Ever since Universal Studios added Harry Potter areas to their parks, I have become a huge fan. Therefore, when I was in Osaka, I knew I needed to spend a day at Universal Studios Japan during my two weeks in Japan. I wanted to see how different the Japanese version of Universal was compared to the American versions in Hollywood and Orlando. Visiting Universal Studios Japan is one of the best day trips from Osaka.
Transportation to Universal Studios Japan
Getting from Osaka to Universal Studios Japan is very easy. From Osaka Station, hop on the Osaka Loop Line. Get off on Universal City Station. From the station, it is a short walk to the main entrance of the park.
Where to Stay by Universal Studios Japan
TripAdvisor is a great place to start your hotel search. Search for the best Osaka hotels here! Also, check out these hotels.
Cost of Visiting Universal Studios Japan
A ticket costs 7,400 yen or about $74 for an adult to get into the park. Beat the lines by booking your ticket online. Visitors can also buy them at the ticket booth at the front of the park.
Lands of Universal Studios Japan
Universal Japan is divided into 10 different areas/lands. Of course, the Harry Potter section was my favorite, followed closely by the Jurassic Park section. The park is laid out in a circular loop, so eventually, visitors will walk through every land if they walk around the loop. It is super easy when visiting Universal Studios Japan to spend an entire day exploring the lands.
Hollywood
Visitors will enter the park in the Hollywood area (themed to Hollywood in California). In this area are many shops and eateries as well as several shows like Shrek 4D and a couple of rides. The two roller coasters, Hollywood Dream, and Space Fantasy are very popular, so make sure to ride these in the beginning if you are interested in riding them.
New York
If you follow the path forward, visitors will next encounter New York, themed to New York City. Here, the most popular and fun ride is the Spiderman Ride. It is similar to the Transformers ride at the other Universal Parks, but much better because it is Spiderman themed! There is also a Terminator show.
San Francisco
Continuing around the loop, visitors will land in San Francisco. Although not much is in this area, it is well designed. Visitors can go on the walkthrough Backdraft attraction.
Behind San Francisco is Minion Park. This area is Despicable Me themed. It contains a ride and a restaurant. Prior to this it was part of the San Francisco area and contained the Back to the Future Ride.
Jurassic Park
The next area to visit is one of the coolest areas in the park: The Jurassic Park area. It feels like you are actually in the movie. Visitors enter through huge gates just like in the movie. As part of this area, they have the traditional Jurassic Park ride as well as a huge roller coaster where you lay on your stomach and fly like a pterodactyl.
The WaterWorld arena sits next to Jurassic Park. Here visitors can watch a short performance of WaterWorld.
Amity Village
Next to WaterWorld and Jurassic Park is Amity Village. This village is modeled after the Jaws movie. Make sure to ride the Jaws attraction and hopefully not encounter the huge man-eating shark from the movie!
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
A narrow tree-lined walk through the Forbidden Forest leads visitors to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Once visitors have trekked through the forest, the village of Hogsmeade is laid out complete with shops and the Hogwarts Castle at the end. Make sure to visit Ollivanders to see which wand chooses you. Visitors can also soar on Buckbeak and journey through the Hogwarts Castle and grounds.
Another neat aspect of this area is the interactive wands. Visitors can use these wants to cast spells as specific locations in the area. Interested in learning more about the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at USJ? Check out this Magical Guide to learn more about the many awesome things to do in this land! This area was my favorite when visiting Universal Studios Japan.
Universal Wonderland
One of the largest and most kid-friendly sections in the park is Universal Wonderland. This area is divided into several sections: Snoopy Studio, Hello Kitty’s Fashion Avenue, and Sesame Fun Zone. These rides are all perfect for smaller children and have very cute themes.
Overall, I felt that visiting Universal Studios Japan was worth visiting if you are an amusement park fan. It has some unique attractions that are not found elsewhere. I also loved the technology, especially in the Harry Potter area. It made for a fun day.
9 thoughts on “Visiting Universal Studios Japan: A Fabulous Fun Theme Park Experience”
This looks so cool! I’ve never been to a Universal Studios anywhere, so the one in Japan might be a good place to start! Looks like you had a great time. I agree with you that the Jurassic Park part looks super fun!
Japan would be an awesome place to start. I recommend going to any of them!
I haven’t been to Universal Studios in Japan, but I have been to the Los Angeles version, and I loved reading through your post to see what is similar and what is different. And, of course I had to see what was going on with Harry Potter world over there!
Harry Potter world is my favorite in all of the parks!
Thanks for sharing! This looks like great fun! My boys would be over the moon for the Spiderman Ride. I live near San Francisco so it would be so fun to see the interpretation of it here! I hope we can make the opportunity to go here someday!
I loooved visiting USJ!! I have always seemed to end up there during heatwaves, so I am always happy to go on the rides that get you drenched.
I agree with you that the Jurassic Park area is really fun. I also loved the back to the future ride and the terminator. I didn’t go back there for several years so I’ve never visited the minions area, or Harry Potter. I guess I need to go back!
P.s. did you try the food? It’s pricey, but I really liked some of grub there!!
Very cool! I’d love to visit Harry Potter Studios! I can’t believe I’ve still not been to the one in London! Looks like a fun day out!
Oooh, great guide!! I am really keen to visit, although it does seem quite pricey! I’m sure the Singapore one was cheaper (although it looks like it was probably smaller, and also didn’t have Harry Potter!). Looks like so much fun though!
Surprisingly I found it way cheaper then in the USA. US one go for over $100 for one day. I think Osaka was like $70. You can get discount tickets on klook. Universal Singapore was a lot of fun too (and you can get discount tickets to that one too)!