Excessive? Maybe. And won’t lie, it does make us sound incredibly spoilt, but our argument’s in favour of how exciting Universal Studios Japan (USJ) really is, every time.

See, the “we” in the title’s referring to three different people on the NYLON team across three separate occasions — Amelia in October (hi, that’s me!); Adele (our editor-in-chief) in December; and Michelle earlier in January — so yeah of course we wouldn’t be bored right, but get this: each time one of us visited the theme park in Osaka, there was always something new to see.

It could be the Halloween Horror Night attractions that, full confession, I ran for the hills in the totally opposite direction of, festive menus all over the park in December because come on, Christmas, or most recently this year, the Universal Cool Japan event that celebrates the most exciting cultural icons with new rides and attractions, and lasts all the way till June. And that’s not even mentioning what’s probably the main draw for everybody: Hogwarts, in real life.

Let’s get one major thing out of the way first. How you can get your tickets. Now, the smart thing and very Singaporean thing to do would be to get them in advance to avoid the queues at the ticketing counter, for that, we turn to Klook, a fast-growing digital platform that offers a fuss-free way to book attractions or experiences wherever you’re travelling. Here’s you can get for starters:

If it’s your first time using Klook, we’ve got an exclusive discount code: quote ‘NYLON5’ for $5 off!

Was the Express Pass entirely unnecessary? Um, yeah! You’ll find out soon enough. So, what can you look forward to when you head to Universal Studios Japan for the first time, or the second or third time? Well, plenty. Here’s why we’ll keep going back — and some helpful tips for you too based on our combined experiences.

1. It’s actually magical, thanks to ‘The Wizarding World of Harry Potter’

Enough said. Do we really need to extol the absolute delight of entering a world where magic exists? Call us delusional, but you can’t step into Hogsmeade or the Hogwarts Castle grounds without being immediately hit with a happy spell because of ~~how real-life the street looks~~ how you’ve finally honoured your Hogwarts acceptance letter. Welcome!

You’ll also get to practice your Wingardium Leviosa prowess, and cast all the other spells too, with a Magical Wand of your own. Casually stroll into Ollivanders and, you know, let the wand choose you, before you run around Hogmeade to test your new wizarding skills (okay, truth, you actually have to get special interactive Magical Wands in order for the magic to work).

Swish and flick, and you’ll be able to do amazing things like make water fly out from a large cauldron, or have fire blazing out of a chimney, totally useful stuff. Each wand comes with a map that, mm, spells out all the hidden spots where you can cast your magic, areas also marked by bronze medallions on the floor or lines of excited children, young and old.

Other than that, there are Hogsmeade shops you can hop in and out of, including Honeydukes and Gladrags Wizardwear, you can dine at the Three Broomsticks while admiring a splendid view of the Hogwarts Castle from the alfresco area, grab some good old Butterbeer, or head straight for the bloody brilliant ride called ‘Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey™ in 4K3D’. You can read more over at our full guide to Osaka / Kyoto.

One last thing you don’t wanna miss? Night shows at the castle. It’s a bit like the stuff we’re used to at Night Fest, but this time, the entire Hogwarts facade gets lit with gorgeous animated projections that change according to the seasons.
The last time we were there, the ‘Expecto Patronum Night Show’ was running with a thrilling storyline that had us collectively chanting the spell to chase some pesky dementors away; if you head over right now though, you’ll witness an entire Winter Wonderland transformation as the castle’s wrapped in soft, cascading snow. What did we say, different every time!

Pro Tip #1: Make sure you know the exact place to run to for your Timed Entry pass, which you’ll need to enter the world on busy days. We’ve included a helpful map here for the fastest route (follow the red arrows) — and be warned, the Japanese are pretty keen on running for rides once the gates open, so make sure you’re fit! For those with the Express Pass, you’re in luck because timed entry to the venue is included in your pass, though randomly assigned. However, if you happen to go early enough (say, once the park opens) on a weekday, chances are, the area will be open to all without you having to queue.

Pro Tip #2: If you want to catch the night show, it might be worth it to re-enter the land (if you leave for other worlds) even earlier to ‘chope’ a good spot — no shame here — and well, make sure that you can be in front of the castle at all. The first show happens half an hour after sunset (which varies, so check here for the most updated timings), but people start gathering at least 1.5 hours before showtime, and the barricades go up as early as an hour ahead, in front of the Hogwarts Castle.

2. Minions — they really cause mayhem

‘Despicable Me Minion Mayhem’ is an actual ride in the park, but ‘mayhem’ happens to be the exact word we’ll use to describe the craziness that goes on whenever we even mention the cute yellow banana-loving characters.

They may spout gibberish, but they also reduce people to a mindless frenzy whenever they appear, which happens pretty often by way of merchandise, parades and random live characters surprising us out of nowhere to cause a stampede as they’re getting fawned over by kids and adults alike. Don’t even get us started on the people who turn up in yellow sweater/t-shirts, denim overalls, and beanies, clearly dressing like their heroes here. You’ll find that all at Minion Park, where every patch of grass and water fountain is dedicated to the carefree creatures.

As for the ride itself, fair warning: there will definitely be a queue. The attraction has you sitting aboard a vehicle and entering Gru’s laboratory where you’ll transform into a Minion, and then get willingly plunged into a head-turning, swirling and whirling adventure, achieved with an all-encompassing screen and fancy projection system that will definitely mess with your head.

Around the park, you can also splurge on these collectible Minion Popcorn Buckets, which are a pretty cool souvenir to take home, or use around the park as an excuse to continually and shamelessly snack on popcorn — there’s also the choice to top up with even more popcorn after you’re done, so maybe it’s not so bad that you’ll be on your feet the entire day.

Pro Tip: For the easiest way to snag one of these cuties, try not getting it at Minion Park, or at the USJ entrance for that matter. Pretty revolutionary, huh. See, there are plenty of pop-up snack stalls at the other worlds, whether it’s Hollywood or Jurassic Park (also where we stumbled upon a prehistoric Cro Minion), and you’ll be able to find the popcorn buckets in those areas too — special limited edition ones if you look hard enough.

3. All the seasonal food!

The thing about USJ is that they keep the menu super fresh. When we visited in early October, the park was already rolling out Minion Cookies that came decorated with sugary vampire fangs, or Hello Kitty buns that remind us of Chucky dolls — obviously in time for Halloween.

This ties in with seasonal events such as Halloween Horror Night during the same period, where apart from spooky rides and attractions, they had zombies, ghouls and Jack the Ripper serial killer-types roam the park after dark to scare the faint-hearted, including me. Yep, let’s stick to the horror-themed food.

During Christmas, those same Minion cookies now come stocking-stuffed with seasonal strawberries, cream, and custard, with cute Santa hat packaging too, which you’ll want to snap up, and then spend the next two hours snapping for your perfect Instagram image. We won’t deny their photogenic qualities though; each one is made so perfectly it’ll probably rake up more likes than your last “casual” selfie.

Photo courtesy of Universal Studios JapanBack at our favourite land, yeah biased opinion here, you’ll find that Three Broomsticks serves some hearty savoury fare: the Christmas Exclusive Set is truly a feast, with roasted chicken, sausages, potatoes, and all those healthy greens to balance them out, which you can enjoy with swigs of warm Butterbeer, the kind we’d imagine Harry, Hermoine and Ron drinking at the student-favourite haunt.

4. There are way more thrilling rides

We can talk about several attractions here that rival those we have back home, or anywhere else really. First off, ‘The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man – The Ride 4K3D’ deserves a mention, because hey, it’s your friendly neighbourhood Spiderman we’re talking about here. While this functions the same way as the more familiar ‘Transformers: The Ride 3D’ in Universal Studios Singapore, where you sit in a travelling cart and get immersed into the gritty streets of New York through huge screens, we really can’t complain — every kidult needs to experience the excitement (and responsibility) of great power right? Saving the world’s a bonus.

Then, you’ll want to strap yourself into ‘Hollywood Dream – The Ride – Backdrop’, a roller coaster that’ll have you in the strangest, almost topsy-turvy predicament: you’ll be experiencing the whole ride backwards! You’ll first be raised up to a 43-meters height before you sit back, relax, and… scream your lungs out because you’ll have no idea when the next drop is and when the ride will dangerously plunge you over the edge, which really makes the ride way more exhilarating than normal.

Okay, so we saved the best for last, and this one really deserves a special shoutout: ‘The Flying Dinosaur’. Admittedly, we already have a soft spot for huge, extinct prehistoric creatures, but this one takes our admiration to new heights. Out of nowhere, a rogue Pteranodon (the ride) will seize you from behind and clutch you (have you secured) in its treacherous claws (a very safe system) before suspending you high up into the sky, as you’re left staring dizzyingly onto the ground before you.

The first drop has got to be one of the most heart-pumping ones I’ve experienced in a while because you’re literally diving headfirst — and that comes after enjoying the rides at roller coaster parks Fuji-Q Highland and Six Flags; at 37.8m, it stakes its claim as the farthest initial drop among 22 flying roller coasters all over the world.

Pro Tip: Here’s where having the Express Pass comes in exceptionally handy. Let’s do a little comparison shall we: with the Express pass, our queue time on a weekend was… one hour. Yep, that’s long but nothing compared to the experience sans the convenient (and very shiok) ability to cut the queue: a whopping 180 minutes (at least), or three hours, and that’s on the single rider lane! Do you really wanna spend 1/3 of your day in a line, no matter how great your company will be? The Singaporean in you will know what to do.

5. Universal Cool Japan

We’ll talk more about this soon in an upcoming article, but in a nutshell, the annual Universal Cool Japan is a huge on-site event that’s exclusive to the park, and definitely worth a visit if you’re into Japanese pop culture. This year they’ve stepped it up by featuring two franchises with massive fandoms — Final Fantasy and Sailor Moon!

The first is a virtual reality coaster they’ve labelled ‘XR’, since you get to fly through the enchanting universe both physically and also while wearing VR headsets, which makes you feel like you’re totally caught in the epic battle between Sephiroth and Cloud. Then there’s the ‘Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: The Miracle 4D’ ride, which opens 16 March, will have you relive the show’s famous transformation scenes, but also comes with an original storyline that’s exclusive to the attraction; or you know, get cosy in the Neoprint-style booth where you get to be a Sailor Senshi, complete with Sailor Moon’s Star Power Stick. You’ll also be able to take part in the escape room-style Detective Conan attraction and battle fearsome creatures in ‘Monster Hunter: The Real’.

Of course, and true to USJ’s style, there’s a whole load of food to go along with the themed attractions. Anyone would be over the moon about the pretty Sailor Moon offerings, from a Sailor Moon Compact Cake and Moon Prism Power Cake to a special Sailor Moon Drink that comes in a cup encased with a pretty bow. On point, indeed! On the less delicate but still kawaii spectrum, you can opt for the Felyne Pawprint Omelette Rice. Stay tuned for our full Universal Cool Japan guide — but by now, you should really be tempted to head down to USJ already.

Book your Universal Studios Japan Passes and Express Tickets via Klook.

Book tickets through Klook and use our code “NYLON10” to get $10 off for first-time users!

T&Cs include:
– Valid for redemption till 31 July 2019
– For first time bookings made via Klook’s website and mobile app only
– The promotion code on this card entitles the user to $10 off all Klook activities, with a minimum spend of $80, excluding the Klook Christmas Gift Card, Japan Rail Passes, Universal Studios Japan Admission Tickets and Express Passes
– Promo codes are valid for one time use per user only
– Promo code is applicable for Singapore users only