Autumn 2025. We – Sam and Danny, Michel and Wille, and Timothy – are travelling to Japan for a quite classic tour of the Land of the Rising Sun. We are flying separately as we used miles. On the planning: Tokyo, Kanazawa, Shirakawa, Osaka, and Expo 2025, Hiroshima, Himeji, Miyajima, Kyoto, Nara, Nagoya, Hakone, and back to Tokyo. Three weeks plus some extra days.
After Universal Studios Japan in Osaka, our visit to Universal Studios Japan in Osaka in the Kansai region, was a big deal. Not that we’re that much ‘theme park gays’ or ‘rollercoaster friends’, but because organising it was a bit of a faff.
Introduction
Universal Studios Japan (ユニバーサル·スタジオ·ジャパン) is a major theme park located in Osaka’s Konohana Ward. It opened on 31 March 2001 as the first Universal Studios park outside the United States and one of the largest of its kind in Asia.
Owned and operated by USJ LLC, a subsidiary of NBCUniversal under Comcast’s Universal Destinations & Experiences division, the park quickly became a key destination in Japan’s leisure and tourism industry. Its layout was modelled on Universal Studios Florida, combining attractions from both the Orlando and Hollywood parks with a selection of original experiences exclusive to Osaka.
The park drew more than 11 million visitors in its first year, setting a world record at the time as the fastest theme park to reach the 10-million-visitor milestone. By 2024, annual attendance had reached around 16 million, making it the most visited theme park in Asia and the third most visited in the world, behind only Magic Kingdom and Disneyland.
Plans for the park dated back to 1992, when Osaka Universal Planning Inc. was founded to study the feasibility of a large-scale Universal Studios development in Japan. After several years of negotiations, licensing agreements were signed in 1998, and construction began soon afterwards. Universal Studios Japan officially opened in 2001 at a cost of about US$1.7 billion. Its launch was a major boost to the Kansai economy, creating tens of thousands of jobs and helping revitalise tourism in the wider Osaka region.
54 hectares
Covering around 54 hectares, Universal Studios Japan is divided into themed areas inspired by Hollywood film and entertainment franchises.
Classic sections such as Hollywood, New York, San Francisco, Jurassic Park and Amity Village (from ‘Jaws‘) coexist with family-friendly zones including Universal Wonderland, which incorporates Snoopy Studios, Hello Kitty’s Fashion Avenue and Sesame Street Fun Zone. Over time, the park introduced major new lands such as The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in 2014 and Super Nintendo World in 2021, both of which became international attractions in their own right.
The park’s signature rides and shows have included Hollywood Dream – The Ride, Space Fantasy – The Ride, Jurassic Park: The Ride and The Flying Dinosaur. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter features Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey and Flight of the Hippogriff, while Super Nintendo World brought interactive attractions such as Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge, Yoshi’s Adventure and, from late 2024, Mine-Cart Madness in its Donkey Kong Country expansion.
Seasonal and pop-culture-themed events such as Cool Japan, Halloween Horror Nights and Christmas Celebration have further reinforced the park’s popularity among both domestic and international audiences.
Over the years, Universal Studios Japan has also hosted several parades and live shows. The Universal Spectacle Night Parade, which premiered in 2018, featured floats and performers from the Harry Potter, Transformers, Jurassic Park and Despicable Me franchises. In 2023, the No Limit! Parade debuted as a vibrant daytime event featuring characters from Mario Kart, Pokémon, Hello Kitty, Peanuts, Sing and Sesame Street.
Universal Studios Japan remains one of Osaka’s most visited attractions, combining Hollywood spectacle with Japanese attention to design and experience. Its ongoing expansion, diverse line-up of film-themed attractions and year-round entertainment ensure its place as one of the premier amusement destinations in Asia.
Studio Pass and Express Pass
Booking a day at Universal Studios Japan involved two main components: first acquiring a standard admission ticket, known as a Studio Pass, and optionally purchasing an Express Pass, which allowed priority access to selected attractions. Tickets could be bought through the official website, authorised resellers, or major travel platforms. The Studio Pass was priced according to the date’s expected crowd level, with categories ranging from quieter weekdays to peak holiday periods, and had to be confirmed for a specific visit date.
The Express Pass was sold separately and did not itself grant entry to the park. Its purpose was to reduce waiting times at popular rides by allowing visitors to use a priority lane instead of the regular queue.
Several versions existed, covering different numbers of attractions—such as the Express Pass 4 or Express Pass 7—and their prices fluctuated depending on demand, season, and the selection of rides included.
Each pass clearly listed the attractions it covered and, in some cases, specific time slots for their use. Visitors were required to hold both a Studio Pass and an Express Pass for the same day, showing each at the park gate and again at the Express Lane entrance of participating rides.
Some high-demand areas, including Super Nintendo World and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, required separate timed-entry tickets to manage crowd flow. Certain Express Pass packages included these timed entries automatically, while others required separate reservations via the park’s app or kiosks.
As of 2025, a one-day Studio Pass typically started from around ¥8,900, while Express Passes began at approximately ¥11,800 for a four-ride version and could exceed ¥25,000 for premium options during peak dates.
Advance purchase was strongly advised, as tickets and Express Passes frequently sold out, particularly during weekends and school holidays. Even with a regular admission ticket, waiting times for major attractions often reached two hours or more, while Express Pass holders enjoyed significantly shorter queues and could experience many more rides in a single visit.
What did that mean for us?
Buying the Studio Passes was fairly straightforward, but the Express Pass wasn’t. We wanted an Express Pass 7, to get the most out of our day in the park. But that wasn’t possible.
Why? My guess is there were no three Express Pass 7s available with the same timings. Because of course, with the Express you not only want quicker access to some key attractions, you want to enjoy these at the same time (slot) as your friends.
So we settled for an Express Pass 4, consisting of:
- 10:20-11:20 THE WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER™.
- 10:40-11:10 Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey™.
- 12:40-13:40 SUPER NINTENDO WORLD™.
- 12:40-13:10 Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge™.
- 20:20-20:50 SPYxFAMILY XR Ride.
Our day at USJ
As expected, it was crowded, or rather, it was c-r-o-w-d-e-d. It was also very sunny and warm. Despite that, getting in was fairly flowing. Before HP’s Forbidden Journey, we had brunch as Sam hadn’t eaten.
We also managed to to Jaws: The Ride, Jurassic Park: The Ride, Villain-Con Minion Blast, Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem, and Factory of Fear: Zombie Tour.
We also had time to eat and do some shopping.
The Universal Studios Japan app was very helpful showing us queuing times for the rides. These were very accurate. I’d even say they exaggerated these so you didn’t feel like “but it said it was only 50 minutes”.
It’s all very well organised, making sure you’re entertained somehow while waiting.
Sitting ducks
As with Expo 2025, I was intrigued by how many visitors sit just on curbs and on the ground. Waiting for… probably waiting for the evening activities.
It reminded of a scene of the 2015 film ‘Jurassic World‘, where the crowds sit and wait on Main Street, and then the flying dinosaurs come and attack. Omnomnom.
So?
I enjoyed Universal Studios more than I expected to. To be honest, it was more an addition to please Sam. But the park is well organised and it’s also just well conceived.
We didn’t stay for the night parades and shows, as after some eight hours in the park, we had enough.
2025 Journey Across Japan
- Japan’s Superconducting Maglev train breaks world speed record at 603 km/h.
- Japan’s maglev bullet train delayed to 2035 or later as costs rise to ¥11 trillion.
- QUESTION | Should you be stressed about travelling to Japan, and fear of missing out?.
- Brussels Airport to Milan Malpensa with Brussels Airlines, operated by Air Baltic, ft. the 2025 check-in and boarding software hack.
- REVIEW | Sala Montale Exclusive Lounge and Sala Gae Aulentin Premium Lounge at Milan Malpensa Airport, extra Schengen.
- REVIEW | All Nippon Airways (ANA), Business Class, Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner to Tokyo.
- REVIEW | Toei Animation Museum in Nerima, Tokyo.
- JAPAN | Tokyo Station, its Character Street and Pokémon Store.
- REVIEW | Onyado Nono Asakusa Hotel in Tokyo.
- TOKYO | Asakusa ft. Sensō-ji Temple.
- JAPAN | The Odoriko train from Tokyo to Ito on Izu Peninsula.
- PHOTOS & REVIEW | The Izu Teddy Bear Museum in Izu-Kōgen.
- JAPAN | A visit to Ito on Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka Prefecture.
- REVIEW | Japan’s Saphir Odoriko in Premium Green Car from Ito on Izu Peninsula to Tokyo Station.
- GAY TOKYO | 24 Kaikan in Asakusa (+ Ueno and Shinjuku).
- TOKYO | Sawara in Chiba Prefecture, ‘Little Edo’ beyond Narita.
- TOKYO | Omotesandō in Shibuya – AEON Shinonome – Uniqlo – Muji.
- PHOTOS | The Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum in Koganei Park.
- JAPAN | Solo in Tokyo.
- REVIEW | Brussels Airport The View lounge.
- REVIEW | Qatar Airways Business Class Brussels to Doha.
- REVIEW | Qatar Airways Al Mourjan The Garden Business lounge.
- REVIEW | Qatar Airways Q-Suite Business Class Doha to Tokyo.
- REVIEW | Pullman Tokyo Tamachi.
- REVIEW | The Railway Museum, Ōmiya, Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture.
- TOKYO | Imperial Palace East Gardens – Akihabara – Tamiya flagship store – Skytree.
- JAPAN | Kanazawa Castle – Kenrokuen Garden – Higashi Chaya District.
- REVIEW | Daiwa Roynet Hotel Kanazawa Eki Nishiguchi.
- JAPAN | Road trip to Hida no Sato, Takayama and Shirakawa-go from Kanazawa.
- OSAKA | Namba Parks – Dōtonbori – Glico Man – Shinsaibashi.
- REVIEW | Swissôtel Nankai Osaka.
- Experiencing Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai Japan.
- KANSAI | Osaka Castle ft. Toyotomi Stone Wall Museum.
- OSAKA | EGDE store – Umeda Sky Building – Grand Front – Namba Parks – Daiso – Luscious.