So I recently travelled around Japan with my partner. We visited Dome city, Fuji Q highland and Universal Studios Japan.
We loved Japan so much that we’re hoping to go again soon, where we also plan to check out Disneysea and Nagashima spa land.
Fuji-Q highlands
For any enthusiast, this park is incredibly iconic. I remember seeing images in travel magazines of Dodonpa’s straight up, straight down tophat with Mount Fuji in the background and instantly wanting to go.
The day we initially visited there was terrible weather with a lot of rain. They warned us that most of the rides would be closed all day and there is no ticket refund policy so we came back the following day. Big advice to anyone thinking of visiting, they are very stringent at opening rides in the rain so check the weather before you go as if it does rain the coasters will likely close!
The Park
Fuji Q does feel like more of an amusement park than theme park but does have a real charm.
We mainly tried to get on the coasters but it had a lot of fun flats too. Notably the ferris wheel, pendulum ride similar to maelstrom at Drayton Manor, an S&S shot tower and a very strange rapids ride that got you drenched!
The park feels like Flamingoland, Blackpool Pleasure Beach or Engerylandia
Takabisha - 40 min wait
First ride of the day, the indoor section and first launch is fantastic and super snappy. I’d watched POVs of this ride years ago but had no idea that the launch was going to happen. The layout is fun but some of the elements do really hurl you about. I’m not a fan of aging eurofighters and this did have some of the bad characteristics of being rough and joltly in places, boxing my ears on the chunky restraints.
The beyond vertical drop is fantastic though and really dangles you slowly over the edge. I’ve also always loved the colour scheme of this with a very futuristic Oblivion / Hyperion style aesthetic.
Zokkon - 1hr 15 wait
A solid Intamin ‘family coaster’ but felt more thrill if I'm being honest! Surprisingly forceful on the front row, great layout which was unpredictable. The backwards section was unexpected. The launches were snappy and I like the theme although it does feel slightly like a knock off Tron ride.
Eejanaika - 1hr wait
Where to even start with this one…
For me, this is without doubt THE scariest roller coaster I have ever ridden.
I am an enthusiast through and through but over a certain threshold of height / intensity / layout i’m scared sh*tless of some coasters (this one included).
My main concern was that this would be rough to the point of not being enjoyable, but that was not the case. Intense? Incredibly.. But not rough IMO. It does absolutely rag doll your body about but the restraint is heavily cushioned to compensate for how intense the acrobatic movements are.
On a traditional coaster you can always see what’s coming ahead of you but with Eejanaika you’re at the mercy of being unexpectedly tossed upside down when you least expect it. I had no idea what was going on or what it was going to do next. It was terrifying.
It carries so much speed throughout the layout and doesn’t let up the whole way. Whipping into the breaks. I only got 1 ride on this but would have loved more as the first was a lot to take in having never done a coaster like this before.
This one should really be on your bucket list!
Fujiyama - 50 min wait
I’ve never ridden a Togo before, never mind a Togo hypercoaster - and this thing is huge! It’s so imposing on the skyline and feels like a really iconic ride for the park. It had the aura of The Big One at Blackpool and has the height of Shambala.. pretty unbelievable!
This is not a smooth ride but it is a fun one! The restraint is like having a large cushion on your lap, which is needed as it gets quite jolty.
The low back seats make you feel so exposed and it really crawls up the lift hill building the anticipation. The best way I can describe the feeling of this coaster is a woody made from steel. It focuses on airtime but has some raucous banking and S bends.
The first half is actually quite smooth but my god the second half felt like it needed some trims! It traverses the badly profiled track so quickly it feels like you’re on a mechanical bull. It was incredibly fun though, I laughed the whole way round.
For the craziness of the experience, length and height it was my favourite ride in the park.
Overview
Fuji Q is well worth a visit but I hate to confirm it, like many others have stated, the operations are painful. Queues move at a snail's pace, there are multiple safety briefings for the rides, checks, metal detectors and once you’re sat they triple check restraints and even get you to tug the seatbelt yourself to confirm it’s locked. It gets quite frustrating but seems to be a cultural thing across many parks in Japan.
There are plenty of food options and the park is small and easy to walk around. The cheese filled curry bread was surprisingly great!
The park feels like it needs some TLC and some more ride investments and better theming, Zokkon feeling like a move in the right direction.
It’s also gutting to see Dododonpa being demolished as I'd have loved to ride it.
Universal Studios Japan
It's been a long time since I went to Universal Studios in Orlando (2009!) so I was excited to get back to one of these parks. I loved Islands of Adventure when I visited and only got to see the wizarding world by peering over construction walls, so to finally get to visit one was amazing.
If you’re planning on visiting this park I’d say you NEED express passes. The park is constantly busy and queues are long. We bought the pass that included Hollywood Dream, timed entry to Harry Potter world, Forbidden Journey, Flight of the Hippogriff and Flying Dinosaur. If you want to get the coasters in, this is the pass for you. All 4 attractions we waited less than 15 mins with express.
Similar to Fuji Q, check the weather as we didn’t get any re-rides due to rain at the end of the day.
General park
I may be quite critical in my review here but for a park of such high calibre, visitor numbers and price It feels warranted.
I liked the park but studio style parks are never my favourite. They seem somehow crammed in with themes that slightly bleed into one other and sometimes lack separation. I much prefer parks like Alton Towers which are set in lots of nature and have breathing room in between themed lands, but that’s just personal preference.
I found that there are some major sightline issues at USJ, most notably the industrial port and bay bridge dominating the skyline beyond the park. Very grey and bleak looking and really takes you out of the immersion. The entrance plaza with its huge dome over the buildings also feels slightly imposing and reduces the immersion of the Hollywood boulevard.
The food options at USJ are also not good. Japan has such amazing food, I was never really craving ‘American’ style food on our trip, which is predominantly what is sold at USJ. None of it feels like ‘proper’ food and is so pumped full of sugar it just leaves you feeling constantly hungry. We spent a lot on food during the visit. The equivalent of £8 for a small slice of pizza and a mandatory meal deal sugary drink seems unreasonable.
The music in the park is really fun with the Amity / Jaws area being one of my favourites along with Harry Potter. The street performers are also amazing from the Pokemon parade to the magical creatures in Hogsmeade, this really boosted the already energetic atmosphere in the park.
Staff are genuinely outstanding with amazing customer service and smiles on their faces! And the park is so clean and tidy.
USJ is a very intense theme park day. You’re on a schedule dictated by the express pass and timed entries to the different lands all day. It’s a fun day but requires a level of organisation that doesn't allow you to relax too much!
Attractions
Harry Potter Wizarding World
The best land in the park by far, so immersive with great soundtrack playing. Forbidden Journey is incredibly well themed from queue line to ride with scenes that have real attention to detail. The robo arm ride system is also a first for me and really works with the storytelling of the ride. Flight of the Hippogriff is a fun coaster although quite short. I loved strolling the shops in Hogsmede, it looks fantastic.
Super Nintendo World
I’m not a huge gamer but can appreciate the detail that’s gone into this land, the castle and kinetic theming as you step out of the portal is a joy to look at! The downside though - it’s far too small, and so overcrowded. The ‘power up bands’ which are an upcharge also create a situation where some guests have fun things to do around the area and the others, well.. don’t. There isn’t a whole lot to do in this land apart from the 2 rides, one of which is a children's ride (Yoshi Adventure). The area desperately needs the Donkey Kong section that is opening soon.
Bowsers Challenge was a big miss for me. The gamification of rides is not something I particularly think works, your attention is diverted away from the ride and into playing a game. So much of the theming is missed because you’re paying attention to your score! It’s an augmented reality game where you battle another team in a Mario kart but the rules are not well explained and the game is all around just not that fun. I think they could remove these and amp up the storytelling of being in a game through theming alone. We also waited close to 3hrs for this ride which didn't seem worth it. Fans of the game may love it though!
Hollywood Dream
B&M hypers are really up there for me so this one was great. Awesome first drop and floater airtime throughout.
Flying Dinosaur
Without doubt the best coaster in the park and best flying coaster I've done. Flying models have never really been my thing, I’ve done a few B&Ms and also F.L.Y at Phantasialand, but this trumps them all.
It has a steep first drop and a double Zero G which is so fast and floaty. The pretzel loop into a misty tunnel is so intense and there is an unexpected heartline roll into the breaks. Brilliant composition of elements, pacing and near miss theming. Really really good.
I would have loved to get on the Jurassic World river adventure too but this was closed.
Jaws was really fun, as was the Waterworld show. There was an indoor coaster ‘Demon Slayer: Kimtetsu’ which was slightly underwhelming but had a cool VR overlay.
Overview
It was awesome to get back to a Universal park with some uniquely themed areas and great rides but the queues and admin of express passes, timed entries and poor food options hinder the experience somewhat. 100% worth a visit though and I’d love to go back for the Donkey Kong ride and other areas we missed such as Minions.
Tokyo dome city
We only visited while in Tokyo for Thunder Dolphin but there were more attractions such as a log flume and observation wheel. I’d advise visiting when there isn’t a baseball game on as dome city gets super busy when there is.
Thunder dolphin - 1hr 20 wait
Thunder dolphin is brilliant. I like coasters with big first drops, my top 3 coasters being Shambala, Hyperion and Zadra so Thunder Dolphin comes close to my top 10.
The way it interacts with the buildings and the observation wheel gives great near miss elements and it has loads of airtime. I’d love to see something like this in the UK in a city centre (never going to happen). The latest intamin trains make the ride super comfortable too
My coasters of the trip ranked:
We loved Japan so much that we’re hoping to go again soon, where we also plan to check out Disneysea and Nagashima spa land.
Fuji-Q highlands
For any enthusiast, this park is incredibly iconic. I remember seeing images in travel magazines of Dodonpa’s straight up, straight down tophat with Mount Fuji in the background and instantly wanting to go.
The day we initially visited there was terrible weather with a lot of rain. They warned us that most of the rides would be closed all day and there is no ticket refund policy so we came back the following day. Big advice to anyone thinking of visiting, they are very stringent at opening rides in the rain so check the weather before you go as if it does rain the coasters will likely close!
The Park
Fuji Q does feel like more of an amusement park than theme park but does have a real charm.
We mainly tried to get on the coasters but it had a lot of fun flats too. Notably the ferris wheel, pendulum ride similar to maelstrom at Drayton Manor, an S&S shot tower and a very strange rapids ride that got you drenched!
The park feels like Flamingoland, Blackpool Pleasure Beach or Engerylandia
Takabisha - 40 min wait
First ride of the day, the indoor section and first launch is fantastic and super snappy. I’d watched POVs of this ride years ago but had no idea that the launch was going to happen. The layout is fun but some of the elements do really hurl you about. I’m not a fan of aging eurofighters and this did have some of the bad characteristics of being rough and joltly in places, boxing my ears on the chunky restraints.
The beyond vertical drop is fantastic though and really dangles you slowly over the edge. I’ve also always loved the colour scheme of this with a very futuristic Oblivion / Hyperion style aesthetic.
Zokkon - 1hr 15 wait
A solid Intamin ‘family coaster’ but felt more thrill if I'm being honest! Surprisingly forceful on the front row, great layout which was unpredictable. The backwards section was unexpected. The launches were snappy and I like the theme although it does feel slightly like a knock off Tron ride.
Eejanaika - 1hr wait
Where to even start with this one…
For me, this is without doubt THE scariest roller coaster I have ever ridden.
I am an enthusiast through and through but over a certain threshold of height / intensity / layout i’m scared sh*tless of some coasters (this one included).
My main concern was that this would be rough to the point of not being enjoyable, but that was not the case. Intense? Incredibly.. But not rough IMO. It does absolutely rag doll your body about but the restraint is heavily cushioned to compensate for how intense the acrobatic movements are.
On a traditional coaster you can always see what’s coming ahead of you but with Eejanaika you’re at the mercy of being unexpectedly tossed upside down when you least expect it. I had no idea what was going on or what it was going to do next. It was terrifying.
It carries so much speed throughout the layout and doesn’t let up the whole way. Whipping into the breaks. I only got 1 ride on this but would have loved more as the first was a lot to take in having never done a coaster like this before.
This one should really be on your bucket list!
Fujiyama - 50 min wait
I’ve never ridden a Togo before, never mind a Togo hypercoaster - and this thing is huge! It’s so imposing on the skyline and feels like a really iconic ride for the park. It had the aura of The Big One at Blackpool and has the height of Shambala.. pretty unbelievable!
This is not a smooth ride but it is a fun one! The restraint is like having a large cushion on your lap, which is needed as it gets quite jolty.
The low back seats make you feel so exposed and it really crawls up the lift hill building the anticipation. The best way I can describe the feeling of this coaster is a woody made from steel. It focuses on airtime but has some raucous banking and S bends.
The first half is actually quite smooth but my god the second half felt like it needed some trims! It traverses the badly profiled track so quickly it feels like you’re on a mechanical bull. It was incredibly fun though, I laughed the whole way round.
For the craziness of the experience, length and height it was my favourite ride in the park.
Overview
Fuji Q is well worth a visit but I hate to confirm it, like many others have stated, the operations are painful. Queues move at a snail's pace, there are multiple safety briefings for the rides, checks, metal detectors and once you’re sat they triple check restraints and even get you to tug the seatbelt yourself to confirm it’s locked. It gets quite frustrating but seems to be a cultural thing across many parks in Japan.
There are plenty of food options and the park is small and easy to walk around. The cheese filled curry bread was surprisingly great!
The park feels like it needs some TLC and some more ride investments and better theming, Zokkon feeling like a move in the right direction.
It’s also gutting to see Dododonpa being demolished as I'd have loved to ride it.
Universal Studios Japan
It's been a long time since I went to Universal Studios in Orlando (2009!) so I was excited to get back to one of these parks. I loved Islands of Adventure when I visited and only got to see the wizarding world by peering over construction walls, so to finally get to visit one was amazing.
If you’re planning on visiting this park I’d say you NEED express passes. The park is constantly busy and queues are long. We bought the pass that included Hollywood Dream, timed entry to Harry Potter world, Forbidden Journey, Flight of the Hippogriff and Flying Dinosaur. If you want to get the coasters in, this is the pass for you. All 4 attractions we waited less than 15 mins with express.
Similar to Fuji Q, check the weather as we didn’t get any re-rides due to rain at the end of the day.
General park
I may be quite critical in my review here but for a park of such high calibre, visitor numbers and price It feels warranted.
I liked the park but studio style parks are never my favourite. They seem somehow crammed in with themes that slightly bleed into one other and sometimes lack separation. I much prefer parks like Alton Towers which are set in lots of nature and have breathing room in between themed lands, but that’s just personal preference.
I found that there are some major sightline issues at USJ, most notably the industrial port and bay bridge dominating the skyline beyond the park. Very grey and bleak looking and really takes you out of the immersion. The entrance plaza with its huge dome over the buildings also feels slightly imposing and reduces the immersion of the Hollywood boulevard.
The food options at USJ are also not good. Japan has such amazing food, I was never really craving ‘American’ style food on our trip, which is predominantly what is sold at USJ. None of it feels like ‘proper’ food and is so pumped full of sugar it just leaves you feeling constantly hungry. We spent a lot on food during the visit. The equivalent of £8 for a small slice of pizza and a mandatory meal deal sugary drink seems unreasonable.
The music in the park is really fun with the Amity / Jaws area being one of my favourites along with Harry Potter. The street performers are also amazing from the Pokemon parade to the magical creatures in Hogsmeade, this really boosted the already energetic atmosphere in the park.
Staff are genuinely outstanding with amazing customer service and smiles on their faces! And the park is so clean and tidy.
USJ is a very intense theme park day. You’re on a schedule dictated by the express pass and timed entries to the different lands all day. It’s a fun day but requires a level of organisation that doesn't allow you to relax too much!
Attractions
Harry Potter Wizarding World
The best land in the park by far, so immersive with great soundtrack playing. Forbidden Journey is incredibly well themed from queue line to ride with scenes that have real attention to detail. The robo arm ride system is also a first for me and really works with the storytelling of the ride. Flight of the Hippogriff is a fun coaster although quite short. I loved strolling the shops in Hogsmede, it looks fantastic.
Super Nintendo World
I’m not a huge gamer but can appreciate the detail that’s gone into this land, the castle and kinetic theming as you step out of the portal is a joy to look at! The downside though - it’s far too small, and so overcrowded. The ‘power up bands’ which are an upcharge also create a situation where some guests have fun things to do around the area and the others, well.. don’t. There isn’t a whole lot to do in this land apart from the 2 rides, one of which is a children's ride (Yoshi Adventure). The area desperately needs the Donkey Kong section that is opening soon.
Bowsers Challenge was a big miss for me. The gamification of rides is not something I particularly think works, your attention is diverted away from the ride and into playing a game. So much of the theming is missed because you’re paying attention to your score! It’s an augmented reality game where you battle another team in a Mario kart but the rules are not well explained and the game is all around just not that fun. I think they could remove these and amp up the storytelling of being in a game through theming alone. We also waited close to 3hrs for this ride which didn't seem worth it. Fans of the game may love it though!
Hollywood Dream
B&M hypers are really up there for me so this one was great. Awesome first drop and floater airtime throughout.
Flying Dinosaur
Without doubt the best coaster in the park and best flying coaster I've done. Flying models have never really been my thing, I’ve done a few B&Ms and also F.L.Y at Phantasialand, but this trumps them all.
It has a steep first drop and a double Zero G which is so fast and floaty. The pretzel loop into a misty tunnel is so intense and there is an unexpected heartline roll into the breaks. Brilliant composition of elements, pacing and near miss theming. Really really good.
I would have loved to get on the Jurassic World river adventure too but this was closed.
Jaws was really fun, as was the Waterworld show. There was an indoor coaster ‘Demon Slayer: Kimtetsu’ which was slightly underwhelming but had a cool VR overlay.
Overview
It was awesome to get back to a Universal park with some uniquely themed areas and great rides but the queues and admin of express passes, timed entries and poor food options hinder the experience somewhat. 100% worth a visit though and I’d love to go back for the Donkey Kong ride and other areas we missed such as Minions.
Tokyo dome city
We only visited while in Tokyo for Thunder Dolphin but there were more attractions such as a log flume and observation wheel. I’d advise visiting when there isn’t a baseball game on as dome city gets super busy when there is.
Thunder dolphin - 1hr 20 wait
Thunder dolphin is brilliant. I like coasters with big first drops, my top 3 coasters being Shambala, Hyperion and Zadra so Thunder Dolphin comes close to my top 10.
The way it interacts with the buildings and the observation wheel gives great near miss elements and it has loads of airtime. I’d love to see something like this in the UK in a city centre (never going to happen). The latest intamin trains make the ride super comfortable too
My coasters of the trip ranked:
- Thunder Dolphin
- Flying Dinosaur
- Hollywood Dream
- Fujiyama
- Eejanaika
- Zokkon
- Takabisha
- Flight of the Hippogriff
- Demon Slayer