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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 the ones 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 July 2024 and updated June 2025 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, 2025, it will start on September 5th and run until November 3rd.
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 Pass – more on that later.
Passes go on sale approximately three months before the day you wish to enter. I’m updating this on June 15, 2025, and passes are currently on sale for dates up to September 12, 2025.
Is There an Age Limit?
The park itself is open to everyone, but some of the 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.
Find the specifics below, but if you’re traveling with teens over 14, everything is open to them.
Image from USJ Press materials. Used with permission.
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.
Here’s a specific breakdown of what’s on offer for the 2025 USJ Horror Nights, divided into cute and scary!
Cute Stuff – The HaHaHa Halloween Party
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.
Pokemon Jumpin’ Halloween Party
DJ Pikachu in da house! The exact time of this dance party with Pokémon characters hasn’t yet been announced, but expect banging tunes and dancing Pokémon – and you joining in!
It takes part in the Gramercy Park area of the New York section.
Image from USJ press information. Used with permission.
A new Pokémon event this year, Pokémon Unstoppable Halloween Party, is also happening each day. Pokémon will engage in dance battles with guests, with each event ending a slightly different way depending on who wins – you or them.
There’s also a dance party in the Universal Wonderland area with characters in cute costumes.
As you can see from the zoomed-in blurry photo, it gets pretty busy – we were right at the back!
Minion Monsters Halloween Greeting
Get pictures with your favorite 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. This is open to children under 12 from 10am to 5pm; after 6pm, adults and older children can ask, too!
Candy is available around the park during the day (except in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Super Nintendo World). After 6 p.m., it will only be given out in the Universal Wonderland area – see the note on costumes allowed in here.
Scary Stuff
These are the slightly scarier, evening-based activities at Halloween Horror Nights.
Street Zombies & Zombie de Dance
Cast members dressed as zombies roam the streets!
As with all zombies, these guys only come out at night. They haven’t announced the exact timings of this year, but in 2024, they started at 6.00 pm until mid-October, then they switched to 7.00 pm until the event ended. They go on 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 – there’s a guide here if you want to catch them all.
Last year, 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.
Chucky’s Carnival of Chaos
This maze-style attraction is based on the famous homicidal doll in dungarees.
You’ll wear 3D glasses that bring you up close and personal with the evil plans of Chucky, his wife Tiffany and his child Glen/Glenda.
You don’t need to wait until nightfall to enter this one; it’s open from 10 am until the park closes.
Specific Warnings
This has one of the oldest age restrictions of the Horror Night’s attractions—no one under 14 is allowed in. The 3D glasses mean that effects will pop out at you. This attraction also features actors, so expect some genuine scares that will make you jump. We thought it was more cheesy than scary, but the Japanese around us were properly screaming, though, so maybe we’re used to bigger scares!
This one also has a claustrophobia warning, probably because it’s an indoor maze-style attraction. You are asked to wear closed-in shoes without a stiletto or wedge.
Background Info
As Chucky is pretty famous worldwide from the Child’s Play horror series, you probably know his story – but if not, he’s a serial killer who possessed the body of a doll when he died.
This attraction also stars his wife Tiffany, who was Chucky’s original accomplice and ex-girlfriend when he was alive. After murdering her human version, Chucky manages to transfer her soul into a female doll. Glen/Glenda is their child. No, I have no idea of the biology required for doll reproduction, but, let’s just gloss over that.
Chainsaw Man: The Chaos 4-D
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 sees 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 cheats guide about the characters that will appear in the movie, then USJ has a quick explainer here.
Chainsaw Max x Hollywood Dream – The Ride: KICK BACK
Chainsaw Man also appears as part of the Hollywood Dream rollercoaster. On this, you can pick a tune to play while you ride, and the Chainsaw Man theme tune, KICK BACK, is offered as one of the options during Halloween Horror Nights.
BioHazard: Night of Heroes
Based on the video game Resident Evil, this is described as an ‘immersive horror experience.’
The story is that you’ve wandered into an Umbrella Corporation research facility used to create zombies. And they obviously did it well, as the place is now crawling with them!
It’s up to you and the heroes of Resident Evil to get out alive.
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, or an Express Pass to get into the BioHazard area.
It opens at 6 pm. As I had an Express Pass, I’m not sure what time Timed Entry becomes available to book (and I totally forgot to look), but based on the system at Super Nintendo World, I would say it opens at the same time as the attraction.
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.
New this year is that the final hour of each day will offer an English version. Although this was there last year and we went to the Japanese version, and it’s pretty easy to understand.
Scare Warnings
This attraction is not open to anyone under the age of 12. You shouldn’t go in if you don’t like grotesque imagery. You can’t go in 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!
Background Info
Biohazard is a Japanese video game released under the name Resident Evil outside of Japan. The backstory 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 heroes Leon, Jill, Claire, and Chris are all special agents who make 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
This is new for this year. It’s another 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…
This is one of the all-day experiences starting at 10 am and running until the park closes. It’s located on Stage 22 in the Hollywood Area of the park.
Scare Warnings
This has an age restriction of 14.
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 terrying undead creatures, as you do.
Hami Kuma’s Sweet Scream Party
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!
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!
As well as the dance party, there’s also a Character Greeting and photo point with Hami Kuma and Hami Kuma Soul at the 42nd Street Studio in the New York area.
Kate Presents: Witches of Block 18
Another new event for this year, 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!
Image USJ Press Release. Used with permission.
You’ll find this on Stage 18 right by the park’s entrance. It’s another experience that needs a timed entry pass but it’s open from 9 am until park close.
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.
Death Eaters Takeover
This scary addition to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter features 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 the castle has been closed for a long time, 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 6.00 pm during Halloween Horror Nights, and there’s an added power cut which plunges the ride into darkness.
Image USJ Press Release. Used with permission.
If you want to see the ride normally, go through during the day before the HHN sends it dark. It will also be more popular with local guests then as it’s something new.
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 the special Express Pass 4 released for the event.
This includes skip-the-line access to Chucky’s Carnival of Chaos, Biohazard, and Factory of Fear: Zombie Tour
It also gives guaranteed timed entry access to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and skip-the-line access to Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.
Check availability and prices for your dates here.
Is the Horror Nights Express Pass Worth It?
We had the Express Pass last year and, as 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 we also missed out on seeing the Death Eaters Takeover.
If I did it again, I’d do Chucky earlier and pick a Biohazard time, just as it starts to get dark. The Factory of Fear: Zombie Tour wasn’t happening last year, but it’s indoors, so I’d be happy to pick that earlier in the evening.
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 to 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 a piece on cute USJ food (coming soon) 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 Knots 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 inside.
The street elements of Horror Nights don’t begin until 6 pm (or maybe 7 pm, depending on the time of year), 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, and the Jaws ride, and Super Nintendo World. You can also reach The Wizarding World of Harry Potter via this route, but remember that Death Eaters are 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.
