OSAKA -- Only a month into its grand opening, the management of Universal Studios Japan is under fire from citizens groups and the local media for refusing to divulge information about the park's operations.
USJ is a joint public/private enterprise in which the city of Osaka is the largest shareholder. Universal Studios Recreation Group, based in California, is the second-largest investor, with other companies, including Sumitomo Metal Corp. and Hitachi Shipbuilding, also holding stakes.
"It's OK for a private company not to release information on their operations. But USJ is not a purely private company," said Yoneko Matsuura of the Osaka citizens' watchdog group Mihariban.