NEWSWORTHY
Universal Studios Japan roller coaster stalls, leaving riders stranded for 2 hours
A roller coaster at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka stalled and left some riders suspended in a prone position for up to two hours before they were safely rescued, the theme park said Tuesday. No injuries were reported among about 60 passengers on the Jurassic ...
Will Japan ever join the great Easter egg hunt?
A year ago, J-pop star Kyary Pamyu Pamyu released a song with lyrics and a promotional video that were as saccharine as a chocolate bunny. The song was titled "Easta" — a play on Easter and "a good start" in Japanese — and the ...
USJ to offer two-for-one admission deal to students outside Kansai
The operator of Universal Studios Japan said Friday it will start a special campaign to attract young people from outside the Kansai region. Osaka-based USJ Co. said if groups of three to five students from outside Kansai buy special admission tickets to the amusement park ...
Doll makers decry USJ's use of traditional dolls in haunted house
An association of Japanese doll manufacturers has expressed its displeasure with Universal Studios Japan, in Osaka, saying the American film studio theme park is tarnishing the image of traditional dolls by using them in a haunted house attraction. The Tokyo-based group said Tuesday it sent ...
'Back to the Future' car's auction bid soars out of this world
Forget about “Back to the Future.” Universal Studios Japan wants to get back to reality after a bidding war saw the price of a life-size replica of the time-traveling DeLorean from the popular movie hit ¥9,999,999,999 (about $91.5 million) on the Yahoo Auctions website ...
Universal Studios Japan attracts record number of visitors in fiscal 2015
Universal Studios Japan has attracted a record number of visitors in fiscal 2015, topping the previous 12.7 million mark set the year before, the Osaka theme park operator said Monday. Given the continued popularity of an attraction area based on the "Harry Potter" film series ...
No shortage of things to do in Osaka on Halloween
The Internet ate up pictures of the crazy costumes in Shibuya last year, but Tokyoites aren't the only ones enjoying Halloween in Japan. While the tentacles of terror haven't completely made their way into the countryside, Osakans have definitely welcomed the holiday and you can ...
Bodyguard; Charlotte Kate Fox; CM of the Week: Universal Studios Japan
Hiroshi Tate plays "SP Yatsurugi Takashi" ("Secret Police Takashi Yatsurugi"; TBS, Mon., 9 p.m.), a member of the Metropolitan Police Department who is assigned to the security detail for the governor of Tokyo, Sawako Yoshimine (Hisako Manda), as she hosts a ceremony for guests ...
Kansai proves no barrier to travel
Having planned a family trip from our home in Tokushima Prefecture to Kobe and Osaka, we packed our 14-year-old daughter's wheelchair in the car and took the highway to Awaji Island. By flashing our daughter's red techo (an identification card for individuals with disabilities available ...
USJ touts wizardry of Harry Potter to win Japan casino partners
As Japan edges toward legalizing gambling resorts, USJ Co. is counting on its cachet turning around its Universal Studios theme park to win a partnership with a foreign casino operator. The operator of Osaka's 13-year-old Universal Studios Japan is in talks with MGM Resorts International, ...
Have an animated summer adventure
When Monkey D. Luffy of the manga and anime "One Piece" screams out "I'm going to be a pirate king," does it ever make you think to yourself, "I want to be a pirate king too"? Well now's your chance. With more than 300 million ...
New Harry Potter area opens at Universal Studios Japan theme park
About 3,000 people, some of whom spent the night in line, were at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka for the launch of a new Harry Potter-themed attraction Tuesday. The opening ceremony was attended by actor Tom Felton, who played the role of Draco Malfoy in ...
