Universal Studios Japan facts for kids
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Universal Studios Japan entrance in 2006
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| Location | Konohana-ku, Osaka, Japan |
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| Coordinates | 34°39′53″N 135°25′59″E / 34.66472°N 135.43306°E |
| Status | Operating |
| Opened | 31 March 2001 |
| Owner | USJ LLC (Universal Destinations & Experiences) (wholly owned by NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast) |
| Operated by | USJ LLC Universal Destinations & Experiences |
| Theme | Show business and Universal entertainment |
| Attendance | 16 million (2023) |
| Area | 54 ha (133 acres) |
| Attractions | |
| Roller coasters | 6 |
| Water rides | 2 |
Universal Studios Japan (ユニバーサル・スタジオ・ジャパン, Yunibāsaru Sutajio Japan) is a super fun theme park located in Osaka, Japan. It opened its doors on March 31, 2001. This park is one of six Universal Studios theme parks around the world. It was also the very first one to open outside of the United States.
The park is owned and run by USJ LLC, which is part of NBCUniversal. Universal Studios Japan looks a lot like Universal Studios Florida. It has many popular rides from both Universal Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood. Plus, it has some special attractions you can only find there!
In its first year, over 11 million people visited the park. This made it the fastest theme park ever to reach 10 million guests. In 2023, Universal Studios Japan welcomed 16 million visitors. This made it the third most visited theme park globally. It was also the most visited theme park in Asia.
Contents
- Park History
- Park Areas and Rides
- Park Parades
- Park Awards
- Park Visitors
- Official Hotels
- Safety and Incidents
- See also
Park History
In December 1992, a company called Osaka Universal Planning Inc. was started. Its goal was to plan a big theme park in Japan. In February 1996, they made a deal with an American company, MCA Inc. This deal was about planning, building, and running Universal Studios Japan.
Osaka Universal Planning Inc. then changed its name to USJ Co., Ltd. More agreements were made in 1998 with the Universal Group. Later that year, construction on the theme park officially began.
In July 1999, Universal made marketing deals with 11 big Japanese companies. These included All Nippon Airways and Matsushita Electric. These companies helped sponsor the park's attractions.
On February 21, 2001, All Nippon Airways showed off a special Woody Woodpecker-themed plane. It was called the Woody Jet. The next day, Universal Studios Japan held a special preview before opening.
The park officially opened on March 31, 2001. It cost about US$1.7 billion to build. Its opening helped the economy in the Kansai region of Japan. It also created about 29,000 new jobs.
Park Areas and Rides
The park covers a huge area of 54 hectares (about 133 acres).
The rides and shows are found in eleven different themed areas. One of the most popular areas is The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It opened on July 15, 2014. Its main ride is Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. This area looks just like the ones at Universal Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood.
The newest area is Super Nintendo World. It opened on March 18, 2021, after some delays.
Hollywood Area
This area is designed to look like Hollywood, Los Angeles.
Hollywood Rides
| Name | Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Cinema 4-D Theater | 2003 | A special 4D movie theater. It shows Shrek's 4-D Adventure or Sesame Street 4-D Movie Magic. |
| Sing on Tour | 2019 | A live musical show based on the Sing movie. |
| Universal Monsters Live Rock and Roll Show | 2001 | A live musical show with famous Universal Monsters. |
| Playing with Curious George | 2018 | A fun show based on the character Curious George. |
| Hollywood Dream – The Ride | 2007 | A steel roller coaster where you can choose your own music to listen to! |
| Space Fantasy – The Ride | 2010 | An indoor spinning roller coaster. It has a space theme and lots of cool special effects. |
Hollywood Food and Shops
| Name | Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Mario Cafe & Store | 2020 | This store sells Mario themed food and special merchandise. |
New York City Area
This area is designed to look like New York City, New York.
| Name | Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Detective Conan 4-D Live Show ~Jewel Under The Starry Sky~ | 2024 | A 3D and live-action show based on Case Closed. |
| Kuromi Live: Kuromify the World Tour "Crystal Clear" | 2025 | A live show featuring Kuromi and My Melody. |
San Francisco Area
This area is based on the city of San Francisco, California.
Minion Park Area
This area is inspired by the Despicable Me movies. It opened in March 2017.
| Name | Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Despicable Me Minion Mayhem | 2017 | A computer-animated ride that makes you feel like you're in the Despicable Me movies. |
| Freeze Ray Sliders | 2018 | A spinning ride where the Minions try to cool off a fountain. |
| Illumination's Villain-Con Minion Blast | 2025 | A moving walkway ride where you shoot at villains from the Minions movies. |
Jurassic Park Area
This area is inspired by Steven Spielberg's famous Jurassic Park movies.
| Name | Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Jurassic Park: The Ride | 2001 | A water ride based on the Jurassic Park film. |
| The Flying Dinosaur | 2016 | A thrilling flying roller coaster. It was the most expensive roller coaster ever made by B&M. |
Amity Village Area
This area is inspired by Steven Spielberg's Jaws film.
| Name | Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Jaws | 2001 | A boat ride with special effects and animatronics of the famous shark. |
Universal Wonderland Area
Universal Wonderland is a special section for younger children and families. It opened in March 2012. It has three fun zones: Snoopy Studios, Hello Kitty's Fashion Avenue, and Sesame Street Fun Zone.
Snoopy Studios
This area is based on the Peanuts comic strip.
| Name | Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| The Flying Snoopy | 2012 | A carousel ride in the sky with Snoopy-themed cars. |
| Snoopy's Sound Stage Adventure | 2001 | An indoor play area designed like a movie set. |
| Snoopy's Flying Ace Adventure | 2025 | An indoor roller coaster. It's based on Snoopy imagining he's a pilot. |
Hello Kitty's Fashion Avenue
This area is themed to Sanrio's Hello Kitty character.
| Name | Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Hello Kitty's Cupcake Dream | 2012 | A teacup ride with cars shaped like different cupcakes. |
| Hello Kitty's Ribbon Collection | 2012 | A place to meet and greet Hello Kitty indoors. |
Sesame Street Fun Zone
This area is based on the children's TV show Sesame Street. It has three parts: "Sesame Street Plaza," "Sesame Central Park," and "Elmo's Imagination Playland."
| Name | Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Abby's Magical Party | 2012 | An indoor play area with big spheres and stars. |
| Abby's Magical Tree | 2012 | An indoor tree-climbing attraction. |
| Bert and Ernie's Wonder: The Sea | 2012 | An indoor ball pit shaped like Bert and Ernie's bathroom. |
| Big Bird's Big Top Circus | 2012 | A carousel ride with Sesame Street animals and characters. |
| Big Bird's Big Nest | 2012 | A large climbing rope attraction. |
| Cookie Monster Slide | 2012 | A slide that looks like Cookie Monster's tongue. |
| Elmo's Bubble Bubble | 2012 | A small log flume-like ride for kids. |
| Elmo's Go Go Skateboard | 2015 | A ride that looks like Elmo's skateboard. |
| Elmo's Little Drive | 2012 | A driving school for young children with Elmo-themed cars. |
| Ernie's Rubber Duckie Race | 2012 | Guests race rubber duckies down a small river. |
| Grover's Construction Company | 2012 | An indoor play area themed to water pipes. |
| Moppy's Balloon Trip | 2015 | A tall tower ride with a view of the area. |
| Moppy's Lucky Dance Party | 2012 | A live show with Universal Studios Japan's special "Moppy" character. |
| Sesame's Big Drive | 2012 | A driving school with Sesame Street-themed cars. |
| Water Garden | 2012 | A water fountain play area. |
WaterWorld Area
This area is based on the 1995 Universal Pictures film Waterworld.
| Name | Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| WaterWorld | 2001 (original version) 2018 (current version) |
A live water stunt show with many cool special effects. |
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Area
This area is based on the Wizarding World movies.
| Name | Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey | 2014 | A dark ride that takes you through scenes from the Harry Potter books and films. |
| Flight of the Hippogriff | 2014 | A fun junior roller coaster based on the creature from the books. |
Super Nintendo World Area
This area is based on popular Nintendo games, especially Super Mario and Yoshi. An expansion themed to the Donkey Kong Country series opened on December 11, 2024. This area is divided into Super Mario Land and Donkey Kong Country.
Super Nintendo World Rides
| Name | Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Mario Kart: Koopa's Challenge | 2021 | An augmented reality ride based on the Mario Kart games. |
| Yoshi's Adventure | 2021 | A ride where guests board a Yoshi and travel around Super Nintendo World. |
| Power-Up Band Key Challenges | 2021 | Fun mini-games where you can interact with Mario enemies. You need a special Power-Up Band for these. |
| Mine-Cart Madness | 2024 | A roller coaster themed to the Donkey Kong games. |
Super Nintendo World Food and Shops
| Name | Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Kinopio's Cafe | 2021 | A restaurant designed like the inside of a Toad House. |
| Yoshi's Snack Island | 2021 | A place to get Yoshi-themed drinks and snacks quickly. |
| Pit Stop Popcorn | 2021 | A place to buy flavored popcorn and cool themed popcorn containers. |
| 1-Up Factory | 2021 | A merchandise store designed like the inside of a factory. |
| Jungle Beat Shakes | 2024 | A quick-service spot for Donkey Kong-themed food. |
| Funky's Fly 'n' Buy | 2024 | A store selling Donkey Kong-themed merchandise. |
Seasonal Events
Universal Studios Japan often has special events throughout the year. These include Halloween Horror Nights, Christmas, Easter, and Summer events. They also have "Cool Japan" events. These "Cool Japan" events are based on popular Japanese anime and video games. Some past themes include Sailor Moon, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Shin Godzilla, Attack on Titan, One Piece, Detective Conan, Lupin III, Monster Hunter, and Final Fantasy.
Park Parades
The park has hosted many seasonal parades over the years. These include Festa de Parade, Universal Summer Parade – We Are One, and Minion Hacha-Mecha Christmas Party Parade.
Universal Studios Japan currently has a nighttime parade called Universal Spectacle Night Parade. This parade started on May 17, 2018. It features floats, performers, and characters from Wizarding World, Transformers, Jurassic Park, and Despicable Me movies.
The park also has a daily daytime parade called No limit! Parade. This parade officially started on March 1, 2023. It features floats, characters, and performers from Hello Kitty, Peanuts, Despicable Me, Sesame Street, Sing, Mario Kart, and Pokémon. This parade was the first time Mario and Pikachu appeared in a Universal Studios parade.
Park Awards
In 2011, Universal Studios Japan's Christmas tree was recognized by Guinness World Records. It had 260,498 lights, making it the most illuminated Christmas tree in the world.
- The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man – The Ride
- 2001 Screamscape Ultimate No.1 Favorite Overall Non-Coaster Thrill Ride
- 2002 Theme Park Insider World Best Theme Park Attraction
- Animation Celebration
- 2002 THEA Award (presented by TEA) WINNER in Attraction
- Peter Pan's Neverland
- 2007 THEA Award (presented by TEA) WINNER in Event Spectacular
- The Gift of Angels
- 2009 Big E Award, Best Overall Production (presented by IIAPA) WINNER in the category "Best Overall Production, More Than $2 Million"
- Hollywood Dreams Parade
- 2009 Big E Award (presented by IIAPA): Honorable Mention in the category "Best Overall Production, More Than $2 Million"
- Space Fantasy – The Ride
- 2011 THEA Award (presented by TEA) winner in Outstanding Achievement
Park Visitors
| 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8,000,000 | 8,160,000 | 8,500,000 | 9,700,000 | 10,100,000 | 11,800,000 | 13,900,000 | 14,500,000 | 14,935,000 | 14,300,000 | |||
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | Worldwide rank (2023) | |||||||
| 14,500,000 | 4,901,000 | 5,500,000 | 12,350,000 | 16,000,000 | 3 | |||||||
Official Hotels
There are five official hotels located at or near the park:
- Hotel Keihan Universal City
- Hotel Kintetsu Universal City
- Hotel Keihan Universal Tower
- Hotel Universal Port
- Park Front Hotel at Universal Studios Japan (Tokyu Hotels)
Safety and Incidents
Sometimes, minor incidents can happen at theme parks. In November 2004, a guest had a hand injury on the E.T. Adventure ride. This happened when their hand got caught in a safety bar.
The Yoshi's Adventure ride had two small incidents in late 2021. On August 12, 2021, a decoration fell onto the ride. On November 23, 2021, a small fire started in an indoor area of the ride. Everyone was safely evacuated from the ride and the park. No guests were hurt in either of these events.
See also
In Spanish: Universal Studios Japan para niños
- Incidents at Universal parks
- Tourism in Japan
