Universal Studios Japan

What originally started off as a trip for two to fill the dream for Miki to visit USJ, quickly evolved at the last minute to a group ordeal. Normally Kazunori works on Sundays but was able to get some time off to join the group and serve as driver for the long 3 hour haul to Osaka.

For those of you who have been to any of the Universal Studios Parks in the US, this one is much smaller, but only in land area. The rides are exactly the same. Remember those video monitors scattered through out each of the lines to entertain you while you waited for your turn to ride? Well, they use the same videos here, just dubbed in Japanese. It was a bit interesting seeing Christopher Lloyd explaining the Flux Capacitor in Japanese for the Back to the Future ride.

About the author

Adventure Correspondent Cameron L. Martindell is a freelance adventure travel and expedition writer, photographer and filmmaker who founded Offyonder.com in 2000. He has contributed to Elevation Outdoors Magazine, The Gear Junkie, National Geographic, The Christian Science Monitor, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Outside, Backpacker, Wired, Australian Geographic, Mountainzone.com and others. He has been to all seven continents and lived on five of them, including a four-month stint at the South Pole. Cameron has more than 10 years of mountain search and rescue experience, is an Eagle Scout, has been an Australian bush firefighter, competes in sailing regattas, plans national and international youth programs, guides Oregon rafting trips and Australian bush backpacking trips.

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