USJ: How to buy tickets to Universal Studios Japan / Access info

Posted bybeyond-japanPosted inOsakaTags:, ,

Universal Studios Japan (USJ) is one of the major attractions to visit in Japan. There are only 4 Universal Studios theme parks (2 in the States, 1 in Singapore and 1 in Osaka) around the world, so if you are in Japan it’s a great opportunity to visit this top sightseeing destination.

In this post:
  1. Buying tickets to Universal Studios Japan
  2. USJ Access: Getting to Universal Studios Japan
  3. Watch: SUPER NINTENDO WORLD™ Coming to USJ Summer 2020

USJ is divided into 9 different areas:

  • Hollywood
  • New York
  • Minion Park
  • San Fransisco
  • Jurassic Park
  • Waterworld
  • Amity Village
  • The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
  • Universal Wonderland

Each area has plenty of attractions, restaurants and shops to explore. There are many street parades and seasonal themes throughout the year including the popular zombie walks in October for Halloween.

Buying tickets to Universal Studios Japan

Basically there are 3 ways to get tickets; take a chance and get a ticket on the day at the gate, purchase one at only a handful of travel agencies (like JTB) in your country or the easiest way is to buy online.

  • The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™
  • The Flying Dinosaur

Buying USJ tickets online is straightforward thanks to the official partners Voyagin. They make it easy to get your studio e-ticket and express passes for your desired date so you can avoid long queues on the day.

Ticket prices start at ¥7800 for adults, 1 day entrance off peak. Children ages 4-11 are ¥5400.

The best way to get tickets to Universal Studios Japan is purchase them in-advanced online.

Beyond Hyogo

An Express Pass plus your Studio Pass will cost around ¥20,000 or more depending on what options you choose. The express pass packages change as the attractions change. You can see a full list of available passes here.

  • Universal Express Pass 7 – Grants you express entrance to 7 attractions. Costs ¥13,500
  • Universal Express Pass 4 – Grants you access to 4 attractions. Costs ¥12,250

USJ Access: Getting to Universal Studios Japan

If you have made your way to JR Osaka station without any hiccups you can head to the Osaka Loop Line 大阪環状線, tracks 1.2.

Board the train at platform 1 and head the Nishikujo 西九条, three stops from Osaka. Many trains from Osaka go direct to Universal-city ユニバーサルシティ while some trains you might have to transfer. If you aren’t sure, check when you arrive into Nishikujo you are on platform 3. You should also be able to tell by the other passengers on the train, it’s pretty easy to spot the excitement of USJ bound revelers.

You can search Japan train times and schedules from sites such as HyperDia and Japan Transit Planner.

An example schedule from HyperDia

Once you arrive at Universal-city station you can follow the signs along the Universal City Walk to the entrance of USJ. Universal City Walk has many restaurants and cafes, mostly American style junk food you can stop at before or after enjoying the theme park.

USJ way back in 2009, a lot has changed since this photo.

One thing to note when you visit USJ is that the shows will be in Japanese. However, there are lots of English guides around the park to assist you and the official USJ website is amazing with lots of detailed English information on all the attractions, restaurants and shops.

Watch: SUPER NINTENDO WORLD™ Coming to USJ Summer 2020

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