Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios, Osaka

Sep 28, 2023

Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios, Osaka

Halloween Horror Nights is one of the biggest annual events at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka. From the popular street zombies to frightening mazes, it features numerous attractions just for the season. Some are available all day, but many of the horror-themed events start at 6:00 p.m. Know what to expect before you go to make the most of your time at the theme park.

Street Zombies

For 2023, Universal Studios Japan is bringing more zombies than ever before to the park. In addition to being chased by zombies and watching them attack people (and each other, including with chainsaws), you’ll periodically witness the Zombie de Dance. This dance turns the horror into a brief party — and all the visitors to the park are invited to join in. The event is in collaboration with the Japanese singer Ado.

If you want to avoid the zombies, just a few areas of the park are safe.

Horror Mazes

There are three horror mazes to explore for Halloween. Especially gruesome is Chucky’s Carnival of Chaos: Chucky’s Bloody Festival. This is a brand new maze where visitors wear 3D glasses to bring the horror alive. You need to be at least 15 years old to enter.

The second maze is called Universal Monsters: Legends of Fear. It features classic monsters, including Dracula, the Phantom of the Opera, and Frankenstein’s monster. The maze is a smaller version of the one in Universal Studios Orlando.

Finally, there’s the Resident Evil-themed maze Biohazard: The Extreme+. Visitors choose between two paths to follow in the footsteps of their favorite character. There are a limited number of free passes for this maze — you can find them when you’re in the park or download one from the Universal Studios Japan app. When all the free passes for the day have been taken, you can buy an Express pass, which will also reduce the wait time.

Sadako’s Curse: Dark Horror Ride

During Halloween Horror Nights, the Space Fantasy ride is transformed into Sadako’s Curse: Dark Horror Ride, based on The Ring. You will enter a haunted laboratory and must use the equipment transport lift to escape from Sadako. As the space around you becomes pitch black, the indoor spinning roller coaster needs to move fast to help you make your break.

Hahaha! Halloween Party

Universal Studios Japan also has some Halloween events for kids in a program called the Hahaha! Halloween Party. The theme for 2023 is Pokémon — Pikachu and Gengar are DJs. There are several greeting events throughout the park where visitors can meet characters from Sanrio and Sesame Street, Snoopy, Minions, and Hello Kitty, all dressed up for Halloween. In addition, you may hear crew members calling out “trick or treat.” Head to them for some candy.

Halloween Horror Nights runs from early September through the beginning of November. The same ticket gives you access to all the regular attractions and the Halloween experience. To have time for everything, it’s worth arriving early, especially if you’ve never been to Universal Studios Japan before.

Rebirth10, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons