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As Harry Potter and theme park fans, we couldn’t miss Universal Studios Japan on our visit to Osaka.
While wandering through the magical Harry Potter World was the highlight of our day, we also rode the scariest rollercoaster we’ve ever been on and discovered many more fun attractions.
Universal Studios Japan (USJ) is well worth a day if you are in Osaka. It’s easily accessible from the city, and the large park (much bigger than Universal Singapore) has plenty to keep you busy all day.
In this post, we share the best Universal Studios Japan rides for adults and older kids as well as tips on avoiding queues, how to get there, the best place to buy tickets, and much more to make the most of your day.
Contents
- Time-Saving Universal Japan Tips
- Top Universal Studios Japan Rides and Attractions
- Universal Studios Osaka Tickets
- Is a Universal Studios Japan Express Pass Worth It?
- Example USJ Queue Times
- Universal Studios Japan Opening Hours
- How to Get to Universal Studios Osaka
- Hotels Near Universal Studios Japan
- Food At Universal Studios Japan
- Shopping
- Is Universal Studios Japan Worth it?
- More Japan Posts
Time-Saving Universal Japan Tips
To maximise the number of USJ rides you can experience in a day, here are our top tips:
- Book your tickets in advance here with official partner Klook to avoid long queues on the day. You can then show the e-ticket on your phone to get in.
- Pay extra for an Express Pass to skip the lines. This is one of the busiest theme parks in the world and queues are often 1-3 hours long. More details on the types of passes below.
- Visit on a weekday (and check it’s not a Japan national holiday).
- Download the Universal Studios Japan app to check wait times on the day and get access to the Area Timed Entry tickets needed at busy times for the Harry Potter and Super Nintendo areas.
- Arrive 30 to 60 minutes before park opening.
- Use the single-rider line if you don’t have an Express Pass.
Top Universal Studios Japan Rides and Attractions
1) Exploring The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter was our favourite area at Universal Studios Japan.
To get there you walk down a long pathway lined with pine trees (past the car that Ron crashed!), so it feels separate from the rest of the park, like you are entering another world.
Even if you don’t go on one of the two rides here, it’s a joy to wander the snowy cobbled streets of a perfectly recreated Hogsmeade village.
You can shop for wands at Ollivanders, jokes at Zonko’s and sweets at Honeydukes and have a pint of butterbeer in the Hog’s Head or Three Broomsticks. The warm butterbeer on a cold day was delicious (if very sweet).
You can also take a photo next to the Hogwarts Express, see owls waiting to deliver mail in the owlery, and send letters with a Hogsmeade postmark in The Owl Post.
Most spectacular of all is Hogwarts Castle perched on rocks overlooking the village.
Note that Harry Potter World does get very busy and at peak times you’ll need a timed entry ticket to visit.
You can pick these up in the park for free but they can run out, so to be on the safe side, buy an Express Pass in advance (which includes guaranteed entry). It’s one of the top Japan attractions, so don’t miss out!
Luckily, this wasn’t necessary in February (although it still felt crowded), and we were able to visit twice—it’s particularly lovely at sunset.
2) Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is the main attraction in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and one of the best rides at Universal Japan.
It takes place inside Hogwarts Castle, and I enjoyed the walk through the castle seeing Dumbledore’s office, classrooms, and talking paintings (in Japanese!) as much as the ride itself.
It’s a 3D ride but glasses aren’t needed as you are immersed in the world of Hogwarts, taking part in a Quidditch game, feeling the heat of a dragon’s fire on your face, and even getting spit at by giant spiders.
It’s an exhilarating experience with fantastic effects. It did trigger my motion sickness, but it was worth the nausea and I recovered quickly.
If this is an issue for you, consider taking motion sickness medication like dramamine, as I did recently at Universal Studios Florida (which has many of the same rides as USJ).
The other ride in Harry Potter World is Flight of the Hippogriff which is aimed at kids and didn’t seem worth the 65-minute wait when we were there.
3) Wand Magic
The other thing we loved doing in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter was Wand Magic where we cast our own spells!
This might not be for everyone as you first have to buy a magical wand from one of the stores, but for big Harry Potter fans it’s worth it, and you end up with a beautifully created souvenir.
There are five points around the village where you can perform spells—you get a map with your wand and can also look for the bronze medallions on the floor that show the spell. There are teachers available to help you out.
Armed with Hermione’s wand, I used the Incendio spell to light a chimney (after an embarrassing number of failed attempts!) and another to make it snow down a back alley. It’s a lot of fun and really added to the experience.
Of course, the most authentic place to purchase your wand is Ollivanders, but there’s usually a 10–15 minute wait to get in.
You can also buy the magic wands at other stores in the area. Make sure you get the special magic wand and not the regular wands which you can’t use for spells.
To go the whole hog, you could also buy a Hogwarts gown and scarf from the stores, but this (including wand) would set you back about $250.
The scarfs and wands are more reasonable than the gowns (Simon bought a Gryffindor scarf for about $40). As we were on a press trip they lent us a gown for the day.
4) Despicable Me Minion Mayhem
Despicable Me Minion Mayhem is one of the most popular rides at USJ and has long queues.
It’s located in the fun, colourful Minion Park and is another immersive 3D simulator ride without glasses using a giant dome screen.
The whole experience is about 25 minutes as there’s a long intro video (with English subtitles) that adds to the context.
The ride itself is narrative heavy, and although we couldn’t follow the Japanese, we got the general idea, and it’s still a fun experience as you bounce around a giant factory on your way to becoming a Minion.
Unfortunately, this is another ride that’s not great for those with motion sickness.
5) The Flying Dinosaur
Oh my—The Flying Dinosaur is intense! It’s the scariest rollercoaster we’ve ever been on, and it was brilliant fun!
It’s located in Jurassic Park and the idea is that an out-of-control Pteranodon seizes you from behind and pulls you high into the sky.
This means that once you’ve sat down, your seat is turned 90 degrees towards the floor so that you are facing straight down. There is nothing between your face and the ground far below!
The ride is so fast and disorientating that I don’t remember exactly what happened, but it involved multiple 360º inversions, many twists and turns, and an underground section.
This wild and unique coaster should not to be missed by thrill-seekers—it’s one of the best Universal Studios Japan attractions.
6) Hollywood Dream – The Ride
If you prefer your rollercoasters slightly less terrifying, then Hollywood Dream is for you.
It’s a smooth, non-inverting, high-speed coaster with some stomach dropping ramps and vertical drops.
I love that you can choose from one of five songs as your personal soundtrack—I went for Michael Jackson’s Bad. It’s a very fun ride.
You can also ride the same coaster backwards on Hollywood Dream – The Ride (Backdrop), but unfortunately it was closed when we visited. When it’s open it can be one of the busiest USJ rides.
7) Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge (NEW)
Super Nintendo World, a new themed land, opened at Universal Studios Japan in March 2021. Accessed via a giant warp pipe, you are transported to a Super Mario game.
It’s now one of the most popular areas of the park and often requires a timed entry ticket—get one early on the USJ app before they sell out or for guaranteed entry, purchase an Express Pass.
We’re really excited to visit this new area when we return to Japan.
The major attraction in Super Nintendo World is Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge. It’s a dream come true for Mario geeks like Simon—the iconic Mario Kart courses are brought to life.
The interactive, augmented reality ride is housed inside Bowser’s Castle and involves speeding around the race tracks, throwing shells to earn coins.
Also in Super Nintendo World is Yoshi’s Adventure, a gentle family-friendly ride where you go on a treasure hunt to collect mysterious eggs.
You can also purchase a Super Nintendo World wristband to access various mini games throughout the area. Sync it with the USJ app to keep track of your score.
8) The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
This award-winning attraction is a dark ride that combines a moving vehicle with 4K3D images (you wear glasses) and immersive elements where you feel the heat and water from the villains firing at you.
It can cause motion sickness, but if that doesn’t affect you, you won’t want to miss this one.
9) Jurassic Park – The Ride
Jurassic Park is a mostly gentle water ride through a park filled with dinosaurs. There’s a huge and fun drop at the end where you may get wet (especially in the front row).
We bought ponchos (400 yen) just in case as we didn’t want to risk getting wet on a cold day. There are also lockers available (100 yen which gets returned to you).
In winter this was one of the easiest rides to get on, but I imagine it’s busier in the summer.
10) JAWS
JAWS was temporarily closed when we visited, but it’s on our list for next time.
It’s a classic attraction, and as JAWS at Universal Studios Florida has closed, this is the only place in the world to ride it now.
What starts as a leisurely boat tour of Amity Harbour becomes more thrilling when a gigantic man-eating shark appears. It’s a scary one!
JAWS is a good attraction to use the single rider queue as Japanese families prefer to ride this together.
11) Space Fantasy
Space Fantasy is an indoor spinning rollercoaster in the dark where you journey through space. It’s fast and thrilling with cool themeing. A must for space fans.
There’s often a VR overlay on Space Fantasy for the Cool Japan anime special event.
Universal Studios Osaka Tickets
Universal Studios Japan is a very busy park throughout the year, so we highly recommend booking your tickets in advance to avoid the ticket queues on the day.
A one day ticket costs from 8,400 yen ($60) with higher prices at peak times. You may also want to pay extra for an Express Pass (see below).
Buy Universal Studios Japan tickets here with Klook, an authorised partner of USJ and the easiest way for English speakers to buy.
Is a Universal Studios Japan Express Pass Worth It?
Even though we visited in the winter, Universal Studios Japan was the busiest theme park we’ve visited (yes, even busier than Disney).
The park features many major attractions that you won’t want to miss, but they all have very long queue times from as soon as the park opens.
You could get on a few rides quickly at the start of the day if you arrive early, but you won’t be able to do everything without waits of at least an hour and usually much longer.
The only way to guarantee to get on everything without long waits is buying an Express Pass, which costs more than the entrance ticket.
You’ll be assigned a specific time to ride each attraction and will only have a minimal wait. It’ll save you hours of queueing.
Yes, it is expensive, but I do think an Express Pass is worth it to avoid frustration and make your park day more enjoyable.
Another bonus of the Express Pass is that it includes guaranteed timed entry to Harry Potter World and Super Nintendo World, and you really don’t want to miss either of those.
Express Passes can sell out, so it’s best to purchase them in advance when you buy your ticket from Klook.
It’s rather confusing as there are many different passes depending on which rides you can use them on and prices vary by date.
USJ Express Pass 7
The best pass is the Express Pass 7 – The Flying Dinosaur, but it costs at least 11,000 yen ($79) and at peak times can be 20,000 yen ($144) or more. It includes:
- Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge
- Yoshi’s Adventure
- Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
- Flight of the Hippogriff
- The Flying Dinosaur
- Jurassic Park
- Hollywood Dream or JAWS ( I would choose Hollywood Dream)
If you purchase this pass, ride Despicable Me Minion Mayhem and Spider Man at park opening before using your pass.
USJ Express Pass 4
A cheaper Express Pass includes just four rides. Again there are a variety of options and I think the best is the Express Pass 4 – The Flying Dinosaur.
It costs from 7,800 yen ($56) to 15,000 yen ($108) on peak days. It includes:
- Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge
- Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
- The Flying Dinosaur
- The Amazing Adventures of Spider Man – The Ride 4K3D or Jurassic Park – The Ride (I would choose Spider Man)
Example USJ Queue Times
If you’re not sure whether an Express Pass is worth it or not, here are some queue times that we noted during our visit in February (off-season) when the park opened at 9am:
- 10.15am Despicable Me Minion Mayhem – 80 minutes
- 11am Spider Man – 50 minutes
- 12pm Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey – 120 minutes
- 12.15pm Flight of the Hippogriff – 65 minutes
- 12.30pm Hollywood Dream – 60 minutes
- 3pm The Flying Dinosaur – 190 minutes
- 3.30pm Jurassic Park – 30 minutes
Universal Studios Japan Opening Hours
Universal Studios Osaka usually opens between 8.30am and 10am and closes between 7pm and 10pm.
See the USJ calendar to check the hours (and ride closures) for the date you are visiting. Times are only released a few months in advance.
You should arrive at least 30 minutes before the official opening to get into the park as quickly as possible.
How to Get to Universal Studios Osaka
It’s easy to get to Universal Studios Japan by train from central Osaka and shouldn’t take more than 30 minutes. Universal City Station is only a 5-minute walk from the park.
To get here, you’ll likely need to change at Nishikujo station and transfer to the JR Yumesaki Line (also known as JR Sakurajima Line).
For example, from Namba Station take the Hanshin Namba Line to Nishikujo then change there for Universal City Station.
This will cost about 370 yen and you can use your ICOCA card which is the easiest way to pay for transport in Osaka.
You can use Google Maps or Navitime to find the route from your nearest station.
Hotels Near Universal Studios Japan
Universal Studios Japan is easily reachable from central Osaka, but if your trip is focused on the park it would be convenient to stay in one of these hotels just a few minutes walk away:
- The Park Front Hotel at Universal Studios Japan – The newest official hotel and the closest one to the park gates. It has large rooms (unusual for Japan) and lots of amenities. My top pick.
- Hotel Universal Port – Comfortable rooms, sea views, and a great location.
- La’gent Hotel Osaka Bay – A good budget option. Rooms are small but clean and it’s still walkable to the park (although further than the ones above).
If you stay close by, I recommend buying a 1.5 day USJ ticket, which allows you to enter the park from 3pm on the first day and for a full day on the second.
Food At Universal Studios Japan
Bringing food and beverages into the park is prohibited, but it’s unlikely they’ll check your bag and it might be a good idea for vegetarians to bring a few rice balls as meat-free options are limited.
Vegetarians can enjoy plenty of sweet treats though. We loved:
- Salted caramel banana popcorn from the POP-A-NANA stand in Minion Park. You can even buy a souvenir bucket.
- Cookie sandwiches from Despicable Me! The Cookie Kitchen. The chocolate orange one was especially tasty.
- Chocolate cakes at Beverly Hills Boulangerie. There are lots to choose from, but the chocolate fondant with a hot melting middle was delicious.
- Butterbeer at Three Broomsticks. It’s got to be done! The cold version is fizzier, but the warm one was better on a chilly day. You could probably share as it’s very sweet. There are great views of the castle from the terrace out the back.
Savoury vegetarian options are much more limited:
- The Fossil Fuel stand in Jurassic Park World had waffle style french fries with avocado and salsa topping on our visit.
- Azzurra di Capri, a table service restaurant, has a vegetarian pizza. Go early to get a table.
- Three Broomsticks has a vegetarian menu, but you have to ask staff for it (and it took them a while to find it!). The vegetarian set menu includes salad, grilled corn on the cob, fries, warmed vegetables, and granola. They said they could also do a vegetable curry, but it would take 30 minutes.
- Park Side Grille, a table service steak restaurant, is listed on the map as having a vegetarian menu, but there are no meat-free options on their regular menu so you would need to ask. It looks like it’s just a salad and fruit salad.
- Kinopio’s Cafe is the most popular place to eat in Super Nintendo World. The only veggie options are the Piranha Plan Caprese (tomato and mozzarella salad) and the Fruit & Veggie Salad.
See our vegetarian Osaka guide for the best meat-free meals in the city as there are tons of options outside the park.
On our way back to Shinsaibashi we stopped for vegan ramen at Matsuri which is near Noda station where we needed to change trains.
Shopping
If you plan to do any shopping, bring your passport as you can then shop tax-free if you spend over 5000 yen.
There are many options for souvenirs in the park. Our favourites were in Harry Potter World and It’s So Fluffy which is full of cute fluffy unicorns from Despicable Me.
Is Universal Studios Japan Worth it?
Universal Studios Japan is crowded and expensive (if you purchase an Express Pass), but we still think it’s well worth visiting.
It’s a fun day out in Osaka with the magical Harry Potter World, immersive Super Nintendo World, and some seriously thrilling rollercoasters and unique 3D simulators.
It is a very popular park, so do make sure you avoid peak times, book tickets in advance, and either buy an Express Pass or prepare to queue.
If you are theme park nuts like us, you might also want to read our posts on our favourite Universal Studios Singapore rides and Tokyo DisneySea rides.
More Japan Posts
Explore our many Japan articles for more tips for your visit.
- 12 Best Tokyo Disneyland Rides for Adults
- 14 Best Tokyo DisneySea Rides for Adults
- Planning a Trip to Japan: Dos and Don’ts
- 16 Unmissable Places to Visit in Japan
- Two Weeks in Japan: A Detailed Itinerary
- 54 Best Things to Do in Japan for an Unforgettable Trip
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This is um… ok but too over so yeah and I actually went to the universal studios in japan, Osaka and the Harry Potter one is actually just so so I was kind of scared. Hey! I’m only in fourth grade.