One of the most memorable things we did on our first trip to Japan was take the bullet train to Osaka and visit Universal Studios Japan.

I’ve shared this story before, but if you’re new here – The reason we visited Japan was because during the covid lockdown the boys watched Youtube videos about the Super Nintendo World being built at Universal Studios Japan, and we promised them that when lockdown was over and the world went back to normal, we’d take them to see it for themselves!

So we did! And it was everything they wanted it to be (and more). Universal Studios Japan is an incredible theme park, compact enough to explore in one day but cram-packed full of rides and shows, so you could spend two days here if you wanted to (that’s what we did, and what we’ll be doing on our next trip too)

But the question I’m asked most about Universal Studios Japan (apart from “how did we buy our tickets”) is how do you actually get there! How do you get to Universal Studios Osaka? Most people visiting Japan land in Tokyo (including us!) so I’m using that as my starting point for this post.

It will cover how to get to Universal Studios Japan if you’re travelling from Tokyo, how to get to Universal Studios Japan once you’re in Osaka, and how to book your Universal Studios Japan tickets too.

1. How To Get From Tokyo To Universal Studios Japan
2. Navigating The Metro in Osaka
3. Driving To Universal Studios Japan
4. Buying Tickets To Universal Studios Japan
5. Keep Planning Your Trip To Universal Studios Japan

Heads up! This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click and make a purchase, I might earn a very small commission – at no extra cost to you. This helps to keep the blog going. Thanks for the support!

How To Get From Tokyo To Universal Studios Japan

Like most people, we landed in Tokyo, spend some time there (for us a week, some people only stay a few days) and THEN we headed to Osaka. So how do you get from Tokyo to Universal Studios Japan?

From Tokyo we took the bullet train to Osaka. You can read more about our experience of using the bullet train (Shinkansen) in Japan, as well as whether it’s the right financial choice for you to buy a JR rail pass, in our post here.

The shinkansen (bullet train) takes around 2 hours and 30 minutes to travel between Tokyo and Osaka. If you don’t buy a JR Rail pass then this costs £70.45 per person, and you can buy your tickets here.

👉TIP: Use code THATMUMTRAVEL5KLOOK to get 5% off these ticket prices, and save a bit of money for the epic souvenirs in Universal Studios!

You’ll travel from Tokyo Station to Shin Osaka Station. From here you’ll probably travel to your hotel, but it could well be that you’re on a tight schedule (or you just don’t like to rest!) so you’re heading straight to the Universal Studios Japan park to hit the rides!

Either way, i’ve covered getting to Universal Studios Japan via the metro once you’re in Osaka below:

Navigating The Metro in Osaka

When we were staying in Osaka we picked a hotel in Umeda. This is a popular spot for international visitors, because it’s close to the JR station, Umeda station is well connected to the rest of the city (including USJ) and Umeda also has lots of great amenities, including malls, the Osaks Nintendo Store and Pokemon Cafe, and the famous Hep 5 Ferris wheel (read our experience of riding this here).

We took the train to the theme park from our hotel, which is the most popular way of getting there. Universal has its own station (Universal City Station) and this is on the JR Yumesaki Line.

From Umeda/Osaka station we took the JR Osaka Loop Line to Nishikujo station then switched to the JR Yumesaki Line to Universal City Station. The whole journey only took around 20 minutes, and it was incredibly easy!

You’ll notice (especially early in the morning) that most people on the JR Yumesaki Line are heading to Universal Studios so the train can be crowded, but nothing compared to navigating Tokyo at rush hour!

Driving To Universal Studios Japan

We are yet to hire a car in Japan (the bullet trains made getting around on public transport far too easy!) but we are planning to hire a car on our next trip so we can explore all around Okinawa.

Decided that driving is the right choice for you? I can’t give you practical first-hand driving tips (yet) but I can tell you that USJ is fairly easy to get to if you’re driving!

The full address for the Universal Studios Japan theme park (which you can put into your sat nav) is 2-chōme-1-33 Sakurajima, Konohana Ward, Osaka, 554-0031, Japan.

Universal Studios Japan (USJ) has a parking lot for visitors arriving by car. This has the capacity for 2,800 vehicles, so it’s worth arriving early on busy days to make sure you can get a spot.

Standard USJ parking costs 3,600 yen on weekends and holidays, and 2,600 yen on weekdays. They use dynamic pricing, so prices are higher on days demand in the park is higher. You can also pay more for Express or VIP parking packages. Check out all the prices and packages available here.

Buying Tickets To Universal Studios Japan

It’s important to note that you have to book your tickets for Universal Studios Japan BEFORE you arrive.

You used to be able to buy USJ tickets from the ticket office at the gates to the park, but these ticket offices have now been CLOSED. Please, please, please buy your tickets in advance – I’d hate to think of disappointed kids standing outside empty ticket offices.

The good news is that getting Universal Studios Japan tickets is incredibly easy. We got our tickets for Universal Studios Japan from Klook. You could also buy these directly from the USJ website, but we prefer the convenience of using Klook.

We ended up visiting the park for 2 days, and we bought 2 different types of tickets (one for each day). One our first day we had the express pass and on our second day we didn’t (but we still had a great day!) You can read about visiting without the pricey express pass here.

USJ tickets go on sale three months in advance. And I recommend booking them as soon as they’re available so that you can get the tickets you want/need. As Japan gets more popular with tourists, the faster the express passes seem to sell out!

• Tip: Booking early and getting an express pass = better ride access + shorter wait times + guaranteed Super Nintendo World entry (it often requires timed admission!).

 Book Universal Studios Japan tickets with Klook
 Compare Express Pass options

• Tip: The code THATMUMTRAVEL5KLOOK will get you an extra 5% discount on Universal Studio Japan tickets and all other tickets and activities with Klook. So save it for later!

Keep Planning Your Trip To Universal Studios Japan

Looking for more hints and tips to help you keep planning your trip to Universal Studios Japan? Check out this further reading, because you can never be too prepared for your big Japan trip!

🎢 Ultimate Guide to Universal Studios Japan with Kids
🐵 Donkey Kong Country in Universal Studios Japan: What You Need to Know

🎁Ultimate Guide to Universal Studios Japan (Tips, Rides & How to Book Tickets)
💶Visiting Universal Studios Japan Without Express Pass: Tips and Tricks

Have you been to Universal Studios Japan? Or any of the other Universal Studios theme parks? I’d love to know what you think of them. And if you’re planning a trip to Universal Studios Japan right now, let me know what you’re most looking forward to experiencing when you get there!

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Heads up! This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click and make a purchase, I might earn a very small commission – at no extra cost to you. This helps to keep the blog going. Thanks for the support!