Universal Studios Japan (ユニバーサル・スタジオ・ジャパン Yunibāsaru Sutajio Japan), located in Osaka, is one of four Universal Studios theme parks, owned and operated by USJ Co., Ltd. which is wholly owned by NBCUniversal (as of 2017). The park is similar to the Universal Orlando Resort since it also contains selected attractions from Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood.
The park opened on March 31, 2001. Over 11 million guests visited the park in its opening year, making it the world's fastest amusement park to have achieved the 10 million milestone at the time. Since then, Universal Studios Japan has had approximately 8 million visitors every year. Most visitors are Japanese tourists and tourists from other Asian countries such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, and South Korea. It is also very popular among Western tourists and expatriates. In 2005, Goldman Sachs became the largest shareholder in Universal Studios Japan.
Various events were held in the year 2011 to celebrate the park's tenth anniversary, by which time a total of 88 million guests had cumulatively attended the park. There were 700,000 annual passport holders in June 2012, and in the 2012 fiscal year, 9.75 million guests visited the park. During the 2013 fiscal year, Universal Studios Japan received 10.5 million guests. Various factors contributed to this growth in 2013, including the opening of the backward roller coaster "Hollywood Dream – The Ride: Backdrop" in March, and the "New Amazing Adventure of Spider-Man - The Ride 4K3D" in July, which installed new 4KHD technology, which proved to be popular among the younger generation. The family area "Universal Wonderland" which opened in March 2012 also attracted many families.
Recent installments include limited-time attractions such as "Biohazard - The Real" and "Monster Hunter - The Real", both based on popular video game franchises, and "One Piece Premier Show", which is based on the popular anime series, providing attractions based on entertainment worldwide. On July 15, 2014, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, a themed area based on the blockbuster Harry Potter film series, opened to the public. The popular ride The Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, located in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, was revamped to play in 3D only 10 months after its opening as the first ride of its kind in the world. With a total investment of 45 billion yen, the addition of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter to the park is projected to have an economic ripple effect of 5 trillion 60 million yen over the next 10 years in Japan, and anticipates many visitors from both Japan and overseas.
On Monday, October 29, 2012, Universal Studios Japan greeted its 100 millionth visitor since its opening in 2001. According to the 2014 Theme Index Global Attraction Attendance Report, Universal Studios Japan is ranked fifth among the top 25 amusement/theme parks worldwide, attracting 11.8 million visitors in 2014, 16.8% more than in the previous year.
List of Attractions[]
Amity Village[]
Themed to the Jaws franchise.
Hollywood[]
- Cinema 4-D Theater (Shows Shrek 4-D or Sesame Street 4-D Movie Magic)
- Hollywood Dream – The Ride
- Playing with Curious George
- Sing on Tour
- Space Fantasy – The Ride
- Universal Monsters Live Rock and Roll Show
- Sailor Moon: The Miracle 4D
Jurassic Park[]
Themed to the franchise of the same name.
- Jurassic Park: The Ride
- The Flying Dinosaur
Minion Park[]
Themed to the Despicable Me franchise.
- Despicable Me Minion Mayhem
- Freeze Ray Sliders
New York[]
- Detective Conan 4-D Live Show ~Jewel Under The Starry Sky~
San Francisco[]
Super Nintendo World[]
Dedicated to Nintendo franchises and characters.
Super Mario Land[]
Themed to the Super Mario franchise.
- Mario Kart: Koopa's Challenge
- Yoshi's Adventure
Donkey Kong Country[]
Themed to the franchise of the same name.
- Mine-Cart Madness
Universal Wonderland[]
A children's area featuring USJ's three major licensed character franchises.
Hello Kitty Fashion Avenue[]
Themed to Sanrio characters.
- Hello Kitty's Cupcake Dream
- Hello Kitty's Ribbon Collection
Snoopy Studios[]
Themed to the Peanuts franchise.
- The Flying Snoopy
- Snoopy's Sound Stage Adventure
Sesame Street Fun World[]
Themed to Sesame Street. It is split into three sub-areas - "Sesame Street Plaza", "Sesame Central Park" and "Elmo's Imagination Playland".
- Abby's Magical Party
- Abby's Magical Tree
- Bert and Ernie's Wonder: The Sea
- Big Bird's Big Top Circus
- Big Bird's Big Nest
- Cookie Monster Slide
- Elmo's Bubble Bubble
- Elmo's Go Go Skateboard
- Elmo's Little Drive
- Ernie's Rubber Duckie Race
- Grover's Construction Company
- Moppy's Balloon Trip
- Moppy's Lucky Dance Party
- Sesame's Big Drive
- Water Garden
Waterworld[]
Themed after the film of the same name.
- Waterworld: A Live Sea War Spectacular
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter[]
Themed to the Harry Potter franchise, heavily taking inspiration from the films.
Entertainment[]
Parades[]
- Hollywood Premiere Parade (2002-2004)
- Happy Harmony Celebration (2005-2008)
- Royal Sweet Wedding (Summer 2005)
- Universal Water Parade (Summer 2007 and 2008)
- Magical Starlight Parade (2009-2016)
- Parade de Carnival (Fall 2011-2016)
- Universal RE-BOOOOOORN! Parade (2016-2017, Fifteenth Anniversary)
- Water Surprise Parade (Summer 2017, 2018 and 2019)
- Festa de-Parade (Fall 2017, 2018 and 2019)
- Minions HACHA-MECHA Christmas Party (Christmas 2017, 2018 and 2019)
- Universal Spectacle Night Parade - The Best of Hollywood (2018-2020)
- Universal Summer Parade - We are One! (Summer 2020)
- NO LIMIT! Parade (2023-2024)
- NO LIMIT! Summer Parade (Summer 2024)