OSAKA -- With construction work on Universal Studio Japan nearing completion, expectations are running high that the Hollywood theme park will attract hordes of visitors and revitalize a hitherto drab industrial site.
Many are counting on USJ, slated to open next spring in Osaka's Konohana Ward, to become a prime tourist spot, luring as many as 8 million visitors a year from across Japan and overseas.
Construction workers are now putting the final touches on a series of eye-catching structures reminiscent of old American townscapes -- such as New York in the 1930s, and Hollywood in the 1930s through the 1950s.