[USJ Report] Looking back with about 70 photos, 13 hours of relaxed fun with preschoolers

[Approx. 3,900 characters, approx. 70 photos]
I went to Universal Studios Japan (hereinafter, USJ) for the first time in 9 years. Since I recently replaced my camera and zoom lens, I will write about my practice shooting and my impressions of having a relaxed time while bringing along two preschoolers.

To start with the conclusion, USJ has changed a lot since my last visit and I enjoyed it. The good points were: 1) first-time attractions like the Mario area and Curious George were fun, 2) the indoor playland, which Tokyo Disney Resort doesn't have, was a huge hit with the kids, and 3) there were many photo spots that served as camera practice. However, I noticed that USJ is quite money-grubbing in many places.

In this post, I will look back on the day with photos as the main focus. This might be helpful for those who want to enjoy USJ in a relaxed way with preschoolers.

Looking back at the numbers, they are as follows.
⚫︎ Attractions: 10
⚫︎ Character greetings: 3
⚫︎ Restaurants: 2
⚫︎ Events: 1
⚫︎ Total photos taken: 341
⚫︎ Total steps: 16,946

▶︎ Reason for visiting

The reasons for visiting were: 1) I recently went to TDS and had fun, and 2) I had plans to go to Kansai, so I decided to try going to USJ for the first time in 9 years. The admission fee was expensive at 10,900 yen, but following the spirit of " cherish the present, for who knows what tomorrow brings," I decided to visit. The main goal this time was to experience the Mario area.

▶︎ Flow from 7:20 to 20:40

The following photos are in almost chronological order.

✔️ Arrival (around 7:20)

USJ has introduced dynamic pricing since 2019. The day I went to USJ was the most expensive day of the year (adult: 10,900 yen). Thinking about it calmly, students who come at this price are celebrities 🥶

✔️ Admission

✔️ Super Nintendo World Area Timed Entry Ticket

The last time I went to USJ was in May 2015 (9 years ago). Since then, there have been various places that were newly built or removed, so it felt fresh.

✔️ Hello Kitty's Cupcake Dream

✔️ Big Bird's Big Top Circus

✔️ Elmo's Little Drive

✔️ Elmo's Go-Go Skateboard

✔️ Water Garden

✔️ Bert and Ernie's Wonder-The-Sea

According to my child, the attractions they enjoyed most at USJ this time were the ball pit and Mario Kart.

✔️ Go! Go! Easter March

From this shot on, I switched to the zoom lens I just bought.

When I went to Tokyo DisneySea about a week ago, I realized that the zoom lens I had on hand was not compatible with my new camera (α7iv).

So, after searching various sites for an affordable lens that might suit me, I ended up with the "TAMRON 28-200mm F/2.8-5.6 Di III RXD." This time, unlike my usual prime lens, I shot using a zoom lens.

Unlike a prime lens, a zoom is interesting because you can capture shots from an angle of view different from your usual perspective for a change. On the other hand, I felt it was too "pictorial." Both zoom and prime lenses have their pros and cons, but I realized that I prefer prime lenses, which are closer to the perspective of the naked eye because they feel more realistic, so I think I prefer prime lenses after all.

✔️ Curious George Play Area

Since I hadn't been to USJ since 2015, I realized once again that the concept has changed significantly. When it first opened, the main attractions were E.T. Adventure (closed May 2009), Back to the Future (closed May 2016), and Backdraft (closed May 2023), and it definitely had a "Universal Studios feel."

With Tsuyoshi Morioka becoming a marketer for USJ, the concept changed significantly starting around the time of Snoopy and Hello Kitty (both started in March 2015). "Universal Cool Japan" began in 2015. Currently, attractions for "Detective Conan," "My Hero Academia," and "Monster Hunter" are being held.

In today's USJ, the "Universal Studios feel" is almost zero. Still, if the customers are all smiling, the number of visitors keeps increasing, and the company is making money, then that's fine, but... As for the number of visitors, it recorded 12.35 million in 2022, the highest number of visitors for a single theme park in Japan. However, the fact that the concept is wavering leaves me feeling a bit uneasy 😅

I felt that Tokyo Disney Resort is a "dream world." On the other hand, I got the impression that USJ is a "luxurious amusement park."

✔️ Beverly Hills Boulangerie

✔️ Encountered the Sesame Street gang

✔️ Encountering the Minions

✔️ Jaws

However, Jaws became a trauma for my child. Later on, just hearing the name "Jaws" would make them say "Stop it!" and refuse to go near it😨

✔️ Super Nintendo World

Just seeing the elaborate world-building of the area made it worth the price of admission. The Mario Kart attraction was fun with a mechanism I had never experienced before.

However, the downsides were: 1) the system that is clearly designed to take your money with things like photo services, Power-Up Bands, and expensive cafes (I didn't buy any of them), and 2) the fact that you cannot re-enter, so we had to spend about two hours inside the area waiting to get into a cafe.

My honest impression was, "I'm satisfied having been in once."

✔️ Mario Kart: Koopa's Challenge

✔️Kinopio's Cafe

To enter Kinopio's Cafe, a timed entry ticket was required (issued around 2:00 PM, entry around 4:30 PM). Once you leave the Mario area, you cannot re-enter, so you have to wait in the Mario area until it's time to enter the cafe. The Mario area is small, and there are almost no chairs, so killing time was painful😢

✔️Encountering Snoopy and friends

✔️Big Bird's Big Nest (2nd time)

✔️Elmo's Little Drive (2nd time)

✔️Hollywood Area

✔️Exit (around 8:40 PM)

▶︎Summary

How was it? My first USJ visit in 9 years was refreshing. As for attractions, I'm glad we were able to go to the Mario area, which was our main goal. Also, Curious George was fun. For the child, the indoor playland seemed to have the highest satisfaction (a merit not found at Tokyo Disney Resort). That said, I was concerned about the fact that prices are relatively high, starting with the admission fee.