The Simple Guide to Halloween Horror Nights at USJ – 2026 Edition

Halloween Horror Nights is an annual event at Universal Studios parks around the world, but the event at Universal Studios Japan works a little differently from those at the US Parks, so here’s what you need to know…

Article by Helen Foster. Disclosure: Some links in this post are affiliate links. See our Affiliate Disclosure.

First written in July 2024 and updated in August 2026 with this year’s new attractions and dates. Information is sourced from the USJ Press Release on Halloween Horror Nights and personal experience attending the event.

When is Halloween Horror Nights Taking Place?

This year, 2026, it will start on September 11th and run until November 8th.

The Main Difference Between Japan and the US Parks

You don’t need a separate ticket to enjoy the spooky fun.

At Universal Studios Japan, Halloween Horror Nights is included in the regular admission with the Studio Pass, and some events even take place during the day.

You can book your Studio Pass directly with USJ, or if your card is not accepted on the official site, you can book it through Klook. Find it quickly here.

If you want to skip the queues at the indoor attractions, you can also buy a specific Halloween Horror Nights Express Passes – more on those later.

Passes go on sale approximately two months before the day you wish to enter.

Is There an Age Limit?

The park itself is open to everyone, but some Horror Nights areas or attractions do have a suggested minimum age (with or without parents). A couple of the indoor attractions have an official age restriction, with this year seeing the first R-18 attraction.

Find the specifics below.

Image from USJ Press materials. Used with permission. @2026 Universal Studios. All rights reserved

What Attractions Are There?

You can split the attractions at Halloween Horror Nights into two parts: the cute and the scary. The exact attractions vary by year, but generally, you can expect characters in spooky garb, Halloween dance parties, 4-D cinema experiences and haunted house-type attractions where you come face-to-face with scary stuff.

As the attractions in the park are primarily in Japanese and are often related to anime characters, I’ll give you a quick backstory to get you up to speed.

This year is the 15th Anniversary of Halloween Horror Nights, and they seem to be doubling down on the scary!

Image from USJ Press materials. Used with permission. @KADOKAWA @2026 Universal Studios. All rights reserved

What’s New This Year

• Lights Out: Nightmare Isolation – totally new, rated R18
• Resident Evil Requiem: The Dive – a new version of the immersive experience
• JAWS gets a makeover
• Sadako’s Curse is the VR overlay on Space Fantasy
• Timed entry tickets are required for more attractions
• Lights Out: Nightmare Isolation also requires a separate paid ticket
• More options for HHN-specific Express Passes
• More attraction options are available throughout the whole day
• New songs and other small tweaks to change things up

Here’s a specific breakdown of what’s on offer for the 2026 USJ Horror Nights.

Cute Stuff

This is the daytime element of Halloween Horror Nights, and it sees some of the cuter characters getting in on the fun. These events are open to all ages.

Minion Belloween Greeting

Get pictures with your favourite Minions dressed up in spooky garb.

This takes place in the Hollywood area and in front of Minion Park. Last year’s costumes were super cute, so I’d expect the same this year.

Find the exact timings on the app for the day you’re visiting, as it will vary.

Costumed Characters

You’ll also find plenty of other characters in their best Halloween-inspired costumes for pictures and other fun. These include cute characters like Snoopy, Hello Kitty and the Sesame Street gang.

You’ll also find photo opportunities with ‘scary’ characters like Smiley – a demonic pumpkin – and Hami-Kuma; more on them in a minute.

Trick or Treat

Ask the cast members carrying candy pouches for ‘Trick or Treat’, and see what happens.

Candy is available around the park until 5 pm (except in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Super Nintendo World).

Scary Stuff

These are the slightly scarier, evening-based activities at Halloween Horror Nights.

Street Zombies & Zombie de Dance

From 6 pm until park close

Cast members dressed as zombies roam the streets!

As with all zombies, these guys only come out at night. They come out at 6 pm and continue until the park closes.

They appear in seven different areas around the park, including the Jurassic Park area, Hollywood and New York. Each area has a different troop of zombies in different outfits with names like Psycho Circus and Possessed Playthings.

When we went, we found Zombie de Dance very underwhelming. It was raining, and so the parade down Main Street I was expecting didn’t happen. Instead, the displays took place in one part of the street, and people crowded around it for up to an hour before it started.

We waited and saw absolutely nothing as we were at the back (which is where there are no pictures!). If it’s raining and the layout is the same this year, don’t bother – the street zombies were kind of fun, though. You can smell the ones with chainsaws before you see them! However, crowds around them are quite large, and since they’re moving, you’ll want to keep a close eye on your kids (or shorter friends) in these areas.

Specific Warnings

It’s suggested that children under five don’t attend, but if they do, they must have an adult with them, which kind of suggests it won’t be TOO scary. Kids from 6 to 12 can be in the area without a guardian if they have an adult’s permission (I know, most of you probably wouldn’t leave a six-year-old exploring a theme park; I’m just giving you the rules). There are loud noises and other effects—they tell you to put your camera in a waterproof bag (I’m more scared about why I’m going to get potentially that wet than I am of the zombies!).

Background Info

I’m guessing I don’t need to explain zombies.

Lights Out: Nightmare Isolation

Open from 10 am until the park closes

Oooh, this sounds interesting – not only is it the first R-18 installation at USJ, but they are also giving nothing away about what it involves in the press material – and there’s an actual warning saying not to share what happens on social media or even tell other guests, or you will be removed from the park.

This is all I can tell you…

‘A true torment, unlike anything you have seen before.
The line between illusion and reality dissolves, and you find yourself staring into the abyss.
Face the nightmare. If you dare.’

One important note: while the HHN attractions are normally all included in your ticket, this attraction has an extra fee. It costs 1900 yen and, as of the day I write this, is only available on the Japanese USJ site. There is a limited number of tickets per day. You will also be able to buy it on the app on the day if it’s not sold out. Buy it here – it translates to Afterimage via machine translation.

Specific Warnings

No one 17 or under will be allowed inside, and you have to sign a waiver before you go in. I think I’m also allowed to tell you this from the warning so you’re prepared.

‘This attraction includes staging that may cause fear, disgust, distress, or excessive stress; staging in which participants enter a private room alone; and staging that equipment spraying participants with a liquid.’

You cannot wear open-toed shoes, heels, or wedges or carry a bag or handheld items inside.

Background Info

No idea!

Chainsaw Man: The Chaos 4-D

Available from Park Opening to Park Close

This movie-based attraction is located in the 4-D cinema at the front of the park in the Hollywood area. It promises ‘blood that spatters before your eyes.’ 4-D attractions normally use a mix of 3-D imagery and physical tricks (like smells, splashing water or gusts of air), plus seats that move or jolt, to reflect what’s happening on screen.

The story is that you’re going to watch a horror movie about Smiley the Pumpkin, but there are some rumours that bad things happen at this theatre around Halloween, so a few heroes are knocking around just in case, which is handy when Smiley goes rogue…

Scare Warnings

Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. If you don’t like ‘grotesque imagery ‘, it’s suggested you don’t visit. It will also get dark. Please also check the health warnings for the ride.

Background Info

As the attraction will be in Japanese, it’s handy to have a clue about its backstory, so here goes…

The movie is linked to the popular manga Chainsaw Man, which features the hero, Denji, who is part human, part cute chainsaw dog devil (don’t ask me to explain that), a merger that gave him the ability to turn parts of his body into chainsaws. Yes, I know, the person with the chainsaw arms might not sound like the good guy, but here he is. He now fights off evil Devils that put Japan at risk. There are some other bits to the story, too, but that’s all you need to know right now.

If you want to read a cheat guide about the characters that will appear in the movie, then USJ has a quick explainer here.

Chainsaw Max x Hollywood Dream – The Ride: IRIS OUT

Chainsaw Man also appears as part of Hollywood Dream-The Ride: Backdrop, the backwards version of the Hollywood Dream rollercoaster. On this, you can pick a tune to play while you ride, and the Chainsaw Man move theme tune, IRIS OUT, is offered as one of the options during Halloween Horror Nights.

Resident Evil Requiem: The Dive

Open from 10 am to park close – this will also be running after Halloween Horror Nights finishes. The end date is currently scheduled to be December 27th 2026.

Based on the video game Resident Evil Requiem, you find yourself on the outskirts of Raccoon City in the abandoned The Wrenwood Hotel hunting for FBI intelligence analyst Grace. She entered investigating a series of unexplained deaths – and never came out! Now you’ve come looking for her.

While most of Horror Nights is open to just queue for, this works slightly differently. You’ll either need a Timed Entry Ticket from the app (book this when you enter the park), or an Express Pass to get into the Resident Evil area.

The attraction is in a dedicated area in the New York area of the park. Even with an Express Pass, you will have to queue for a bit here as they let everyone in in waves – you just join the shorter queue to get to the holding area.

In 2025, they offered an English version of the show for the final hour of each day. I don’t see this mentioned this year, but ask at Guest Services if you’re interested; however, when we went to the prior Resident Evil show at HHN, it was only in Japanese but pretty easy to understand.

Scare Warnings

This attraction is not open to anyone under the age of 14. You shouldn’t go in if you don’t like grotesque imagery. You enter in open-toed shoes or heels. Strobe lights are used, and you might get wet.

Actors are walking around the attraction, so chances are you are going to jump a few times!

Note: The year I went, photography was allowed inside, but that is no longer the case.

Background Info

If you don’t know your video games, the backstory of Resident Evil is that a company called the Umbrella Corporation has developed a series of viruses that can mutate species – for example, turning humans into zombies and plants into things you wouldn’t give your gran.

Our hero, Leon, is a special agent who makes it their mission to fight the Umbrella Corporation and its creations.

See more about the heroes and the monsters you might encounter at the attraction here.

Factory of Fear: Zombie Tour

From 10 am to Park Close

This is a jump scare experience set in a ‘zombie factory’.

You’ll learn lots of gruesome facts about zombies on your ‘tour’, but then you’ll enter a closed room – and, oh no, what’s that over there…

It’s located on Stage 22 in the Hollywood Area of the park.

Timed entry tickets might be needed for this on busy days, so check the app when you arrive in the park.

Image from USJ Press materials. Used with permission. @2026 Universal Studios. All rights reserved

Scare Warnings

This has an age restriction of 14 and similar warnings to the other attractions re: no open-toed shoes, etc.

Background Info

Again, I probably don’t need to explain zombies, but you might wonder why you’re in a factory. This is based on the fact that many Japanese companies offer factory tours to show people how products are made – and this one seems to be manufacturing terrifying undead creatures, as you do.

Halloween Horror Nights Academy: 15 Years of Screams

Why wouldn’t you want to spend your evening dancing with a zombie bear? Hami-Kuma is kind of USJ’s official Horror Night mascot. He’s actually quite cute and has candy hanging out of his disembowelled stomach!

This year he is joined on stage by zombies and other ghouls from the last 15 years of Horror Nights, along with some of the tunes that local guests will associate with the event.

Scare Warnings

It is not recommended for children under five; those aged 6-13 are allowed with a guardian.

Background Info

Hami-Kuma’s story is that he was a dancing bear in a circus. People loved him, and the other performers got jealous. They thought he was too talented to be a real bear, so they cut him open to find out what was inside him (which definitely sounds like an issue for the circus HR department to me). They then burned down the big top to cover their tracks.

A demon brought Hami Kuma back from the dead but left his soul behind – although now it’s here and dancing the night away! This is why there’s a brown bear (Hami Kuma) and a white one (the soul of Hami Kuma). It also explains why he’s a bit battered and has a hole in his middle!

You’ll also find Hami Kuma-themed food and drink and merchandise around the park.

Kate Presents: Bewitching Mansion of Emotion

From 9 am to Park Close

Four witches await you in a mysterious mansion lit with neon lights. Guided by the witches, who are said to be able to read emotions, you’ll reveal a side of yourself you have never seen before in this magical makeover experience. You’ll also be rewarded with a secret potion. Judging by the promo pic, there are mirrors involved with this!

You’ll find this on Stage 18 right by the park’s entrance.

Image USJ Press Release. Used with permission.

Scare Warning

Children under 12 are not allowed inside.

Background Story

Kate is a Japanese makeup brand, rather than anything super spooky or an anime that you should be reading before your visit. This is held in Stage 18 of USJ.

Considering how many girls were dressed in outfits of the Mean Girls’ sexy mouse and sexy cat variety and filming dance videos in the backstreets when we were there, I get the feeling this might be quite popular! However, upon reading the description, I also think this one might be aimed more at Japanese speakers – perhaps ask the staff before spending much time queuing up for this one.

MAYBE: Death Eaters Takeover

This isn’t mentioned as happening in any of the official literature this year, but it’s been run the last few years, so I’ll mention it just in case. There can be a scary addition to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter featuring black-clad Death Eaters patrolling Hogsmeade as the Dark Mark is cast over the area.

Don’t worry, though; the residents of Hogsmeade aren’t taking things lying down…

Scare Warnings

None – there are no age restrictions on this, which probably means the characters are just wandering around rather than actively trying to scare guests. However, arachnophobes should be aware that there will be projections in the area and the giant spider Acromantula is mentioned.

Background Info

Chances are you’re not a stranger to the Harry Potter universe, but just in case, Death Eaters are dark wizards loyal to Lord Voldemort, Harry Potter’s nemesis, also known as ‘he who shall not be named.’

Hogwarts Castle Walk

This popular walk-through inside is opened up during Halloween Horror Nights and for the winter months. but it’s open between September 1st and January 4th. It’s open between 10 am and 6 pm.

Jurassic Park – the Ride in the Dark

As if the normal ride through this theme park of reanimated dinosaurs wasn’t already fraught with enough danger, take the ride after dark during Halloween Horror Nights, and there’s an added power cut that plunges the ride into darkness.

Image from USJ Press materials. Used with permission.@Universal Studios & Amblin Entertainment. All rights reserved

The attraction starts at 6.30 pm between Sept 11th and October 9th and from 6 pm from October 10th to November 8th.

If you want to see the ride normally, go through during the day before the HHN sends it dark.

JAWS: Red Alert

After dark, the JAWS ride gets scarier with extra fog and new lighting.

The attraction starts at 6.30 pm between Sept 11th and October 9th and from 6 pm between October 10th to November 8th.

If you want to see the ride normally, go through before these times.

Image from USJ Press materials. Used with permission. @2026 Universal Studios. All rights reserved

SADAKO’s Curse: Dark Horror Ride

The overlay on the Space Fantasy rides for HHN is based on the movie The Ring, where anyone watching a cursed videotape will die within a week – unless they can transfer the curse to someone else by copying the tape and making them watch it.

Special All Night Event: September 25th

On this night, the park is open from 10 pm until 5 am the next morning.

This is a separately ticketed event and only open to those 18 and over.

Tickets are available via Klook, and these allow access to the park from noon until 5 am the next day.

What Does the Horror Nights Express Pass Include?

Halloween Horror Nights draws big crowds, so queues can get long. You might, therefore, want to pick up one of the three special Express Pass 4s released for the event.

These are…

Halloween Set Chainsaw Man: Includes Jurassic Park – The Ride: In the Dark, Hollywood Dream, Factory of Fear: Zombie Tour and Chainsaw Man: Chaos 4D

Halloween Set Resident Evil Requiem: Includes Hollywood Dream: The Ride, Sadako’s Curse, Jurassic Park -The Ride: In the Dark and Resident Evil Requiem

Halloween Set Factory of Fear: Zombie Tour: Includes Resident Evil Requiem, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, JAWS Red Alert and Factory of Fear: Zombie Tour

Check availability and prices for your dates here. Select the Halloween button to find the right section.

Is the Horror Nights Express Pass Worth It?

We had the Express Pass when we went and, as, that year, most of the HHN events were in the evening, we were really glad to be walking straight past some long queues.

When I bought the passes, I picked times starting at 6 pm going up to 8 pm, but we’d had enough by about 7 pm, as we’d been in the park since opening – plus there was a lot of other stuff going on to try and see. This meant we skipped our slot for Chainsaw Man, and didn’t bother with Harry Potter as we’d ridden it earlier that day with a normal Express Pass.

If I did it again, I’d do indoor attractions earlier and pick a Resident Evil time, just as it starts to get dark, as I think that needs darkness to be scary (unless they’ve enclosed it this year).

Don’t forget you also need a Studio Pass to get inside the park.

Image USJ Press Release. Used with permission.

Are the Attractions Wheelchair Accessible?

Many are. Some ask that you speak with a crew member before you enter.

Halloween Food & Merchandise is Next Level

I already needed to eat some extra themed treats in the park for my piece on cute USJ food, but, we soon discovered that the Halloween food was also next-level cute – we had black churros, Hami-Kuma-inspired drinks, a butter chicken curry with a tiny headstone on it and more. We spent a fortune, and couldn’t quite face sugar for a few days.

Related Read: All the Cute Food We Ate at Universal Studios Japan

There is also special Halloween merchandise for sale. If you’ve ever needed a minion with bat wings in your life, this is your chance.

Is It Worth Going to HHN If You’ve Been in the United States?

As it’s included in your ticket anyway, I think so – but with one proviso. I haven’t been to the US version, so I enjoyed myself, but my friend has, and while she did enjoy it, she said the production values were nowhere near as good as those in the US parks. She said, ‘It’s a bit more like Halloween at Knott’s Berry Farm than what I’d expect from Universal Studios.’

Saying that, though, we both loved the themed foods and themed merchandise, and how the crowd dressed up for the day.

Although if you want to see amazing Halloween outfits, you need to go to Disney at Halloween – the Disney costume nerds go ALL OUT.

What If You Don’t Like Scary Stuff?

Does this mean that USJ is off-limits to you while Halloween Horror Nights is on? Not necessarily.

Most of the Horror Nights headline attractions are inside, so you can walk past them without seeing anything happening.

The street elements of Horror Nights don’t begin until 6 pm, so until then, there won’t be any scary official characters roaming the park – only cute ones.

Even once the zombies do hit the streets, there is a ‘safe route’ as shown on the map below. You won’t encounter any official zombies in this area.

Rides and attractions in this area include the children’s area of Universal Wonderland. Amity Village, the Jaws ride (although remember this is getting scarier after 6 pm), and Super Nintendo World. You can also reach The Wizarding World of Harry Potter via this route, but remember that Death Eaters might be patrolling Hogsmeade once you get there.

There will also be no zombies in Minion World, although you might encounter some on the way there.

You might encounter guests in scary costumes around the park, but those wearing anything deemed scary enough to frighten small children (including ghosts and zombies) cannot access Minion World or Universal Wonderland.

What Are The Rules on Costumes?

Halloween Horror Nights is one time of the year when guests can wear costumes to the park, but if you’re keen on dressing up, there are a few rules regarding the style of these, where you can wear them, and a few other things.

If you plan to dress up, I suggest reading the full list of rules so you don’t accidentally break one and get turned away from the park. The main ones are…

Costumes that cover the face with helmets, masks, face paint or prosthetic make-up aren’t allowed. Nor is anything too revealing or that might be obscene or offensive in other ways. You also can’t go too grotesque or wear anything that could be confused with an official character or member of Universal’s staff or entertainment team.

You can’t go into or close to Minion World or Universal Wonderland in any costume that might scare small children.

So that it. All the information you need to visit Halloween Horror Nights at USJ in one place, but if you do have further questions, please head over to the Japlanease theme park planning group on Facebook to ask them.

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