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 Universal Studios Japan entrance in 2006 | |
 Interactive map of Universal Studios Japan | |
| Location | Konohana-ku, Osaka,Japan |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 34°39′53″N135°25′59″E / 34.66472°N 135.43306°E /34.66472; 135.43306 |
| Status | Operating |
| Opened | 31 March 2001; 24 years ago (2001-03-31) |
| Owner | USJLLC (Universal Destinations & Experiences) (wholly owned byNBCUniversal, a division ofComcast)[1] |
| Operated by | USJ LLC Universal Destinations & Experiences |
| Theme | Show business andUniversal entertainment |
| Attendance | 16 million (2023)[2] |
| Area | 54 ha[3] (133 acres) |
| Attractions | |
| Roller coasters | 6 |
| Water rides | 2 |
| Website | www |
Universal Studios Japan (ユニバーサル・スタジオ・ジャパン) is atheme park located inOsaka,Japan. Opened on March 31, 2001, it is one of sixUniversal Studios theme parks worldwide and was the first to open outside theUnited States.[3] The park is owned and operated byUSJLLC,[4] a wholly owned subsidiary ofNBCUniversal.[5] The park is similar in layout toUniversal Studios Florida and contains selected attractions from bothUniversal Orlando andUniversal Studios Hollywood, in addition to a small number of unique attractions.
Over 11 million guests visited the park in its opening year, making it the fastest theme park to reach the 10 million guest milestone at the time. In 2024, USJ hosted 16 million visitors, making it the third-most visited theme park in the world behindMagic Kingdom andDisneyland, and the most visited theme park inAsia.[6]
In December 1992, Osaka Universal Planning Inc. was established in Minato-ku, Osaka to plan and research for the development and construction of a large-scale theme park in Japan. In February 1996, the master agreement regarding planning, construction and operation of the Universal Studios Japan theme park was concluded with American corporationMCA Inc. Osaka Universal Planning Inc. was also renamed USJ Co., Ltd.[7] Licensing agreements regarding the planning, construction and operation of Universal Studios Japan was concluded with the Universal Group in 1998 and later that year, construction of the theme park officially began.
In July 1999, Universal sealed a marketing deal with 11 major Japanese companies, includingAll Nippon Airways andMatsushita Electric, to sponsor the park's attractions.[8]
On February 21, 2001, in preparation for the opening of Universal Studios Japan,[9] All Nippon Airways unveiled the Woody Woodpecker-themed Woody Jet, using the Boeing 767-300, for its domestic flights.[10] The next day, Universal Studios Japan held a pre-opening preview.[11]
The park opened on March 31, 2001,[7][3] being the third to be opened by Universal and the first outside the United States, costing US$ 1.7 billion.[3]
The opening of Universal Studios Japan gave a boost in the economy of the Kansai region[12] and has added another 29,000 jobs in the region's construction and tourism-related industries.[13]
The park covers 54 hectares (130 acres).[14]
The attractions are spread across eleven different areas.[15] The tenth area,The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, opened on 15 July 2014 with its flagship attraction,Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. The area and its attractions were modeled after its previous iterations atUniversal Orlando andUniversal Studios Hollywood.[16] Its eleventh area,Super Nintendo World, opened after several delays on 18 March 2021.[17]
Based on the neighborhood ofHollywood, Los Angeles.
| Name | Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Cinema 4-D Theater | 2003 | A 4D theater attraction that currently showsShrek's 4-D Adventure orSesame Street 4-D Movie Magic. |
| Sing on Tour | 2019 | A musical theatre attraction based onIllumination'sSing film. The building's exterior is themed as the "Illumination Theater". |
| Universal Monsters Live Rock and Roll Show | 2001 | A live musical revue stage show based on theUniversal Monsters. |
| Playing with Curious George | 2018 | A show attraction based onCurious George.[18][19][20][21] The attraction usesPepper's ghost projections and multi-sensory production technology and props.[22][23] |
| Hollywood Dream – The Ride | 2007 | A steel roller coaster that features a sound system that allows the riders to choose what ride music they wish to listen to. |
| Space Fantasy – The Ride | 2010 | An indoor spinning roller coaster with a space theme, containing many special effects. |
| Name | Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Mario Cafe & Store | 2020 | Originally themed as "Schwab's Pharmacy", the store offers themed food and an exclusive line of "Whose Cap?"-brandedMario merchandise.[24] |
Based on the city ofNew York City,New York.
| Name | Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Detective Conan 4-D Live Show ~Jewel Under The Starry Sky~ | 2024 | A 3D/live-action show based onCase Closed. |
| Kuromi Live: Kuromify the World Tour "Crystal Clear" | 2025 | A live-action show based on Kuromi & My Melody. |
An area inspired byIllumination'sDespicable Me franchise. It opened in March 2017.
| Name | Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Despicable Me Minion Mayhem | 2017 | A computer-animatedsimulator ride featuring the characters fromDespicable Me movie franchise. |
| Freeze Ray Sliders | 2018 | A flat ride featuring spinning cars, centering on theMinions cooling off the Minion Park Fountain withGru's freeze ray. |
| Illumination's Villain-Con Minion Blast | 2025 | A moving walkway shooter attraction themed to theMinions film franchise. |
Inspired bySteven Spielberg'sblockbuster film franchise of the same name.
| Name | Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Jurassic Park: The Ride | 2001 | Awater-based amusement ride based onSteven Spielberg's 1993 filmJurassic Park andMichael Crichton'snovel of the same name. |
| The Flying Dinosaur | 2016 | Aflying roller coaster that holds the record for being the most expensive roller coaster ever manufactured byB&M. |
Inspired by Steven Spielberg'sJaws film.
| Name | Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Jaws | 2001 | A scenic boat ride with special effects and animatronics of the titular shark. |
Universal Wonderland is a section aimed at children and families. Opened in March 2012, it contains three themed sub-zones including Snoopy Studios, Hello Kitty's Fashion Avenue, and Sesame Street Fun Zone.
Based on thePeanuts comic strip. Snoopy Studios was originally its own standalone area, opening with the park in April 2001[3] before becoming part of Universal Wonderland in 2012.
| Name | Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| The FlyingSnoopy | 2012 | An aerial carousel ride withSnoopy-themed cars. |
| Snoopy's Sound Stage Adventure | 2001 | An indoor playground attraction themed to a film set. |
| Snoopy's Flying Ace Adventure | 2025 | An indoor roller coaster based on the storyline of Snoopy sitting atop his dog house imagining himself as aWorld War I pilot, fighting the Red Baron. It replaced the former Snoopy's Great Race. |
Themed toSanrio'sHello Kitty franchise.
| Name | Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Hello Kitty's Cupcake Dream | 2012 | A Teacups ride with cars themed to different cupcakes. |
| Hello Kitty's Ribbon Collection | 2012 | A themed indoor meet-and-greet with Hello Kitty. |
Based on the children's television seriesSesame Street. It is split into three sub-areas - "Sesame Street Plaza", "Sesame Central Park" and "Elmo's Imagination Playland".
| Name | Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Abby's Magical Party | 2012 | An indoor play area filled with larges spheres and stars. |
| Abby's Magical Tree | 2012 | An indoor rope-climbing attraction themed to a tree. |
| Bert and Ernie's Wonder: The Sea | 2012 | An indoorball pit themed to Bert and Ernie's bathroom. |
| Big Bird's Big Top Circus | 2012 | Acarousel ride withSesame Street themed animals and characters. Formerly the "Magical Oz Go-Round", it was the only attraction from the "Land of Oz" area to be repurposed for Universal Wonderland. |
| Big Bird's Big Nest | 2012 | A large climbing rope attraction. |
| Cookie Monster Slide | 2012 | A slide with Cookie Monster's tongue as the slide. |
| Elmo's Bubble Bubble | 2012 | A smalllog flume-like ride for children. |
| Elmo's Go Go Skateboard | 2015 | ARockin' Tug ride that looks like Elmo's skateboard. |
| Elmo's Little Drive | 2012 | A driving school attraction with Elmo-themed cars, aimed for young children. |
| Ernie's Rubber Duckie Race | 2012 | Guests racerubber duckies down a small river of water. Originally known as "Central Park Duckie Race". |
| Grover's Construction Company | 2012 | An indoor play area themed to water pipes. |
| Moppy's Balloon Trip | 2015 | A high tower ride that affords a view of the area. |
| Moppy's Lucky Dance Party | 2012 | A live interactive show themed to Universal Studios Japan's exclusive "Moppy" Sesame Street character. |
| Sesame's Big Drive | 2012 | A driving school attraction withSesame Street-themed cars. |
| Water Garden | 2012 | A water fountain play area. Originally known as "Central Park Springs". |
Based onUniversal Pictures' 1995 film of the same name.
| Name | Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| WaterWorld | 2001 (original version) 2018 (current version) | A live water stunt show showcasing many special effects. |
Based onWarner Bros Discovery'sWizarding World franchise.
| Name | Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey | 2014 | A motion-based dark ride that takes guests through scenes inspired by theHarry Potter books and films. |
| Flight of the Hippogriff | 2014 | Ajunior roller coaster based on the creature featured in the books. |
Based on severalNintendo franchises, focusing onSuper Mario and itsYoshi spin-off series. An expansion themed to theDonkey Kong Country spin-off series opened on December 11, 2024, and was divided intoSuper Mario Land andDonkey Kong Country.[25]
| Name | Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Mario Kart: Koopa's Challenge | 2021 | Anaugmented reality-type dark ride attraction based on theMario Kart series.[26] |
| Yoshi's Adventure | 2021 | Anomnimover attraction where guests board aYoshi and ride around Super Nintendo World.[27] |
| Power-Up Band Key Challenges | 2021 | Several interactive mini-attractions where guests can interact with Mario enemies andBowser Jr. These require separately sold Power-Up Bands. |
| Mine-Cart Madness | 2024 | A roller coaster themed to theDonkey Kong franchise.[28] |
| Name | Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Kinopio's Cafe | 2021 | A restaurant themed to the inside of a Toad House.[29] |
| Yoshi's Snack Island | 2021 | A quick-service location that serves Yoshi-themed drinks and snacks.[30] |
| Pit Stop Popcorn | 2021 | A quick-service location that serves flavored popcorn and themed popcorn containers.[31] |
| 1-Up Factory | 2021 | A merchandise store themed to the inside of a factory.[32] |
| Jungle Beat Shakes | 2024 | A quick-service location that serves food themed to theDonkey Kong franchise. |
| Funky's Fly 'n' Buy | 2024 | A store sellingDonkey Kong-themed merchandise. |
The park is consistently installing seasonal attraction and show overlays. Some includeHalloween Horror Nights, Christmas, Easter, Summer, and Cool Japan.[33] The park's "Cool Japan" seasonal attractions have been based on popular Japanese anime and video game franchises, including:Sailor Moon,Neon Genesis Evangelion,Shin Godzilla,Attack on Titan,One Piece,Detective Conan,Lupin III,Monster Hunter, andFinal Fantasy.[34]
| Name | Opened | Closed | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abby's Magical Garden | 2012 | 2014 | Outdoor play area. It was removed to make way for Moppy's Balloon Trip. |
| The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man - The Ride | 2004 | 2024 | A3Ddark ride based onMarvel'sSpider-Man. In May 2023, the park announced the attraction would be closing. The park ran a"Spider-Man The Ride - Final Campaign" from July 4, 2023, until the ride closed exactly twenty years after it first opened at the park on January 22, 2024.[35][36] |
| Animal Actors Stage | 2001 | 2006 | A stage show featuring multiple animals performing stunts and tricks. It was rethemed toToto & Friends in 2006. |
| Animation Celebration | 2001 | 2017 | A 29-minute interactive show attraction, featuringWoody Woodpecker. Manufactured by BRC Imagination Arts, the attraction used special effects and the company's Holavision technology to integrate a live actor with projected animation illusions on stage.[37][38][39][40][41][42] The show begins in the pre-show area, where the guests visit a working animation studio. A host presents them a video, introducing scriptwriter Matsui (played byRome Kanda[43]), animator Kyoko, colorist Ayaka, and Gōtokuji (played by Shôji Maruoka[43]), the studio's boss. Matsui explains the animation process used in the making of aWoody Woodpecker cartoon. Next, the guests enter the main theater, the Digital Studio, which seated 300 guests. Tetsuya "Yoshi" Yoshikawa (voiced byToshihiko Seki[43]), an apprentice animation director, is moments away from completing his first cartoon and demonstratingcomputer animation. Woody (voiced by Azusa Ichiba[43]) somehow escapes from the animation computer, enters the room as a dimensional figure and gleefully wreaks havoc throughout the studio.[a][49][50] After the show, guests were escorted into a room with interactive kiosks and large-scale games where they could make their ownWoody Woodpecker cartoon.[42][49][50] Before the show opened in Japan, a US test version was produced to prove the show's concept in 1997.[51] In 2002, the attraction won the Outstanding Achievement Award in the "Attraction" category at the9th Annual Thea Awards.[52][53][43] On June 1, 2016, the attraction was put on an extended hiatus and temporarily replaced withYo-Kai Watch: The Real from July 1, 2016 to January 8, 2018,[54][55] with an announcement that it would reopen on April 1, 2018. However, on December 21, 2017, it was announced that the ride would be closed to make way forPlaying with Curious George.[18][19][20][21] |
| Backdraft | 2001 | 2020 | A special effects attraction based on the Universalfilm of the same name. Temporarily closed in September 2020 due to theCOVID-19 pandemic. In May 2023 the park announced it had no intentions to reopen the attraction.[35][36] |
| Back to the Future: The Ride | 2001 | 2016 | A simulator ride based on thefranchise of the same name. It closed to make way forDespicable Me Minion Mayhem. |
| Big Bird's Climbing Nest | 2012 | 2014 | Outdoor jungle gym. It was removed to make way for Elmo's Go Go Skateboard. |
| E.T. Adventure | 2001 | 2009 | An indoor dark ride attraction based onE.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. It closed to make way forSpace Fantasy – The Ride. |
| Godzilla vs.Evangelion: The Real 4-D | 31 May 2019 | 25 August 2019 | An extreme-motion crossover ride between Godzilla and the characters fromNeon Genesis Evangelion. It features a short 17-minute film directed by Kazuhiro Nakagawa whereGodzilla fromShin Godzilla battles the Evangelion units. The ride also features a new incarnation ofKing Ghidorah based on Shin Godzilla's design.[56][57][58] |
| Linus' Green Department | 2001 | 2001 | A maze attraction. Removed to expand Peppermint Patty's Stunt Slide. |
| Magical Starlight Parade | 2009 | 2016 | |
| Monster Make-Up | 2001 | 2003 | A live show attraction based on Universal Studios Florida's version of the show. |
| Motion Picture Magic | 2001 | 2002 | A live show attraction. It was hosted by directorSteven Spielberg, and was originally designed by experience designerBob Rogers and the design team BRC Imagination Arts,[59] provided a tribute to the Universal Studios brand of motion pictures. During the show, the theater transformed into a multi-screen presentation and when the show ended, the main screen raised to present a real motion picture set in which the audience would cross through as they continued through the attraction show building.[60] After closure, the building was turned into the 4D Theater, and playsShrek 4-D andSesame Street 4-D Movie Magic. |
| Peppermint Patty's Stunt Slide | 2001 | 2013 | A water slide complex located within the Snoopy Studios area. It originally was a two-slide complex before expanding to four slides in 2002. It was closed in 2013 and demolished to make way for attractions in "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter".[61] |
| Pig-Pen's Prop Plaza | 2001 | 2011 | A sub-section of the Snoopy Playland area. Removed to make way for new attractions in the Universal Wonderland expansion. |
| Snoopy's Great Race | 2001 | 2020 | An indoor roller coaster. It did not reopen after the initial COVID-19 closure in February 2020, and was removed from the park's website in March 2021. |
| T2-3D: Battle Across Time | 2001 | 2020 | A 3D/live-action show based onTerminator 2: Judgment Day. Temporarily closed in September 2020, due to theCOVID-19 pandemic. In May 2023 the park announced it had no intentions to reopen the attraction.[35][36] |
The Western Area, and with it,The Wild Wild Wild West Stunt Show and theAnimal Actors Stage show, were revamped to become Land of Oz in 2006. This involved completely re-theming two live shows, one restaurant and a number of retail facilities.
| Name | Opened | Closed | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Wild Wild Wild West Stunt Show | 2001 | 2006 | Astunt show based upon a wide variety of Universal'sWestern films. Located in the Western Town section of the park, the show featured severalcowboy-themed actors surviving death-defying stunts, shootings and explosions.[62][63] The show closed in 2006 and has since been replaced byWicked. |
The Western Area was replaced for 2006 with an area based onL. Frank Baum'sWizard of Oz book series.
The land closed in February 2011 to make way for Universal Wonderland.
| Name | Opened | Closed | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wicked | 2006 | 2011 | An abbreviated one-act version of the musical, presented in Japanese. It closed in January 2011, a month prior to the land's closure. |
| Toto & Friends | 2006 | 2011 | An animal trick show, featuring dogs, birds and other trained animals. |
| Magical Oz-Go-Round | 2007[64] | 2011 | An Oz-themedcarousel. This ride was retained during the Universal Wonderland transformation and was rethemed as Big Bird's Big Top Circus. |
The park has held a variety of seasonal parades throughout the past two decades, including Festa de Parade, Universal Summer Parade – We Are One, and Minion Hacha-Mecha Christmas Party Parade.[65][66][67]
Universal Studios Japan currently offers the nighttimeUniversal Spectacle Night Parade. This parade premiered on 17 May 2018, and features floats, performers, and characters based on theWizarding World,Transformers,Jurassic Park andDespicable Me franchises.[68]
The park also offers a daily daytime parade, titledNo limit! Parade. The parade held its first preview performance on 27 February 2023, and officially premiered on 1 March 2023. It features floats, characters, and performers based onHello Kitty,Peanuts,Despicable Me,Sesame Street,Sing,Mario Kart andPokémon.[69] While Mario and Pikachu appeared on Universal's No Limit!-marketing float at the Midosuji Autumn Party in November 2022, theNo limit! Parade is the first time these franchises have appeared within a Universal Studios parade.[70]
In 2011, USJ's Christmas tree was recognized by theGuinness World Records as the most illuminated Christmas tree in the world having 260,498 lights.[71]
| 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8,000,000[77] | 8,160,000[78] | 8,500,000[79] | 9,700,000[80] | 10,100,000[81] | 11,800,000[82] | 13,900,000[83] | 14,500,000[84] | 14,935,000[85] | 14,300,000[86] | ||||
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | Worldwide rank (2024) | |||||||
| 14,500,000[87] | 4,901,000[88] | 5,500,000[89] | 12,350,000[90] | 16,000,000[91] | 16,000,000[92] | 3 | |||||||
There are five official hotels at or near the park:
In November 2004, a 35-year-old woman fromOsaka Prefecture suffered nerve damage in her right wrist, affecting the use of two of her fingers. This occurred when her hand got stuck in a safety bar of theE.T. Adventure attraction as an employee pulled it down to secure it.[93]
TheYoshi's Adventure attraction suffered two accidents in late 2021, with aGoomba stack animatronic falling onto the ride during operation on August 12, 2021,[94] and a fire starting in one of the ride's indoor areas on November 23, 2021. This caused everyone to evacuate from the ride and the rest of the park.[95] Neither accidents led to any park guest injuries.
In October 2022, an employee at the amusement park found human bones in shrubbery along a road west of the premises.[96]
| Hollywood | |
|---|---|
| Jurassic Park | |
| WaterWorld | |
| Amity Village | |
| The Wizarding World ofHarry Potter | |
| Minion Park |
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| Super Nintendo World | |
| Events | |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
