What does it feel like being Harry Potter for a day? Or
chasing bad guys hopping from one building to the next ala Spidey? All that
plus a lot more becomes a reality inside the magical world of Universal Studios
in Osaka, Japan. Japan has become a popular travel destination for
Filipinos in recent years mainly because of the appeal of its rich culture and
traditions, sumptuous cuisines, efficient mass transport system, neat cities
and theme parks that blows your mind with unending thrills and excitement.
Dotted across the land of the rising sun are countless
parks with themed attractions and one of the biggest draw is the Universal
Studios in Osaka, Japan. Referred to as “USJ”; it has achieved a reputation
that matches – if not exceeded, even the Universal Studios in the United
States. Because of the many attractions to be experienced inside USJ, a day
trip here becomes a necessary fix to bring in an added splice of exhilaration
to your Osaka jaunt.
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| Travel bloggers part of Cebu Pacific’s FamTour of Osaka |
Here are the things to do and experience in Universal
Studios Osaka, Japan.
1.
Pay a Visit to the Village of Hogsmeade
Plucked from J.K. Rowling’s imagination of the famed
wizards’ village, visitors will instantly feel the vibe of the Harry Potter
universe. Complete with houses, lakes, a train and the Hogwarts Castle,
everything you have read in the book series comes to life in this magical world
built inside the 39 hectare Universal Studios property.
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| One of the many houses that adorns the Hogsmeade Village in USJ |
Harry Potter souvenir items floods the tiny streets of
this make believe village. Shop, stroll and cap the day with a plateful of
Hogwarts meal and a mug of Butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks restaurant.
2.
Ride the Harry Potter Forbidden Journey 4K3D
A visit to Hogsmeade will not be complete without
playing the role of Harry Potter and his friends by setting out on a ‘forbidden
journey’. Laying out a groundbreaking 4K3D technology, this popular Universal
Studios’ ride dishes an almost real sensation of flying all over Hogwarts
Castle. The fantastic visuals that swarms with reality appearing as an almost
hologram-like scene, coupled with the thrilling movements of the ride, gives
you all the sensation of reliving the Harry Potter universe accurately.
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| The Hogwarts Castle. Inside is the Harry Potter Forbidden Journey 4K3D |
3.
Overcome your Fear by Riding the Jurassic Park: The Flying Dinosaur
Opened in March 2016 to mark the 15th anniversary of
Universal Studios Japan, this ride is regarded as the ‘world’s longest flying
roller-coaster’ because it literally let you ride it as if a dinosaur is
clutching your back – thereby giving you every chance of experiencing the thrills
and sensations of being airborne in all sorts of positions and movements;
upside down and reverse. By combining the elements of a heart stopping roller
coaster ride; a lengthy course designed to deliver increased rises and steep
drops and the massive G-force it generates, makes this a must-experience ride inside
Universal Studios Osaka.
4.
Have a Dose of Scream-Fest
What do you do when you get a double dosage of Japanese
and Hollywood Horror genre? There is only one way to find out; which is to gather
all your courage and walk inside a number of horror houses located inside
Universal Studios Japan.
5.
Experience the Exorcist, Trauma, Tatari and the Japanese Horror Area
These are just a few in the many scary but fun
attractions situated inside USJ. Enter one, two or all of these horror areas
with your friends by holding a rope together and try to reach the end without
being separated from each other. Screaming in horror together also provides
another level of fun.
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| Inside the house of Tatari |
6.
Catch Some Bad Guys with Spidey (Spiderman 4D3D)
Equally enthralling as Harry Potter’s Forbidden Journey
4D3D ride, the Spiderman 4D3D ride delivers an action-packed make believe
reality by showing you a first person view from Spiderman himself. Expect a
bedazzling array of movements and visuals that comes to life as if you are
really Spiderman leaping from one building to another.
7.
Sample All Kinds of Food
Theme parks such as Universal Studios certainly
attracts a horde of food establishments serving a variety of worldwide
cuisines. Discovering a new dish becomes a welcome adventure. Such examples
such as the sword-like Matcha Churros which becomes a handy bite while walking
around, while the huge BBQ Garlic Turkey Leg – a signature dish of USJ, gives
you a mighty filling to last the day.
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| The ‘Halloween Meal’ dishes a sumptuous blend of flavors. This is just one of the many food choices in USJ |
8.
Spot Cosplayers
Japan has a very mesmerizing cosplay culture and this
is clearly in display in the grounds of Universal Studios Osaka. Spot men and
women adorned with colorful costumes of anime, movie and pop culture characters
as they walk around. Ask them politely to take a picture and they would
smilingly oblige. Yes, another Instragram-worthy snap.
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| Just one of the many cosplayers you will see inside Universal Studios Japan |
9.
Party in the Streets at USJ’s Seasonal and Holiday Themes
Each holiday, Universal Studios Osaka stages grand
street parades and nightly activities that perfectly matches with the seasons
of the year. In the month of September, the Halloween theme kicks off with a
festive street party and highlighted by a zombie invasion during the night.
Partying and participating in this holiday events elevates your experience
inside USJ into a higher level of fun.
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| The grounds of USJ went wild during the street parade and party that starts in the early afternoon |
10.
Shop and Ride Some More
When in Universal Studios Japan the routine should
always be; ride, eat, shop and repeat. Novelty shops selling souvenir items of
your favorite movie franchises and pop-culture icons are available at
reasonable prices. The rest of Universal Studios Japan offers many other
exciting rides for the whole family. A day’s stroll into this happy place
brings forth a wonderful bonding session for your family, friends or even a
significant other.
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| A wide range of quirky cafes and restaurants can be seen inside USJ. |
How
to Get to Universal Studios Osaka… From Manila… By plane
Cebu Pacific, the largest airline in the Philippines,
flies between Manila and Osaka five times weekly, with lowest year-round fares
starting from PHP6,399. Cebu Pacific also flies from Manila to Tokyo (Narita),
Nagoya and Fukuoka, as well as from Cebu to Tokyo (Narita). Book its trademark
lowest fares now through Cebu Pacific or (+632)7020888, or follow its Facebook
or Twitter pages for the latest seat sales.
From
Osaka City Proper… By train
Universal Studios Japan can be quickly reached via the
JR Yumesaki Line (also called as the ‘JR Sakurajima line’) by alighting at the
Universal City Station. From Osaka Station you can take several trains that
will connect you to the JR Yumesaki Line for only 180-240 Yen. When coming from
Kansai Airport, take a JR rapid airport train to Nishikujo Station to transfer
to the JR Yumesaki Line to take you to Universal City Station.
From
Osaka City Proper… By bus
Kansai Airport serves a bus route to Universal Studios
Japan for approximately 1-hour trip and 1,550 Yen bus fare. There are also
overnight city buses across Japan that stops at Universal Studios Osaka.
Universal Studios Ticket Pass… 1 Day USJ Pass
7,
400 Yen (adults)
4,
980 Yen (for kids ages 4-11)
6,
650 Yen (senior citizens 65 years and up)
Universal
Studios Ticket Pass… 2 Day USJ Pass
12,
450 Yen (adults)
8,
420 Yen (kids)
To avoid going on long lines, you can purchase a
slightly expensive Express Pass to skip the queues on a number of attractions.
* I first wrote this article for
Taste.Company and it appeared on its website on October 3, 2016 *
