There are moments on a family trip when you suddenly realise that the day is going to be one of those days.
The kind your children will still talk about years later.
For us, one of those days happened at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka.
We had already fallen in love with Japan. Tokyo had been a whirlwind of neon, tiny streets, incredible food and more people than we could have imagined. Kyoto had slowed things down with temples, gardens and beautiful old streets. We had travelled by train, eaten our way through Japan and discovered that every day seemed to bring something completely different.
And then we arrived at Universal Studios Japan.
Suddenly, we weren’t sightseeing anymore.
We were just having fun.
And sometimes, when you’re travelling with children, those are the days you need most.
From temples to movie worlds
One of the things we loved most about travelling through Japan with our children was how completely different every day could feel.
One day we were standing in front of an ancient temple.
The next, we were walking through New York.
Then San Francisco.
Then Jurassic Park.
Then suddenly we were surrounded by Minions.
And somewhere along the way, Hello Kitty appeared.
And Mario.
Lots and lots of Mario.
That is what makes Universal Studios Japan so much fun. It doesn’t feel like one single theme park. As you walk through it, the atmosphere keeps changing and you feel like you’re stepping into completely different worlds.
There are areas inspired by Hollywood, New York and San Francisco, alongside Jurassic Park, Amity Village, Minion Park, Universal Wonderland, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Super Nintendo World.
So even if your children aren’t obsessed with Nintendo, there is plenty to discover.
And that variety is exactly why we included Universal Studios Japan in our Osaka with Kids guide.
Osaka itself already feels different from Tokyo and Kyoto. It is lively, colourful, a little chaotic and completely obsessed with food. Adding a full day of Universal Studios to your Osaka itinerary just seemed like the perfect fit.
We stayed right next to the fun
One of the things that made our Universal Studios experience even better was where we stayed.
We stayed at the Minion hotel.
And honestly, it was amazing.
From the moment we walked in, the girls were completely sold. After all, we were already surrounded by Minions at the park, so why stop there?
The hotel was within walking distance of Universal Studios Japan, which was absolutely perfect with children.
No long train journey in the morning.
No rushing back and forth across Osaka.
And, perhaps most importantly, no exhausted children complaining that their feet hurt while we were still trying to get back to the hotel.
We could simply walk back after a full day in the park.
And believe me, after hours of rides, walking, queues, snacks and carrying bags full of Hello Kitty souvenirs, that short walk felt like a luxury.
Staying so close also meant we could really enjoy the park without constantly watching the clock. We knew that when everyone had finally had enough, our hotel was just around the corner.
And the girls?
They absolutely loved sleeping in a hotel that felt like part of the Universal experience.
It was the perfect place to end a very long, very colourful and slightly chaotic day.
For a family trip, I would definitely consider staying nearby. You can compare hotels around Universal Studios Japan, Click here when planning your stay.
Hollywood, New York and San Francisco
We started our day simply by walking around and taking everything in.
The entrance area has that classic Universal feeling.
The famous globe.
Bright lights.
Music.
Shops.
And streets that feel like you’ve wandered onto a film set.
From there, the park opens up into different areas.
And this is where I think it helps not to think of USJ as simply a list of rides.
Some of the best moments are just walking around.
Looking at the buildings.
Watching characters.
Stopping for a snack.
Taking photographs.
Seeing your children suddenly spot something they recognise.
It is that constant feeling of “Oh, look over there!” that makes exploring the park so much fun.
Minion Park: a little bit of chaos
Then came the Minions.
And if your children love the Minions, you already know what happens next.
Everything becomes yellow.
Minion Park is colourful, silly and wonderfully chaotic. The buildings, signs, shops and attractions all fit into that unmistakable Minion world.
Our girls loved it.
The main attraction is Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem, but the area has grown even more with Illumination’s Villain-Con Minion Blast, which adds another interactive experience to the area.
Even if you don’t go on every attraction, walking through Minion Park is part of the experience.
It is impossible not to smile.
And then there was Hello Kitty…
But there was another character who had already won our girls over long before we arrived at Universal Studios.
Hello Kitty.
By this point in our Japan trip, our girls had been completely infected by the Sanrio bug.
And honestly, Japan didn’t make it difficult.
Sanrio is everywhere.
You see Hello Kitty and her friends in shops, cafés, stations and souvenir stores. There are little Sanrio details everywhere you turn.
But by the time we arrived back in Osaka and headed to Universal Studios Japan, the Sanrio obsession was no longer a small phase.
It was serious.
Which meant that walking into Universal Wonderland was never going to be a quick stop.
It was game over.
Universal Wonderland: Hello Kitty heaven
And our girls were in heaven.
Universal Wonderland is the softer, sweeter side of USJ, with attractions and experiences aimed at younger children and families. Hello Kitty and Snoopy are among the characters you’ll find here, alongside gentler rides and play areas.
But for us, this area will always be remembered for one thing:
the souvenirs.
Of course they needed something.
Actually, everything.
A plushie?
Yes.
A keychain?
Obviously.
Something to wear?
Absolutely.
Something they had already forgotten about five minutes after buying it?
Probably.
At some point we stopped asking, “Do you really need that?”
Because we already knew the answer.
No.
But apparently that wasn’t the point.
Japan had turned our daughters into Sanrio fans, and Universal Studios Japan was not going to cure them.
If anything, it made things worse.
And honestly, watching their excitement was worth every Hello Kitty purchase.
There was something quite funny about it all.
We had travelled all the way to Japan, visited temples and shrines, seen incredible places and experienced things we had never seen before…
And somehow, one of the biggest priorities for our girls was making sure Hello Kitty came home with us.
Fair enough.
And then we got really lucky.
On our journey from Osaka to Hiroshima, we took the Hello Kitty Shinkansen.
Yes.
A pink Hello Kitty bullet train.
For our girls, this was basically the best train journey ever.
By then, they were already spotting Hello Kitty everywhere, so stepping onto a train that was practically a giant Sanrio experience was the perfect addition to our Japan adventure.
The seats, the decorations, the little details… even getting from Osaka to Hiroshima suddenly felt like part of the holiday rather than simply transportation.
And it was one of those experiences that we didn’t quite realise at the time would become such a special memory.
Unfortunately, this is one of those Japan experiences you can’t simply add to your itinerary anymore. The Hello Kitty Shinkansen ended its current service in May 2026.
So we were incredibly lucky to have experienced it when we did.
If you’re travelling around Japan with children, the Shinkansen itself is still an experience worth having. We wrote all about our experience and the practical side of taking the bullet train with children in How to Travel on the Shinkansen with Children.
And Hiroshima was our next big adventure. From the Peace Memorial Park and Atomic Bomb Dome to the beautiful island of Miyajima, it became another completely different chapter of our Japan trip. You can read about that in Hiroshima & Miyajima with Kids.
Jurassic Park: things get a little more serious
After all that cuteness, we suddenly found ourselves surrounded by dinosaurs.
Welcome to Jurassic Park.
The atmosphere changes completely.
The greenery, the music and the enormous dinosaurs make you feel like you’ve stepped into another movie.
There are attractions for different ages and bravery levels, including Jurassic Park – The Ride and the much more intense The Flying Dinosaur.
And this is where family negotiations sometimes begin.
“Are you going on it?”
“No.”
“Are you sure?”
“YES.”
“Okay, we’ll wait here.”
That’s family travel.
Not everyone needs to go on every ride.
And that is one of the reasons USJ works so well for families.
There is always something else to do.
Harry Potter: another world entirely
Then you walk into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
And it is beautiful.
Even if you’re not the biggest Harry Potter fan, it is difficult not to stop for a moment.
Hogwarts Castle rises above Hogsmeade.
The buildings are incredibly detailed.
There are shops, restaurants and little details everywhere.
And suddenly you don’t feel like you’re in a theme park anymore.
You feel as though you’ve stepped into the Harry Potter world.
Our children loved wandering around and looking at everything just as much as the attractions themselves.
And that is something we learned during our day at USJ:
Don’t rush.
It is very tempting to run from ride to ride because you want to get your money’s worth.
But some of the best memories come from simply being there.
Walking through Hogsmeade.
Looking at the castle.
Finding a character.
Stopping for a snack.
Watching the girls get excited about something you would have walked straight past.
Those are the little moments that stay with you.
And then we saw the pipe…
Eventually, we made our way to Super Nintendo World.
We had seen the pictures.
We knew what to expect.
Or at least, we thought we did.
But pictures really don’t prepare you for walking through that green pipe.
Suddenly you are inside a video game.
There are giant question blocks, colourful characters, familiar music and Bowser’s Castle towering above everything.
It is completely over the top.
And completely brilliant.
The big attraction is Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge, while Yoshi’s Adventure offers something much gentler.
And then there is Donkey Kong Country, with its own jungle atmosphere and Mine Cart Madness attraction.
The children were excited.
We were excited.
And suddenly all those hours of travelling around Japan felt very far away.
We were just a family playing Mario.
And that was pretty great.
Is Universal Studios Japan worth it with kids?
For us?
Absolutely.
But I wouldn’t recommend turning up without a plan.
USJ can get incredibly busy, and the most popular areas and attractions can require some planning. Super Nintendo World in particular can have timed or standby entry requirements, so check the current arrangements before you go.
We would also decide beforehand which attractions are absolute priorities for your family.
Because trying to do everything is probably going to leave everyone exhausted.
And there is simply too much to see.
If you’re planning your own visit, you can check Universal Studios Japan tickets and experiences, Click here before you go.
The thing we loved most
Looking back, I don’t think there was one single attraction that made the day.
It was the variety.
One minute our girls were completely obsessed with Hello Kitty.
The next they were laughing at the Minions.
Then we were standing under Hogwarts Castle.
Then watching dinosaurs.
Then racing Mario Kart.
It meant that everyone got their moment.
And when you’re travelling as a family, that matters.
Because children aren’t always interested in the same things.
One wants roller coasters.
One wants Hello Kitty.
One wants Mario.
And the parents are somewhere in the middle, carrying the shopping bags.
Again.
A very long day
The other thing nobody tells you about Universal Studios Japan with kids?
Your children may have unlimited energy when you arrive.
They will probably not have unlimited energy at 7pm.
By the end of the day, our feet were tired, our heads were full and our bags were considerably heavier.
Especially the Hello Kitty bags.
But there was also that feeling you get after a really good family travel day.
Everyone is exhausted.
Everyone is slightly grumpy.
Nobody wants to walk another step.
And yet…
Nobody wants the day to end.
Luckily, we only had to walk back to our hotel.
And that was probably one of the smartest decisions we made.
Making USJ part of your Japan itinerary
If you’re travelling around Japan with children, I would give Osaka several days.
Don’t squeeze Universal Studios into an already packed itinerary.
Give it a full day.
And give yourself time to enjoy Osaka as well.
You can explore Osaka Castle, wander through Dotonbori, eat your way through the city and then spend another day completely losing yourself in Universal Studios Japan.
You can also use Osaka as a base for Nara and Kyoto, which makes it a really useful stop on a family itinerary.
We talk more about this in our Osaka with Kids guide.
And if you’re planning your entire adventure, don’t forget our Japan with Kids: The Ultimate Family Travel Guide (2026).
We’ve divided our guide into three parts because there is a lot to organise when travelling around Japan with children.
Part 1 helps you plan your trip.
Part 2 takes you through the destinations and experiences.
Part 3 covers the practical side of travelling Japan with kids.
Because knowing how the trains work, how to handle luggage, what to pack and how to organise your days can make the difference between feeling overwhelmed and actually enjoying the adventure.
And if you want to see how all those pieces fit together, our guides to Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, Hiroshima & Miyajima and travelling on the Shinkansen with children are all part of the same Japan adventure.
Our tip for Universal Studios Japan
Don’t go to Universal Studios Japan thinking it is just about Super Nintendo World.
Yes, Mario is amazing.
But so is Harry Potter.
So are the Minions.
So is Jurassic Park.
And if you have girls who have caught the Sanrio bug like ours did, Hello Kitty might just become the most important character in the entire park.
Let the children choose some of the day’s priorities.
Leave room for wandering.
Don’t try to see everything.
And maybe set a souvenir budget before you go.
Especially if your children have discovered Sanrio.
Because trust us…
Hello Kitty is coming home with you.
And probably quite a few of her friends.
After weeks of temples, shrines, trains and sightseeing, spending a day surrounded by Minions, dinosaurs, witches, wizards, Hello Kitty and Mario was exactly what our family needed.
Sometimes the best family travel memories aren’t the perfectly planned ones.
They’re the days when everyone is laughing, everyone is exhausted, the bags are full of souvenirs and nobody wants the day to end.
For us, Universal Studios Japan was definitely one of those days.