Close Menu
Inside Universal
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube Threads
    Saturday, May 24
    Trending
    • Universal Orlando shares Grand Opening Day hours and details for Guests
    • What’s Happening at the Universal Parks – Week of May 19, 2025
    • Universal Orlando announces 2025 Summer offerings; including limited-time experiences & entertainment
    • Universal Orlando to celebrate Jaws 50th Anniversary with limited-time Amity area
    Inside Universal
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube LinkedIn Threads
    • Home
    • News
      • Hollywood
        • Photo Updates
        • CityWalk Hollywood
        • Halloween Horror Nights – Hollywood
        • Events
      • Orlando
        • Photo Updates
        • Universal Studios Florida
        • Islands of Adventure
        • Epic Universe
        • Universal’s Volcano Bay
        • CityWalk Orlando
        • Universal Resorts
        • Halloween Horror Nights – Orlando
        • Events
      • Japan
        • Photo Updates
        • Events
      • Singapore
      • Beijing
      • Other Universal Destinations
      • Outside Universal
        • Walt Disney World
        • SeaWorld Orlando
        • Around Orlando
        • Disneyland Resort
        • Knott’s Berry Farm
        • Around California
    • Forums
    • Inside Universal Podcast
    • Features
    • Merchandise
    Inside Universal
    Home»Universal Studios Hollywood»Photo Updates»Universal Studios Japan – Part 2 – The Familiar

    Universal Studios Japan – Part 2 – The Familiar

    December 11, 2014 Photo Updates By Chris Glass
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email Reddit Copy Link

    December 11, 2014 – Welcome to part two of our look at Universal Studios Japan. In the last update we took a look at simply getting into the park and buying a ticket. Today we’ll mosey on over to some familiar attractions you might recognize. Jurassic Park, Backdraft and Jaws are all represented. And of course, I’d be remiss to not cover the most requested attraction at the park. When asked what you wanted covered at the park, Back to the Future even seemed to get more attention than the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

    So let’s dive in!

    Photo Index

    » Amity Village
    » WaterWorld
    » Jurassic Park
    » San Francisco

    Amity Village

    DSC06990

    We’ve braved the crowds, so let’s see what our first attraction will be. In the distance is Jurassic Park, but let’s see what Amity Island has to offer first.

    DSC06991

    On the way over, we walk by these rocks. The waiting area for Potter. Don’t worry. We’ll go over that later.

    P1300552

    I wonder what this could be leading to?

    P1300562

    Okay. At this point it should be obvious.

    P1300553

    That’s a lot of people waiting to see a tour.

    DSC07624

    Here’s JAWS! Make no bones about it, it’s easy to make out the attraction location, as long as you can see over the crowds of Potterheads.

    DSC07625

    All of their attractions have these columns out front indicating the wait time and other things. Unique take on wait time boards.

    DSC07626

    And for whatever reason, if you fear water, they have poncho vending machines. Themed nicely.

    DSC07627

    Before boarding the boat, you have to take a walking tour of the artifacts of Amity Harbour.

    DSC07635

    Believe me, there’s no shortage of this stuff.

    DSC07636

    You could spend all day going over all the little details in the queue.

    DSC07640

    And the attraction is kind of self aware about itself. Putting the movies as bits of their history. Real events, so to speak.

    DSC07649

    It’s such an eclectic mix. Silly props. Vintage props. Things that just really look like they actually belong in a museum.

    DSC07656

    What business does a queue for a shark ride need all this attention? It doesn’t make perfect sense, but I love it.

    DSC07663

    This is a ticket stand, not used as far as I can tell. But they make it look 100% functional.

    DSC07664

    Out here is the first of the many extended queue areas. It’s hard to tell what is and what isn’t an extended queue, due to consistently large crowds.

    DSC07672

    Similar to how Disney California Adventure added fake power poles for their Red Car Trolleys, Amity Harbour features fake power lines to bring home the old rustic village feeling.

    DSC07676

    And there’s more queue, in case what we had wasn’t enough.

    DSC07688

    If you needed a reason to know what JAWS stood for, there you go.

    DSC07706

    Unfortunately this is where we skip ahead a bit. Universal Studios Japan – and just Japan in particular – is very aggressive about photography. They will do everything in their power to prevent you from ruining electronics and getting in the way of others. That often means they don’t want ANY pictures during ANY rides. I tried as best I could, but sometimes I didn’t feel like having someone politely tell me to put it away. So between this picture and the previous one, just pretend you saw pictures of a Japanese tour guide holding a comically large shotgun narrating a tour while we get attacked several times by a shark.

    DSC07707

    Good. Now that I moved beyond that, their gift shop is stunning. The selection there really impressed me – far beyond anything else I saw at the park.

    DSC07708

    A lot of stores had RC cars out for demonstration. Yes. That’s a shark RC car.

    DSC07715

    I’d have to estimate about 1/3 of all things in the gift shops were edible. They really loved selling boxes and cartons of cookies.

    DSC07719

    But not everything. There were a lot of the Nanoblock brand brick models around. Here you can see the Universal globe and a Jaws shark model for sale. I did purchase that Universal Globe. Please let me know if you want to see it constructed.

    DSC07724

    Also little shark stick things. I wish I knew what they were for.

    DSC07716

    “It’s yummy!”

    DSC07718

    There was a lot of effort put into this land. Pretty amazing when you consider how long ago Jaws was released.

    DSC07726

    Even the area outside the attraction, across the way, was themed. It was just little things that keeps everyone entertained.

    P1300556

    The size of the land is huge. All for a single attraction.

    P1300559

    Even the food was themed to a silly degree.

    DSC07158

    And that wraps up a look at the Jaws Amity area. Here it is from across the lake. In the background you can see Hogwarts and also the Snoopy Wonderland building.

    DSC07177

    Let’s walk across the bridge and see where that takes us.

    WaterWorld

    P1300566

    Here’s a peek at WaterWorld. It’s a similar stunt show to our own. But like Jaws, it is a bit more themed than you’d expect.

    P1300563

    Even the food cart looks amazing.

    P1300565

    Sadly, they do not do many shows per day. It’s very easy to miss the show, thinking you can see it later.

    Jurassic Park

    P1300567

    But if we can’t do WaterWorld, we can see the Lost World. All around the park you can find these dual-language plaques explaining that this is supposed to be from the movie set. I highly doubt Universal shipped over the Jurassic Park gate, but what do I know?

    P1300568

    A lot of the Jurassic Park land is tongue-in-cheek humor.

    P1300623

    And a lot of cute touches. Japan loves vending machines. Some feared that they would appear tacky in the theme parks, but even Tokyo Disneyland has them. Unlike in America where many machines are ugly and guarded by thick black wire boxes, Japan features the most detailed vending machines you could imagine.

    DSC07178

    >And the Jurassic Park area has no shortage of props or areas to pose next toy. Do you see the hidden dinos?

    DSC07180

    See? Little details like that everywhere.

    DSC07181

    In Japan, they love waiting in line. This was a short line for hot dogs.

    DSC07195

    This was a line for turkey legs. If you can see, there’s a switchback queue setup. The line actually goes all the away around the entire structure and all around the land. It was longer than the line for the Jurassic Park: The Ride itself. No joke.

    DSC07198

    The menu is kept extremely simple. So the line moves fast. But it’s still a long, long wait.

    DSC07204

    Thankfully those aren’t the only two areas for food in the land. By my rough count there’s a half-dozen. But they are not always open.

    DSC07203

    It’s a wide variety of food.

    DSC07187

    And some even come with a glove in the shape of a dinosaur.

    DSC07188

    >And even feature some mainstay props from Orlando.

    DSC07728

    But some places will close if the crowds aren’t super huge. It’s a little disturbing thinking about how much of the park is just crowded food locations.

    DSC07194

    Once you’ve eaten, you can finally go toward the actual ride.

    DSC07185

    I covered this on the Inside Universal podcast, but the ride is like an alternate version of Florida’s. It’s mirrored, and the final 1/4 of the ride is completely different and plussed up. A lot more gimmicks and tricks in the building before the drop. Everything is better.

    DSC07212

    Regardless of the differences, Jurassic Park: The Ride still ends with the classic drop. And that’s all that matters.

    DSC07193

    All told, like Amity Harbour, Jurassic Park is a beautiful land.

    DSC07200

    They even have weird street shows where a puppeted dinosaur runs through the land.

    DSC07731

    And inside the restaurants are the familiar dinosaur skeletons we know and love.

    DSC07738

    Even the speakers get the familiar touch.

    DSC07739

    The gift shop features some rather cute merchandise.

    DSC07741

    But it also has bizarre merchandise. I suppose Engrish isn’t completely unavoidable, even in a professional environment.

    DSC07163

    And as we leave there, we walk to the San Francisco area.

    San Francisco

    DSC07152

    Around here, it’s not too different from Orlando. Some structures look familiar.

    DSC07149

    Japan even has a Ghirardelli.

    DSC07147

    And of course there’s weird places, like the Happiness Cafe.

    DSC07145

    I feel like I’m repeating myself, but the amount of attention given to this park is unparalleled. Keep in mind, the majority of these guests don’t speak English. These signs are unintelligble to most of them, yet they still made sure to get it authentic.

    DSC07122

    After seeing all this food, you do get hungry. We decided to go to Elmo’s Sweet Waffle Shop. Remember, in Universal Studios Japan, Elmo is everywhere. It’s not just confined to a kid’s area. The big three (Elmo, Hello Kitty and Snoopy) are everywhere in the park.

    DSC07125

    And while it is a shop for food, it’s also a gift shop. They made sure to get their Christmas merchandise (mostly food) out early. Here is a Santa Snoopy food selection.

    DSC07126

    Right next to it is a stack of Jason masks that come with a bag of red blood icing. The contrast is hilarious.

    DSC07127

    To the right of that is Halloween Hello Kitty merchandise. It feels a lot like Hot Topic.

    DSC07130

    And more Snoopy Halloween merchandise.

    DSC07216

    There’s so much merchandise in these food places, you forget it’s still a Waffle shop.

    DSC07218

    …even with all the decorations outside of it.

    DSC07220

    It’s not just here, but all over Japan. They love gourmet Belgian waffles. Every convience stores sells them.

    DSC07221

    Curiously, I spotted this on the wall. Not only is an exposed electrical outlet, but it’s an American plug. In Japan, they don’t have the ground plug. I’m not exactly sure why this exists there.

    DSC07222

    And like all Asian theme park restuarant locations, they have the food on display.

    DSC07223

    >The price isn’t extremely terrible. About $3 USD for a fresh waffle, soaked in maple syrup.

    DSC07229

    Of course, it’s best to get a 5-pack to go.

    DSC07230

    It’s delicately packaged, with reheating labels.

    DSC07231

    You don’t get a choice of the five waffles in 5-pack. But you get a good selection.

    DSC07224

    If waffles aren’t your style, other restaurants are around, like traditional Japanese food.

    DSC07225

    Or pizza. Pepperoni and cheese are available, but they lots of other varied toppings.

    DSC07226

    It should be noted that pizza in other countries is usually widely different than American pizza. So seeing just a cheese/pepperoni selection at “Fast Louie’s” (as compared to the full menu inside) is shocking.

    DSC07227

    Even Baskin Robbins is all over the park. They even have a shop in Amity Harbour.

    DSC07214

    There is no shortage of food places. Even if this one is closed for special bookings. This is a Halloween Horror Nights location. A restaruant where you are blindfolded and aren’t told what you are about to eat. I’ll cover this in a future update.

    P1300541

    And make sure to plan out your bathroom breaks in advance. A 20-minute wait for the ladies isn’t uncommon on busy days. Yes. This is just a line to get in the bathroom.

    P1300542

    And be aware of what stall you pick. Make note of the blue square on top of the door. Some stalls are the traditional Japanese squat toilets.

    P1300543

    Even if you pick the proper toilet, they include plenty of instructions on how to use it.

    DSC07137

    Of course, I’ve saved the best attraction in this part for last.

    DSC07132

    Everyone was begging on our social media outlets to cover Backdraft. You wanted it? You got it!

    P1300629

    The interior of Backdraft resembles a firehouse.

    P1300630

    A beautiful firehouse, where things catch on fire.

    P1300631

    It should be noted that this attraction is not in English at all. Nothing. All the English audio is even dubbed over.

    P1300633

    But fire works well in any language. Again, I want to reiterate the difficulty of snapping “on ride” photos.

    DSC07045

    If you’ve made it this far, congratulations. This is what you came for. Well, at least, it’s the main reason I came to the park – Back to the Future The Ride.

    DSC07046

    Before you can even get to the Institute, you have to walk around the gift shop. (Don’t worry, we’ll cover that in just a few photos to come…)

    DSC07047

    You can just make it out as you round the shop.

    DSC07049

    And right behind you is a DeLorean time machine, just begging for you to photograph and pose next to.

    DSC07050

    Additionally, this and many other attractions have special “Sadako” versions during Halloween Horror Nights after 6:00 PM. However, little, if any, changes are percieved.

    DSC07051

    The wait for this ride is pretty big on busy days. However, it’s not always a huge wait.

    DSC07052

    Seeing all the lab coated employees directing the crowd brings a giddy feeling to Back to the Future fans.

    DSC07053

    But you better get ready to get stuck in a long, boring, unthemed, extended queue. Oh, look. I found Waldo.

    DSC07055

    Your only respite from staring at the backs of heads here is the occasional water fountain.

    DSC07057

    And some fading inaccurate plaques explaining that apparently the Institute of Future Technology was in the original movie.

    DSC07061

    Finally after winding and snaking your way through the human traffic jam, you end up back at the entrance and regret not finding some way to get the Express pass.

    DSC07065

    Here, the queue details actually begin to emerge.

    DSC07071

    Doc Brown explains all the goings on. The monitors are quite old and suffer from heavy, heavy burn-in.

    DSC07076

    Because of how the breaks in the line are needed for the Express pass, a lot of the queue is unused.

    DSC07077

    Whole sides of the building sit untravelled because of the need to split up two classes of guests.

    DSC07081

    Eventually you make your way to the pre-show. Where a 3-story Rube Goldberg-esque contraption is taking place on either side of you.

    DSC07086

    It’s quite fascinating to watch the balls move around.

    DSC07087

    Eventually the video begins to play, explaining the story of the ride, about how Biff steals a time machine. Unfortunately, that’s also when the cast members come out and begin talking over the video to direct people to their vehicles. In Japan, pacing on attractions is something they don’t prioritize. Stories aren’t important. Merely touching on an effect is enough to justify moving on. Even if it means sacrificing understanding.

    DSC07091

    Once inside the loading room, you can really get close to the details all around you.

    DSC07094

    Recognize any of these schematics?

    DSC07095

    Some of these are modifications on existing concepts.

    DSC07099

    And others leave a bit to be desired.

    DSC07100

    But it’s hard to argue when there’s a flux capacitor right in the room next to you.

    DSC07105

    Once the final preshow finishes, it’s time to board the vehicle and catch Biff.

    DSC07090

    Again, photography of the rides themselves is difficult. So simply pretend that you are where the arrows are pointing and smile.

    DSC07107

    Upon exiting, you feel obligated to enter the gift shop. Inside are many themed items.

    DSC07108

    Posters, bouncing balls, and DVDs are within reach.

    DSC07109

    Even Matchbox-style cars are for sale.

    DSC07115

    And, like in Amity Harbour, you can even try out the RC car in a little box.

    DSC07110

    Their model cars sold are somewhat different from ours, and include characters.

    DSC07111

    Some slightly upscale merchandise is also included. Like laser-etched crystal cubes.

    DSC07112

    The model car boxes themselves are a treat.

    DSC07113

    And if you somehow traveled back to 1930s New York, this pocket watch would help you fit right in.

    DSC07114

    The store is a great place. Once again, there’s remarkable attention to detail.

    DSC07117

    But just like in Disney parks, character-creep happens. Slowly the store may likely be taken over by Elmo, Snoopy and Hello Kitty.

    DSC07787

    That won’t stop it from being the best darn time traveling ride ever made, though. It’s a beautiful building, especially at night. I hope it sticks around for a long time to come.

    P1300656

    Well, that wraps up this update. We’ve covered a lot of the attractions at the park. But there’s a lot more ground to cover. Goodbye for now!

    Thanks for reading, and we’ll see you in the next installment in our Universal Studios Japan series. If you haven’t done so already, be sure to read part one.

    Chris Glass

    Chris Glass is an editor for Inside Universal.

    Chris is a Los Angeles native who grew up visiting the best theme parks in the world, but that wasn’t enough. Whenever he has the chance, he flees the comfort of Southern California to see what the rest of the world has to offer, and is always happy to return home.

    You may contact Chris at chrisglass@insideuniversal.net.


    amity village Back to the Future Back to the Future: The Ride japan jaws jurassic jurassic park Universal Studios Japan Waterworld
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Previous ArticlePhoto Update: December 7, 2014 – Grinchmas, Potter, Despicable Me and More
    Next Article Grinchmas 2014 Overview and Review
    Chris Glass
    • X (Twitter)

    Editor

    Related Posts

    Universal Orlando

    Universal Orlando announces 2025 Summer offerings; including limited-time experiences & entertainment

    May 16, 2025
    Universal Orlando

    Universal Orlando to celebrate Jaws 50th Anniversary with limited-time Amity area

    May 16, 2025
    Features

    What’s Happening at the Universal Parks – Week of May 12, 2025

    May 12, 2025
    LATEST POSTS

    Universal Orlando shares Grand Opening Day hours and details for Guests

    May 19, 2025

    What’s Happening at the Universal Parks – Week of May 19, 2025

    May 19, 2025

    Universal Orlando announces 2025 Summer offerings; including limited-time experiences & entertainment

    May 16, 2025

    Universal Orlando to celebrate Jaws 50th Anniversary with limited-time Amity area

    May 16, 2025

    Universal Orlando changes smoking policy; removes smoking areas within theme parks

    May 15, 2025
    About Inside Universal

    Inside Universal is a website dedicated to covering Universal Parks & Resorts, specifically Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando. Our team of editors is committed to providing fact-based, non-sensationalist content that educates and informs our readers while still focused on having fun.

    Inside Universal aims to maintain a rational perspective, allowing us to offer commentary, news, and analysis about Universal Parks. Our mission is to provide you, the reader, with accurate and in-depth reporting to the best of our ability. This is our goal - nothing more, nothing less.

    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube LinkedIn Threads
    JOIN THE DISCUSSION ON OUR FORUMS
    If you’re looking to have your Universal-related question answered, or if you’d simply like to chat about the park’s future developments, Inside Universal's forums is the Internet’s leading unofficial forum dedicated to Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando. MEI Travel
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube LinkedIn Threads
    • About Us
    • Masthead
    • Contact
    • Legal
    • Privacy Policy
    © 2025 All Rights Reserved - Inside Universal is not affiliated with Comcast, NBCUniversal, Universal Parks & Resorts, or Universal Destinations & Experiences. You may not copy, redistribute, publish, sell, or otherwise make the original contents of this website available to third parties unless you have received prior authorization from Inside Universal.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT