end. This was fun, and is a mix of your seat shaking around to an immersive film of flying on a broomstick, to actually moving along a track and spinning around while ghosts and spiders pop out like an old school haunted house. This was fun but seemed like it should have been a tad bit longer, especially the very end. Full disclosure, I'm not a Harry Potter fan, so I probably missed a lot of references and Easter eggs. Toad Cafe Food: we got the curry chicken burger (7/10), Mario burger (6.5/10), flower caprese (7.5/10) and the mushroom soup (8/10). More presentation vs. flavor but worth a visit!

I will never come back. I cant believe the way they handle the Mario World admission. I bought 2 tickets for general admission to the entire park, although Mario is all I was going for. No where was I informed prior to ticket purchase that admission for Mario was based on a lottery. Had I known that I was buying a ticket, and would be denied the only thing I came for, I wouldn't have bothered coming.

Must say USJ is a place you must visit at least once in life. I personally like this one much more then the on in Orlando. Food is good. Theme parks are fun. Each moment brings joy to you and your family. I would say this is the best theme park in the world.

Our last visit was almost four years ago, so here are some of our updated tips: - come early, especially if you don't buy express passes, as they still opened the park up early and rides are shorter early in the day. - stay till the end - we were able to walk onto Jaws the ride, and also to the Minions ride, whereas earlier, minions was up to 75 minutes to ride. - eat before you get there, as the food isn't very good especially for the price. We ended up sharing a cheese pizza and having random various snacks. Food at Tokyo Disney and Disney Sea, including their popcorn, was way better. - Super Mario World: the band is half the fun so if you're going to the park, you might as well get at least one band. Get it before you go on the rides, and do the Mario Kart single rider first (we waited until after Yoshi's ride that had a 10 minute wait, and it changed from 30 minutes to 65 minutes!). - Sing is still a super fun concert - sit in the front of the middle section so that the Ash and Johnny can high five you as they sing!

Dinosaur ride was by far the most unique and our vote for best ride in the park. We also enjoyed the Harry Potter Forbidden Journey ride and Hollywood Dream The Ride Backdrop. Park was clean and rides in top notch shape. Interestingly we could not find a simple Universal Japan magnet or actually any magnets, but there is endless other themed merchandise to buy. Many people in the park were adorned with things from the store.

While an enjoyable experience that was comparable to LA, a few things make this park less enjoyable. Many of the dining establishments were tiny and had more people camped out in the diner and casual eat-in places. It felt like a competition while racing to find a table at Mel's Diner. You legit had to stand over people while they ate and rush to sit down before others. Other things that would have been appreciated are subtitles during the Jujutsu Kaiden 4D experience and better stocked snack carts. They ran out of the plain churros and other snacks hours before the park closed. While reflecting, I think the park planners underestimated how popular the park would be. Expanding the park could improve the experience.

Worst place to visit if disabled. Guest services wanted physical in your hand paper for me to carry out of the country. I showed medical document. Wasn't accepted. No Ada accommodations. Make sure you bring extra paper work to secure here. This company.very insensitive and ridge to disabled needs. Will not return even if you paid me. Poor service here.

Universal Japan is wild, wish I had more pictures, took mostly videos. Was able to visit super Nintendo world before it came out in the states, Osaka really stepped their game up adding this!

The trip was totally worth it. We came in just the day that they had a typhoon warning and that didn't stop people to come super early. We arrived 715am and there was about a thousand of people lined up. I just say totally worth it. Keep in mind it was obon holiday and people were trying to come before the typhoon. We went for Mario world and Harry Potter. The peak hours for rides are usually noon and after noon. Morning the lines are shorter and also toward the evening when many families are probably going home with their kids.

The park is very nice and fun. There's a lot to do. The "timed entry" system to get into Super Nintendo World is pitiful. You have to buy USJ tickets and then when you get into the park buy a timed entry into Super Nintendo World. You will likely only get times as late as 6PM or 7PM (and they informed us last call for the rides was 7PM). We got to the park AS SOON AS IT OPENED and the only time available to get into Super Nintendo World was 7PM. Mind you, the whole park closes at 8. I reminisced how this could be, but I imagine it's all the people that have season passes get first dibs on all the time slots. Here's the kicker - we couldn't exit the park at all. Nope. Not until 7PM. Otherwise we forfeit our passes for the day and can't enter again. Oh my God. Boy oh boy, I'm glad I paid with American Express. If I didn't go to guest services and explain to them the whole situation (as well as informing them I would contact American Express) and they wouldn't have given my wife and I a pass for an hour earlier, there would 100% be a charge back immediately. When we went in, it was somehow less busy than Harry Potter world. Yet Harry Potter world didn't require a timed entry pass. Of course it was everything we ever could have asked for once we got in. One of the rides was closed and we could only ride the Yoshi ride, but everyone has always wanted to ride a Yoshi. We played the mini games and defeated Baby Bowser and took a billion photos and were like 5 year old kids again. But before that, waiting for 8 hours doing things we didn't want, such as going to a very inaccurate mini-San Francisco, and walking around to beat boredom were simply heinous. They need to sell tickets to Super Nintendo World separately. I don't care about the rest of the park, and I'm sure 95% of people buying tickets don't either.

Definitely recommend visiting. Like everyone says, park opens before published time of 9am, probably around 8-815am usually. Everyone is already lined up early. I got there a little before 8 to see a massive crowd/line already, once park opened easy enough to get in and into Super Nintendo World without a timed ticket but it is immediately crowded inside. I had little kids with me so Wonderland was a great area for them that isn't available in USA.

When planning our trip to Japan, I knew we needed to check this park out. Everyone said the amusement parks in Japan are smaller than the ones in the US and they weren't wrong. Though smaller, it did not disappoint at all. Made for easier time to get around and explore. There is Harry Potter, Minion, Spider Man, Sesame Street, Water World, Hello Kitty and much more! It definitely was missing the Studios tour though. But hopefully some time next year the Super Mario Land will make up for that. Unfortunately we JUST missed the Super Cool Summer event so everything Sailor Moon, Attack on Titan and Godzilla was gone. *le sigh* there were still One Piece items available but not sure if that's limited or permanent. Seems like the "cool events" are active around spring and summer... times I refuse to travel back to Japan. We were able to enjoy 1.5 days and it really wasn't enough time to catch everything. The first half day we got acquainted with the park and the second day we dove into every part of it we could from open to close. The ride times are still high during off peak times. On average we waited between 60-90 minutes per ride and even about 2 hours on the Flying Dinosaur. Lots of amazing souvenirs and gifts to bring home! Prices are decent, not super rediculous. Seems like every corner there was something available to purchase! Overall we really enjoyed our visit. There was lots to do for adults, kids and even the little ones. The worst part of our trip was definitely wait times but that's always to be expected when visiting theme parks in general. The staff was pleasant and spoke a decent amount of English for us to communicate a bit. The food was all amazing and very cute no matter what it was. I would highly recommend a visit if you plan to be in the Osaka area. Be warned that the trains are packed almost always and don't count on finding a seat. Plan ahead and wear comfy clothing and shoes!

While some will say how dare you travel all the way to Japan and go to Universal Studios, others will say I'm so jealous! No matter what, I figured we might as well see what an amusement park in another country is like. LOCATION: Getting to the park was actually a breeze. We happened to take the JR trains there and it punted us right where we needed to be. Of course in the mornings, the trains were packed with not only park-goers, but also workers around the area. We arrive approximately half an hour before the opening (9:00am it opens) and it was already pretty busy. We grabbed some food and drinks from the nearby Lawson's Market to sneak in. They don't even check! TICKETS: We purchased our tickets ahead of time on TripAdvisor so it was pretty easy. However, last minute, we decided to get extra Express passes for some rides so we could cut lines. The entry ticket was approximately $74 and the express pass was about $63 or so. The lines were manageable and in fact, they let us all through the gate about 5-10 minutes before 9:00am! We went on a Wednesday and per the park guides, Wednesday crowds are average. We missed Spring Break too which is great! RIDES: The lines for the rides were actually decent ranging anywhere from about 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on which one you wanted to go on. The main parks we visited were the Minions, Harry Potter, and Jurassic Park. The rides were great and fun however, if you don't understand Japanese, it kind of throws you off. The Harry Potter ride wasn't as enjoyable as I thought it'd be cause I was just so thrown off that Harry, Hermione and Ron were speaking Japanese! Same with the Water World show. I missed out on a few jokes it seems because all the people who understood Japanese would start cracking up and I'm sitting there confused. :( But other than that, it was still lots of fun. FOOD: There's not a lot of food options available in the park. In fact, a lot of it is non-Japanese food. Hamburgers, pizza, fries, spaghetti, sandwiches, with a Chinese place too. We went for some pizza and fries and it was average. I mean, I don't expect amazing food at an amusement park. STORES: Don't forget your wallet! There's tons of cute things at each store and I bought so much! We waited till the evening to buy things so we didn't have to carry everything around during the day. But we left with lots of clothes, key chains, and souvenirs to bring back home. It's also tax-free if you spend over $50 and have brought your passport. They do pack it in a huge bag so make sure you have space in your luggage as you can't open the bag and re-pack it. THE BEST: The best happens when the sun goes down. We didn't expect to stay till park closing but we indeed did. And I'm glad we did too! The night ends with a lighted parade of various floats and it was so awesome! :) Because it's not ridiculously crowded either, you can actually see the floats! Get your cameras out! Do I regret going? Definitely not! Would I recommend it? Perhaps! Depends what you're looking for. If you know about the movies like Harry Potter and Despicable Me, then yes! Otherwise you won't understand a thing. TIPS: 1) Bring comfortable shoes 2) Pack some water 3) Buy your tickets ahead of time to avoid lines 4) Bring your camera with lots of space and battery 5) If you don't want to get wet on some rides, bring a rain coat. 6) Have fun!

I had such a fun time here. I am more of a Disney gal and have never been to a Universal park in the states to compare it to. I was most excited about the rides that are exclusive to here like Jaws and the flying Dinosaur coaster. We purchased the package with the extra fast passes ($$) and it ended up paying off (harharhar) because we saved a ton of time waiting in line for the Flying Dinosaur coaster (I think the wait time was almost two hours) and the Forbidden Journey (Harry Potter ride). We also utilized the single rider line on Jurassic Park and the Hollywood Dream coaster which was great because the Japanese do not usually like to ride single. A lot of the rides here are definitely motion sickness inducing like the Minions ride and the Harry Potter ride. Both of those had a big dome like screen with multiple things going on that made it hard to focus. The theming on both was pretty great though. The flying dinosaur ride was the most unique coaster I have ever been on! You board the ride sitting upright and then they rotate you so that you are facing the ground, feeling like you're flying. My hair was flying in my face the whole time and the g forces were crazy when doing the 360 loops. I think I would have felt sick if the duration of the ride was longer. This was also my first time in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and it was such a cool area. It was pretty warm that day so we got a couple frozen butter beers which were delicious--tasted like a caramel or butterscotch Frappuccino from Starbucks. We went to Ollivanders Wand shop presentation and the shop employee was so genuine and good at his job- I'm not sure if the child that receives the free wand is prearranged or not. The employees at USJ were all extremely friendly, constantly waving and smiling, and went out of their way to chat with us and ask where we were from, which was appreciated. I would definitely recommend this park.

Ok, honestly. The day I spent at Universal Studios was one of my favourite days in Japan. "But Sharon, how dare you rank a commercialized experience that can be recreated in Florida as one of the best things to do in all of JAPAN". YES, Japan is beautiful, and rich in history, and brimming with culture and nature. But....UNIVERSAL STUDIOS! There's only so many shrines you can see before you feel like it's time to bask in the glory of really cool 3D technology. I'm not an amusement park expert. I can't do roller coasters and I've never been to any Universal Studios. So coming here, I felt like I was living a childhood fantasy. No, I didn't understand a word of what was going on. While that might seem like a disadvantage, it also made things really exciting because I had no idea what to expect (i.e. Jaws boat ride that I thought would literally be a scenic loop around the lake). Talking about the unexpected, I was BLOWN AWAY by Harry Potter World. It's got its own secret entrance. No sign, just some cryptic symbols and a forest. Now, THAT'S immersion. And of course, being in snowy Hogsmeade in 25°C summer heat is just fantastic. Everything was fantastic. The Halloween feast at Three Broomsticks, the mindblowing view of the lake, the journey inside Hogwarts. Of course I bought a wand. Of course I giddily skipped around trying the different incantations. The Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride is also the best ride I've ever experienced (even though I didn't understand what they were saying, I still went back twice). 11 year old me would be shaking. Coming during Halloween season is great because you get to see USJ transformed. Daytime is tame, there were some Minions dressed as Frankenstein doing a dance. Nighttime is when the fun happens. Hundreds of zombies and killer clowns roam the streets, screaming in your face for a scare. So many attractions are turned into haunted houses and spooky stuff. They transformed the regular Terminator theater attraction into a Ring-themed one. And boy, oh boy, was everyone crapping themselves. Staying late also comes with the bonus advantage of NO LINES. The first line-up for Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey at noon took an hour, the second line-up at 10pm took 5 minutes. Seriously, kudos to the people crafting the magic that happens here. The effects, the storyline, the staff, everything was perfectly created to ensure YOU have an amazing and immersive time. From the moment you step through the front gates into the shopping/restaurant area, you will feel so excited. So it doesn't really matter that tickets are kinda pricey at ¥7,000 (cheaper also if you buy them in advance on Klook), because you are going to have one hell of a delightful time. (5/100) - 2019

Our visit was the week of Christmas (Wednesday to be exact, with Christmas on Saturday) while Japan still had strict entry requirements for foreigners. So while there were lots of people there, it wasn't packed. Like most other reviewers we've been to both Universal Florida and California. But to me, this one is far better than both! More thrill rides yet plenty for kids, along with the indoor attractions and shows. We got to do Super Mario World! This place was a lot of fun even though the Yoshi ride was closed. They absolutely won't allow you in/on the battle with Bowser without completing the challenges to get keys on your wristband (which isn't free). It is possible to fail said challenges and have to get in line again to do over (don't ask me how I know that ;)). Harry Potter was probably the favorite, as the girls enjoyed casting spells in their robes with the interactive wands in this world. I thought that was actually pretty cool, as the effect/result was more pronounced the better you followed the spell. We also rode the new Demon Slayer ride that was based on the train fight in the series. That was probably the longest wait even with the express pass. Speaking of which, the express pass is money well spent as it allows you to ride the more popular things with little to no wait. This park is likely a two day event without it. Scheduling can be inconvenient though if you don't book far enough in advance to get the preferred itinerary, as we kept going from one end to another to meet our scheduled times. Because of this, we only snacked a couple times all day and we're famished when we left the park at closing (8pm). After doing everything we had scheduled times for, we finished with Minions (Hollywood Dream instead for my wife and 12 year old) and the kids stuff before the park closed. We didn't do anything involving water or anything Jurassic (my 12 year old was indecisive during the 45 min window we had before our time in Mario World, and the wait was only 20-30 minutes). It was a very fun day for all, though my wife was a bit perturbed by their whole express pass system. I would still recommend getting it months in advance, and make sure you understand how it works in order to make it work best for you.