What you’ll learn in this article
- Forecasts for crowded and less crowded days at USJ in September 2026
- Crowd trends after Halloween Horror Nights begins and during Silver Week
- Predicted opening times and when to arrive for a more comfortable visit
USJ Crowd Forecast for September 2026
USJ crowd forecast for September 2026
Halloween Horror Nights starts on Friday, September 11. A JCB private event is scheduled for September 10.
September is less crowded than October, but the number of visitors increases from the evening onward.
USJ’s rules change from September 1! If ticket sales are strong, admission prices will be raised over time from the initially announced price.
Buying earlier can save you money.
The information shown here reflects the prices when they were first announced. Check the button below for the latest prices.
Earn Rakuten Points when purchasing USJ tickets
| Date | Price tier | Adult price | Child price | Park hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 1 (Tue) |
Lowest | ¥8,400 | ¥5,500 | 9:00-20:00 |
| September 2 (Wed) |
Low | ¥8,900 | ¥5,700 | 9:00-20:00 |
| September 3 (Thu) |
Low | ¥8,900 | ¥5,700 | 9:00-20:00 |
| September 4 (Fri) |
Mid | ¥9,900 | ¥6,200 | 8:30-21:30 |
| September 5 (Sat) |
Mid | ¥9,900 | ¥6,200 | 8:00-22:00 |
| September 6 (Sun) |
Mid | ¥9,400 | ¥5,800 | 8:30-21:30 |
| September 7 (Mon) |
Low | ¥8,900 | ¥5,700 | 9:00-21:00 |
| September 8 (Tue) |
Lowest | ¥8,400 | ¥5,500 | 8:30-21:30 |
| September 9 (Wed) |
Low | ¥8,900 | ¥5,700 | 9:00-19:00 |
| September 10 (Thu) |
Mid | ¥9,900 | ¥6,200 | 8:30-18:30 |
| September 11 (Fri) |
Mid | ¥9,900 | ¥6,200 | 8:30-21:30 |
| September 12 (Sat) |
High | ¥10,900 | ¥6,800 | 8:30-21:30 |
| September 13 (Sun) |
High | ¥10,900 | ¥6,800 | 8:30-21:30 |
| September 14 (Mon) |
High | ¥10,900 | ¥6,800 | 8:30-21:30 |
| September 15 (Tue) |
Mid | ¥9,900 | ¥6,200 | 8:00-22:00 |
| September 16 (Wed) |
Mid | ¥9,900 | ¥6,200 | 8:00-22:00 |
| September 17 (Thu) |
Mid | ¥9,900 | ¥6,200 | 8:00-22:00 |
| September 18 (Fri) |
Mid | ¥9,900 | ¥6,200 | 8:00-22:00 |
| September 19 (Sat) |
High | ¥10,900 | ¥6,800 | 8:30-21:30 |
| September 20 (Sun) |
Highest | ¥11,900 | ¥7,400 | 8:00-22:00 |
| September 21 (Mon) |
Highest | ¥11,900 | ¥7,400 | 9:00-21:30 |
| September 22 (Tue) |
Highest | ¥11,900 | ¥7,400 | 9:00-21:30 |
| September 23 (Wed) |
High | ¥10,900 | ¥6,800 | 9:00-21:30 |
| September 24 (Thu) |
High | ¥10,900 | ¥6,800 | 9:00-21:30 |
| September 25 (Fri) |
High | ¥10,900 | ¥6,800 | 9:00-21:00 |
| September 26 (Sat) |
Highest | ¥11,900 | ¥7,400 | 9:00-21:30 |
| September 27 (Sun) |
High | ¥10,900 | ¥6,800 | 9:00-21:30 |
| September 28 (Mon) |
Mid | ¥9,900 | ¥6,200 | 9:00-21:30 |
| September 29 (Tue) |
Mid | ¥9,900 | ¥6,200 | 8:00-22:00 |
| September 30 (Wed) |
Mid | ¥9,900 | ¥6,200 | 8:00-22:00 |
Annual Pass blackout dates
September 12–13 and 19–28
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This is a season when typhoons can lead to temporary park closures or earlier closing times. If a typhoon approaches Osaka, see this article on whether you can get home by train.
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Recent crowd conditions
Even on crowded days, the park is less crowded than last year.
Some people may also be holding off on visiting until the Pokémon area opens.
USJ has construction underway in many parts of the New York area, and the smaller number of street shows may also be a factor.
USJ’s new area, Donkey Kong Country opened in 2024.
Many visitors arrive early in the morning specifically for Donkey Kong.
USJ Wait Times by Crowd Level
USJ crowd levels are shown on a six-level scale.
For popular standard attractions such as The Flying Dinosaur, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, and Hollywood Dream – The Ride, waits can be 30 minutes or less during quieter periods, but can reach around three hours at busy times.
The crowd forecast uses the following guidelines.
Guide to daytime wait times by USJ crowd level
- Very quiet: Many attractions have 5–20 minute waits. There are not many people.
- Quiet: Many waits are 20–50 minutes.
- Normal: Many waits are 40–80 minutes. There are many people, and restaurants have lines.
- Crowded: Popular attractions often have waits of 100 minutes or more. Expect lines for restaurants and restrooms.
- Very crowded: Popular attractions often have 2–3 hour waits. The park is crowded enough to make walking difficult, and restaurant and restroom lines are long.
- Extremely crowded: The park is so packed that walking is difficult. Many waits exceed two hours.
However, Donkey Kong’s Crazy Mine Cart can have a three-hour wait even on less crowded days.
It is so popular that the wait can reach four hours on crowded days.
Why is this day crowded?
We are often asked why certain days are forecast to be crowded, very crowded, or extremely crowded.
Here are some common reasons for heavy crowds.
Crowded days: Annual Pass blackout dates
Annual Pass blackout dates tend to be crowded.
Because Annual Passes without blackout dates are expensive, more junior-high, high-school, and university students have Annual Pass Lite.
As a result, the day before, the day after, and two days after Annual Pass Lite blackout dates tend to be crowded.
However, because admission prices on blackout dates have recently been high, the blackout dates themselves can sometimes be less crowded.
• A day when the Standard Annual Pass, one of the two Annual Pass types, cannot be used for admission
• Days expected to be crowded are designated as blackout dates
Crowded days: Substitute holidays
Elementary school sports days and class observation days are often held on Saturdays, making Monday a substitute holiday.
Many families from Osaka, Hyogo, and Kyoto visit on Mondays that are substitute holidays.
Crowded days: Spring break and winter break
During spring break, many graduating students on graduation trips and many families visit.
Winter break also brings many visitors.
* During summer vacation, the intense heat and the availability of events outside USJ mean that many days are not extremely crowded.
Which is more crowded, Saturday or Sunday?
Crowd levels do not differ much between Saturday and Sunday.
If anything, Sunday tends to have more visitors. However, June, September, and October are seasons for sports days and class observation days, so during those periods Saturday is more crowded. (because Sunday attendance decreases)
During the Halloween season, the park closes late, but many people are likely to leave before 7:00 p.m. on Sundays.
During the Halloween season, some days run until 10:00 p.m., so Saturdays become crowded after 3:00 p.m. as visitors enter after 3:00 p.m. and stay into the night.
Sundays are crowded in the morning but should start to ease after 6:30 p.m.
During the Christmas season, closing time is around 9:00 p.m., so a later time, when the Christmas tree area becomes less crowded, is recommended.
Which weekdays are less crowded?
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays are less crowded than other days
Mondays can be more crowded than weekends when they are substitute holidays after elementary or junior-high school events held one or two days earlier.
Fridays become crowded because more travelers come from farther away.
During the Halloween season, crowds become very heavy from Friday evening.
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■ About USJ opening times
USJ opens about 5–90 minutes earlier than the time announced on the official website on almost every day.
The final opening time may sometimes be moved earlier at short notice depending on morning crowds. However, because Early Park In guests were previously told the early-opening time three days in advance and crew members need decisions and notifications about earlier start times, it appears that USJ determines opening times by forecasting crowd levels based on factors such as the number of guests staying at USJ official hotels, the number of USJ tickets sold (on-hand bookings and booking curve), and the weather forecast.
* Early Park In has ended.
If the forecast changes from sunny to rainy within a few days of a date expected to be crowded, the park may still open early even if it is very quiet that morning.
As a result, first-time visitors may not know what time the park will actually open.
Please use this site’s forecast information as a reference.
Attractions with shorter waits on crowded days
Which weekdays are less crowded?
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