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Halloween is the one time of year when Universal Studios Japan (USJ) in Osaka becomes two parks in a single day. Before 6 p.m. it's a bright, family-friendly costume event; after 6 p.m. it turns into an adults-first horror night, with the most street zombies USJ has ever put out. 2026 also marks the 15th anniversary of Halloween Horror Nights.
If you're planning a visit, the decisions that actually matter are what time of day to visit, whether you need an Express Pass, when to buy your tickets, and how the park's first-ever R-18 attraction works. Here's what to sort out before you go, based on USJ's official announcements.
A single Studio Pass covers the whole operating day, so one ticket takes you from family trick-or-treat straight into zombie night. Only Lights Out needs a ticket of its own.
If you're also spending time near Tokyo, Halloween at Tokyo Disney Resort 2026 runs during the same weeks.
Dates: why day and night are two different events
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The overall autumn event, "Universal Extreme Autumn ~Discover U!!!~", runs from September 10 (Thu) to November 8 (Sun), 2026. The nighttime horror program, Halloween Horror Nights, starts one day later, on September 11 (Fri), and also ends November 8. If your heart is set on the horror side, note that September 10 is daytime-only.
From park opening until 6 p.m., the whole park turns into a Trick or Treat event for families. Costumed kids collect candy, and daytime greetings include the Minion "Belloween" characters and the Hogwarts Castle Walk (10 a.m.–6 p.m.).
At 6 p.m. the mood flips. The signature Street Zombies roam from 6 p.m. until park close, and a segment called Zombie de Dance gets zombies and guests dancing together to "SO BAD" by the Japanese band King Gnu.
Because the after-6 p.m. zombies are genuinely intense, families with young children are best off treating this as a daytime visit and wrapping up around the 6 p.m. switch.
Opening and closing times shift from day to day, and the closing time that ends the horror night is not fixed. Once your date is set, check USJ's official operating-hours calendar so you know when the night actually ends.
Halloween Horror Nights 2026: the mazes and shows
The 15th-anniversary lineup leans hard into film and manga tie-ins. Expect long waits on peak dates for these:
- Resident Evil Requiem: The Dive — a new attraction for the series' 30th anniversary (known in Japan as "Biohazard"), set in an abandoned hotel and built around a plunging "Dive" ride system.
- Sadako's Curse ~Dark Horror Ride~ — a ride-through starring Sadako, the ghost from The Ring (Ringu).
- Chainsaw Man: The Chaos 4-D — a 4-D attraction based on the hit manga.
- KATE Presents "The Witch of No. 18" — a witch's-house walkthrough made with the Japanese cosmetics brand KATE.
- Factory of Fear ~Tour of Despair~ — a zombie-lined walkthrough.
- Halloween Horror Nights Academy ~15 Years of Screams~ — a show marking the 15th anniversary.
Whether a given maze runs daily or only on select dates can shift as the season goes on. If there's one you don't want to miss, check the day-of listings in USJ's official app or website for your visit date.
Lights Out: Nightmare Isolation — the R-18 attraction
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The one thing to flag before you build a group plan is "Lights Out: Nightmare Isolation" (残像 / Zanzō), the first R-18 attraction in the history of Halloween Horror Nights.
Anyone 17 or under cannot enter. Even guests 18 and over must agree to a waiver before taking part. It runs at Stage 18 from 10 a.m. to park close, so it operates during the day as well as at night.
It needs a separate ticket, priced from ¥1,900, on sale since July 27, 2026 on the official site.
Only Lights Out: Nightmare Isolation is rated R-18. Halloween Horror Nights as a whole is not an 18-and-over event, so don't let the R-18 label scare off a family trip.
Tickets and Express Passes: what to book before you arrive
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To get in, you first need a Studio Pass (park admission). For entry from September 1, 2026, USJ moved to a new pricing structure: a 1-day adult pass now starts at ¥8,400 on the cheapest dates. Prices are dynamic — they vary by date and can rise after tickets go on sale — so busier dates cost more, and buying early through the official site is the safe play.
An Express Pass isn't required. On a quieter weekday you can often get around without one, but weekends and the stretch from late October into early November tend to be the busiest, and that's when it pays off. If you're on the fence, check the wait times for popular attractions in USJ's official app before you decide.
During Halloween, the limited-time Express sets start at ¥11,800 (the exact price depends on your entry date), and they split into two types depending on whether Lights Out is included.
To ride Lights Out with priority, choose the set that includes it: Universal Express Pass 3+1 ~Halloween Set & Lights Out~. It guarantees one Lights Out experience, plus one priority entry to each of Factory of Fear, Jurassic Park The Ride ~in the Dark~, and Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.
The sets that don't include Lights Out, such as Universal Express Pass 4 ~Halloween Set~, won't get you into it. If you only want Lights Out, you can also buy its ¥1,900 single ticket on its own. Because the covered attractions differ by set, check the official site for exactly what's included before you buy.
Getting there, hours, and what to wear
USJ's closest station is Universal City Station on the JR Yumesaki Line (Sakurajima Line), about a 5-minute walk from the park gates. From JR Osaka Station it's roughly 11–12 minutes by direct train.
Two things to confirm for your date: the opening and closing times on USJ's official calendar, and the day's Studio Pass price. If you want Lights Out, secure either its single ticket or the 3+1 pass ahead of time.
One more thing first-timers forget: autumn evenings in Osaka cool down, and by late October and November the night air can feel cold once the sun sets. If you're staying for Street Zombies after 6 p.m., bring a warm layer you can throw on.
This article was translated from the original Japanese with AI assistance and reviewed by our editorial team. The Japanese version is authoritative.
