Universal Studios Japan has announced that the park will begin a phased reopening on June 8, 2020, after closing on February 29, 2020 to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The park will reopen with limited capacity and guests must follow safety and hygiene protocols in order to prevent infection.

Please note that the Japanese government has implemented travel restrictions for multiple countries. Check this website for further details.

Table of Contents

• Phased Reopening Plan
• Park Hours
• General Safety and Hygiene Guidelines
• Attractions and Shows Changes & Safety Guidelines
• Restaurants and Shops Safety Guidelines
• Event Information
• Ticket Refunds

Phased Reopening Plan

Universal Studios Japan will begin a phased reopening from June 8, 2020. The park plans to allow entry for the following people:

• June 8 – June 14: Osaka Prefecture residents with a valid Annual Pass
  • Guests must register in advance which day they will visit, subject to availability
• June 15 – June 18: All Osaka Prefecture residents
  • Guests must either purchase a special Studio Pass to enter, or pre-register a date with their Annual Pass. Subject to availability.
• June 19 – TBD: All residents of Kansai (Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Hyogo, Wakayama, Shiga) and all Annual Pass holders
  • Residents of Kansai will be allowed entry with any kind of Studio Pass
  • Annual Pass holders, no matter where they live, will be allowed entry into the park

As noted above, capacity will be limited, although the park has not announced specific numbers for how many guests can enter daily. In addition, it is unknown at this time when residents outside of Kansai will be allowed entry into the park.

Dated tickets and advance registration for Annual Pass holders will be available from June 4, 2020 at 12:00pm JST. Please check this page (in Japanese only) for more information.

Park Hours

At the time of this writing, the park hours for June 8 to July 22, 2020 are scheduled to be from 10:00am to 7:00pm. Make sure to check the official Opening Hours & Schedule page for more up-to-date information.

In addition, some restaurants will shorten their hours or close during the phased reopening.

General Safety and Hygiene Guidelines

In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the following safety and hygiene guidelines will be enforced at the park:

• Guests must wear a face mask. Masks will not be provided to guests, and the park has the right to refuse entry to those who do not comply.
• Guests will be subject to a temperature check before entering the park.
• Guests with the following conditions will not be allowed to enter the park:
  • Guests who have been in close contact with patients testing positive for COVID-19
  • Guests with family members or close friends who have high risk of infection
  • Guests who in the last 14 days have been to areas or countries from which the government has banned entry or in close contact with persons to which the above is applicable
• Guests with the following symptoms will not be allowed to enter the park:
  • Chills
  • Fever (37.5°C or higher)
  • Cough
  • Runny nose
  • Fatigue
  • Headache
  • Impaired sense of taste or smell
  • Diarrhea
  • Muscle aches
• If you feel unwell after entering the park, please notify a crew member immediately.
• Universal Studios Japan advises that guests who have a higher risk of complications from COVID-19, such as seniors and persons with chronic diseases, only visit the park after careful consideration ahead of time.

Attractions and Shows Changes & Safety Guidelines

The following attractions and shows will be temporarily closed:

• Universal Spectacle Night Parade -Best of Hollywood-
• Playland in Universal Wonderland
• Shrek’s 4-D Adventure
• Sesame Street 4-D Movie Magic

The following safety guidelines will be implemented at attractions and shows:

• In the queue of each attraction, there will be social distancing marks to show where guests should stand.
• At ride attractions, employees will thoroughly disinfect seats, seatbelts, and safety bars.
• Guests are asked to sanitize their hands before entering an attraction.
• Masks must be worn while waiting in line and for the duration of the ride.
• At the theater shows, guests will be seated at every other row, and the theaters have air circulation equipment to ensure adequate ventilation.
• Guests should maintain social distancing from other guests while enjoying shows. For the health and safety of yourself and those around you, guests are advised to face the same direction for the duration of the performance.
• Direct contact with performers will be prohibited, and guests are asked to maintain distance from them as they go on and off set.
• Character meet and greets as well as stage and street shows may be cancelled or modified.

News of the highly anticipated opening of Super Nintendo World has not been released. It is unknown at this time if the opening will be delayed or not.

Restaurants and Shops Safety Guidelines

The following safety guidelines will be implemented at restaurants and shops:

• Guests are advised to sanitize their hands before entering shops and restaurants and wear face masks at all times except when enjoying food or drinks.
  • Alcohol-based hand sanitizer has been placed at the entrances of restaurants and shops.
• Entry to restaurants and shops may be limited based on crowd levels.
• Marks will be placed in restaurant waiting areas to help guests maintain social distancing from other parties while waiting for a seat.
• Sanitation of all equipment used by guests including tables, chairs, and menus has been enhanced.
• Cash trays will be used at all cash registers.
• Crew members will sanitize their hands after each transaction.
• Shopping baskets have been removed from shops.
• Entrance doors at shops and restaurants will be kept open at all times for ventilation.

Event Information

When the park first closed, many events were being held. The following event dates have been changed:

• Universal Cool Japan 2020 will now end on July 5, 2020.
  • Detective Conan: The Escape and Detective Conan Mystery Restaurant have been closed.
  • Lupin the Third Ristorante Amore will end on June 28, 2020.
• “Doraemon: Nobita’s New Dinosaur” Meets “Jurassic World” will now end on July 22, 2020.
• One Piece Premier Summer, including the One Piece Premier Show 2020 and Sanji’s Pirate Restaurant, have been cancelled.
• Universal Easter Celebration 2020 is still slated to end on June 28, 2020.
• Monster Hunter World: Iceborne XR Walk has been postponed.

Ticket Refunds

Park tickets, Express Passes, VIP tours, event tickets, special attraction tickets, and nearly every ticket sold for Universal Studios Japan will be eligible for a full refund if they are dated for any time between February 29 and June 18, 2020.

For those who purchased tickets from Universal Studios’ web ticket store, log in to your Club Universal account at this link (in Japanese only) to view your purchase history and start the procedure for a refund. Home delivery fees will also be eligible for refunds.

For those who purchased tickets at a Lawson convenience store, follow the instructions at this link (in Japanese only) to get a refund.

For tickets purchased from travel agencies, Universal Studios Japan Partner Hotels, group tours, etc., please contact a sales representative or hotel representative for information on ticket refunds. Universal Studios Japan will only give refunds for tickets directly purchased at the park or its web ticket store.

For those with an Annual Pass that has a validity date any time between February 29, 2019, to June 18, 2020, or those who renewed their pass to start any time during the closure, the validity date will be automatically extended by 111 days to compensate for the amount of days the park was closed. You can check your pass’s new validity date at this page (in Japanese only).

For those who purchased a new Annual Pass that was supposed to start any time between February 29 through June 18, 2020, the pass will be cancelled and fully refunded. Log in to your Club Universal account for details.

Information from the Universal Studios Japan website.