Osaka Guide: Universal Studios Japan

The Water world and Minion sections at the Universal Studios Japan have been under renovation since mid 2018 and hence only eight sections are open to the public from the nine sections named Hollywood, San Francisco, New York, Jurassic Park, Amity Village, Waterworld, Universal Wonderland and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

The nine zones of Universal Studios Japan are laid out on the circumference of a circular path. When you finish the ninth New York Zone you will be back at the main arcade of Universal Studios Japan and the entrance to the first section of Hollywood Dream. Accompany us on a brief tour through the well-ordered nine zones.

Once you enter Universal Studios gates you will enter the main city arcade where the shops, quick-bites and dining area are laid out. Moving out of the main arcade, the first zone you come to is the Hollywood Zone which provides the best rides on roller coasters. At Hollywood Dream, you will find the Ride and the Ride Backdrop roller coaster rides. Imagine riding the roller coaster I reverse? Well, you get the experience in the Backdrop ride.

The young kids from 3 to 7 years need to satiate their curiosity before they cooperate. The next ride is for them. Choose from the rides named Hello-Kitty’s-Cupcake-Dream, The Flying Snoopy, Moppy’s Balloon Trip, Big-Bird’s Big-Top Circus, Elmo’s Little Drive and Sesame’s-Big-Drive. Part of the visit with family is to spend quality time with your kids and to be a curious one has no age bars. Don’t be surprised if these rides bring out the child in you!

Once you exit the Universal Wonderland you will come to the magical Harry-Potter's world on your right. The entrance is inspired by Stonehenge and you need to transport yourself through 100 m of the magical forest to the rides. Expect the magic to work for you in the rides like the Forbidden-Journey ride into the wonders of Harry Potter’s world and the wondrous Hippogriff roller coaster ride. The Hogwarts Express to the right of the Wizarding-World-of-Harry-Potter entrance is a family-themed ride. The Hogwarts Castle that is visible from the main arcade can be browsed through without opting for the rides if you wish so.

Just to the right of the Harry Potter’s world is the Amity Village with the fearsome Jaws ride. Enjoy the fear and ambiguities of the boat ride just as in the real Jaws scenario.

Next to the Amity village lies the Waterworld which simulates the scene in the famous movie Waterworld. Always check if renovations are happening since this section was under renovation in mid-2018. There is much to see and experience. So, don’t waste time if any section is shut off for any reason.

You will find the next zone easily and enter the world of dinosaur-rides at Jurassic Park. The-Flying-Dinosaur flips you upside-down on the strapped-in roller coaster ride while The Ride is a water-themed ride through the Jurassic Park scenario.

You arrive at San Francisco next. This comparatively smaller area has the simulation ride from the movie Backdraft and the fiery fire scenes that will leave you feeling like you just emerged from a fire-disaster!

Leaving the San Francisco zone, you arrive in the Minion Park where you can turn into a minion and experience the Despicable-Me- Minion-Mayhem ride.

The last park area on your journey into a surreal world of rides at the Universal Studios Japan is the one titled New York. Needless to say, you can be Spiderman and fly through the 3D experiences in New York on the ride called Amazing-Adventures-of-Spiderman.

The Universal Studios Japan is open every day of the week and do not have holidays. Timings: Normally 9 am to 7 pm but can vary. The prices of tickets may vary from 1^st Oct 2019 when Japan shifts to higher consumption taxes which has been raised from 8 to 10 per cent. As of before, the change the current prices are age and visiting day and date dependent. The entry cost for the 12 to 64 age group varies between 7,400-8,700 yen while the 4-11-year age group is charged lower in the range of 5,100-5,900 yen. Elders beyond 65 have to pay less and the fees are in the range of 6,700-7,800 yen.

The popular and fast-selling Express Pass provides for skip-the-line access at Universal Studios Japan and on select rides. You can ride on 4 rides charging 5,200-14,000 yen or 7 rides charging 7,600-21,500 yen. This access depends on the day of the week of visiting, availability and other factors. The limited number of passes are available online, at travel agencies and a few convenience stores too. So, book them early!

Especially at the Universal Studios Japan, there exist a number of confusing passes that you need to know upfront. Besides access, they permit a specific number of rides with privileged access to the ride. Let us then bring them on. Please note that these are only the basic admission passes.

Single Day E-Tickets and Studio Entry Pass is an entry pass which provides admission to Universal Studios Japan where you can browse around and choose the rides you want while buying your tickets at the ride booth.

One-and-a-half-day E-Ticket Studio Pass to Universal Studios Japan allows you entry into the park at 3 pm on the first day and enjoy the rides even on the subsequent whole working day.

The Advance booked Universal Studios Japan Pre-Order Pass allows you to book your tickets up to a year ahead of the actual day and date. Rushes are great and typically booking them 3-months ahead is allowed. Use this when you are an early planner.

The Royal Studio Entry Pass for USJ is the premium-version pass allowing you to beat the line at select rides, so you enjoy your repeat-rides on them any number of times and to the fullest.

Universal Express™ Ride Pass 1,4 and 7:

Each admission to a ride will depend on a number of factors and the queues at the rides can usually last 2 to 3 hours. Each such Express ride-pass is, in reality, a set of passes to park admission and privileged access to only select rides. It is best to buy your Universal Express™ Pass 7 which allows you to beat the queues and get privileged access on the rides indicated in the entry-pass like the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the Flying Dinosaur, Backdrop and others.

It is important to reach Universal Studios Japan swiftly so you can enjoy it to the maximum. Your transportation mode depends on which part of Osaka you start your journey from. Will you be travelling from the airports of Kansai, Itami, Haneda or Narita or from Osaka downtown? Get a hold of the best options in transportation tickets and passes so travel to Universal Studios Japan is never a hassle. Some ticket and pass bundles to USJ even offer discounts when you buy the passes bundled with transportation by buses.

The JR pass allows you to commute by train from any Osaka area to USJ and take unlimited trains or buses on the route. Some bundled packages like the Universal Studios Japan™ and JR West Kansai Pass Bundle do offer discounts too. Besides the commute, they include a one-day studio pass or an admission ticket to USJ including unlimited bus and train rides for the day. Take advantage of this if you need to travel from Kyoto, Naha or Osaka.

Here’s how you can get to the USJ:

Several buses are available to transport you to Universal Studios Japan. The Itami Airport is closer to USJ and the hourly buses cost 930 yen and take 45 minutes to reach USJ. From Kansai Airport, the trip on the hourly buses cost 1550 yen and takes between 50 and 70 minutes. The overnight buses are used by long-distance travelers from across Japan and typically include the USJ as a stop.

Train rides are efficient and fast. If you use one of the many direct trains on the JY Sakurajima aka Yumesaki Line from the Osaka Station to the Universal City Station at Universal Studios Japan, you will need to take a quick walk to reach the entrance gates. The trip charges 180 yen and lasts 15 minutes. And yes, you also have several trains that have stops and may require a train transfer at the Nishikujo Station. If you are travelling from the Kansai Airport, you should use the JR airport rapid to the station at Nishikujo and then use the JR Yumesaki Line to get to the Universal City Station. This train ride will cost you 1190 yen and takes an approximate of 75 minutes to reach USJ.

If you are starting from Haneda or Narita airports leavi

ng from Tokyo, you would need to use the JR pass or Shinkansen ticket to commute to Shin-Osaka-Station from the Tokyo Station. Once at Osaka, you can use the JR-Osaka Loop-Line to travel 5 minutes from Osaka to Nishikujo Station and then transfer to USJ line at the Nishikujo Station.

The ferry service is also popular to get around and to Universal Studios Japan. The "Captain Line" service plies between the Osaka Aquarium and the Universal Studios Japan costing 700 yen and taking just 10 minutes to ply the short haul. Typically, there are half-hourly or hourly ferries that charge 2700 yen for a single way trip between the destinations and 3300 yen for the to-and-fro trip.

Universal Studios Japan has very many rides and only a taster is possible on a 1-day trip. If you need to stay longer then you must book a hotel at USJ or nearby so you can make the most of your paucity in time. You could make your reservations online using any of the apps. Among the USJ' s hotels are the Park Front Hotel and Hotel Kintetsu. Of course, you can get a variety of hotels near Universal Studios Japan ranging from ultra-luxury to budget, business, regular and capsule hotels, shared accommodations on Airbnb, student hostels, temple lodging or better riding an overnight- bus and save big on accommodation.

Just as an indication of the rates and facilities, we have listed out those close to the landmark stations. Kaneyoshi Ryokan near the Osaka castle in Dotonbori, with close-by shopping options and access to two subway stations, is a comfortable inn with a reasonable price to it. The Osaka Yamatoya Honten is a ryokan on a budget of 5,775 yen/night also in Dotonbori. The Hotel Kinki has rooms from 2,900 yen and offers Wifi, non-smoking rooms, a lobby PC, and laundry too. It is close to the JR station at Osaka and the subway at Umeda Station.

Once out of the gates of Universal Studios Japan, visit the Shopping Mall near the Universal Studio Japan gates where you can shop and dine to your heart’s content. The Osaka Takoyaki Food Museum on the fourth floor can be your introduction to some of the finest, most exotic and completely traditional Japanese dishes available all at the same place. No searching and travelling. Just feasting on food! You also have the USJ endorsed hotels, shops and restaurants to choose your souvenirs, clothing items and such.