Universal City Japan

What?
Universal Studios Japan is a huge theme park in Osaka (大阪). Opened in 2001, it attracted approximately 8 million visitors yearly. Upon opening the wizarding village of Harry Potter in 2014, the park welcomed over 12 million visitors. The park is divided in 8 areas and it invests in regular renewals (currently the Jurassic area is being revamped) and limited-time attractions - a lot of them related to Japan born movies/animes/artists.
Where?
Universal Studios Japan is located almost in the heart of Japan's third city Osaka. A short train ride from Umeda Station (梅田駅) gets you to Universal City Station (ユニバーサルシティ駅) which is the starting point of Universal City Walk. The actual theme park as right at the end of it.
URL
Japan Guide Outline Universal Studios Japan

I was never a fan of overcrowded theme parks with ridiculously long waiting times. My favourite destinations are somewhat remote and rural area’s where one could get the feeling to be alone on the planet.
But then I went Tokyo Disneyland, and boy, that was fun!
So how come I had never been to that other huge theme park in Japan, the one that’s right next door to where I live? Also, my wife had worked there when she was still studying, so she knows the place by heart and buys a year pass annually… I’m talking about Universal Studios Japan.

Some of my friends are big movie fans, and it breaks their hearts when I say I have never seen Back to the Future, Terminator 2, Beetlejuice (currently checked though) or other blockbusters that have their rides at Universal Studios Japan. I always thought that “if you haven’t seen the movie, you shouldn’t ride the ride”. But that changed when they built this huge Harry Potter village.

Universal City Walk.

Walking through the park is fun.

Jurassic Ride

A lot of Peanuts for the little ones.

So since January 2015 I have been 4 times to Universal Studios Japan. And what can I say? Well, it’s not cheap. You don’t have fast passes like at Tokyo Disneyland. Waiting times, especially in the weekends easily exceed 2 hours. But it sure is a fun place to be!
There is something for everyone: roller coasters, live acts, 3D cinema, a kid town which is actually fun for adults also, usual carnival rip-off attractions (throwing cans of a shelf, things like that), …

But the fun even starts before you enter the park with the Universal City Walk. Yes, it’s the same old places: McDonalds, TGIF, Hard Rock Café, … but apart from being modeled on American cities, they are also dressed in a typical “come and get ‘em” Osaka style: with a lot of charm and a lot of sense for gourmet (or overeating).

The main thing though remains the Harry Potter village. It still is overcrowded on weekends, the waiting times are still ridiculously long, and Harry Potter is… well, let’s admit it: not getting any younger/hipper.
But that doesn’t take anything away from what it is: an awesome place that is exactly like in the movies, and the best ride I’ve ever been on (though some dizziness may occur!).

Anyway, if you want to have fun and you like theme parks, don’t let this one slip away.