New video from the opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Japan

July 16, 2014, 11:49 AM · We've just uploaded a video of grand opening ceremonies for the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka.

If you'd like to see photos from the events, we've just uploaded a fresh gallery of images from Universal Studios Japan to Facebook and to Pinterest, too.


Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood) and Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy) on the red carpet in Osaka. Photo courtesy Universal Studios Japan.

Visitors to Universal Studios Japan can rate and review the new Harry Potter attraction, as well as all the other attractions, restaurants and hotels at the park, on our Universal Studios Japan page. And for complete coverage of all the Harry Potter theme park developments around the world, please visit our Wizarding World of Harry Potter page.

Replies (4)

July 16, 2014 at 3:38 PM · Impressive. The buildings look larger than Orlando's. The longer lake is a grander entrance. This makes the Hogwarts Castle look smaller in comparison.
July 17, 2014 at 4:25 AM · Beautiful. This expansion continues the trend of US parks being one-upped by their Japanese counterparts. Ugh!

As much as I hate to say it, Dueling Dragons/Dragon's Challenge is a bit of an eyesore when it comes to IOA's Potter.... one has to wonder how much longer it will hang around as part of the Potterverse? Does it really make sense to have a ride with a 54" restriction in a land primarily geared to kids and adults who read kids books? I'd hate to see it go, but one has to think that with the irreverence Universal Orlando sometimes shows towards its older attractions and the frequency in which they are replaced, this venerable coaster's days are numbered.

July 17, 2014 at 11:02 AM · FWIW, Evanna Lynch took a passive-aggressive shot at the Dragon Challenge during the Diagon Alley press conference when she complimented the new land for not having roller coaster tracks intruding on its visuals.
July 18, 2014 at 6:29 PM · Universal is predicting that USJ will soon attract 15 million visitors a year.

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