I stood for less than an hour on my shinkansen trip from Nagoya to Osaka. I stood near the door exit and just enjoyed the sight of the rice fields and the small typical Japanese houses that we passed by. There were times when we got a glimpse of wide cosmos flower fields for a matter of a few seconds and all I could do was long for it and daydream about running across those fields. Every time I ride the shinkansen/bullet train, I can’t help but be amazed at the speed and convenience that it provides passengers especially those who get dizzy from long distance travels. After a short stop over at Kyoto, I couldn’t help but feel excited to arrive in Osaka in a matter of a few minutes.
I decided to go to Osaka to experience Halloween at Universal Studios (USJ). Halloween Horror Night was at the back of my mind for a long time already. So I was ecstatic that my friend was more than willing to travel for more than six hours from where she lives just to go to USJ. She was more interested in seeing the Harry Potter attraction while I was filled with excitement to see the zombies roam the streets in USJ come night time. I was also looking forward to seeing the Death Eaters at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
My friend and I decided to visit Osaka Castle just before heading to Universal Studios. I was thinking that since we were going to stay until night time at USJ, it would be much better to see other sights in Osaka in the morning. I actually got confused with the train rides in the Osaka Loop Line. For instance, we were supposed to take the train running in the clockwise direction, but we ended up getting on the train in the counterclockwise direction. It happened twice, so it added to our travel time.
I enjoy more the area outside the castle than the castle itself. I’ve already gone to many castles across Japan, so I know what to expect. But since my friend wanted to see what’s inside, we decided to go in. The interior of the castle has been transformed into a modern museum. I was more pleased with the view offered from the top part of the castle where you can see some parts of Osaka. There’s also this modern building in the area with mirror windows that reflect the sky. I really find it stunning.
After a few hours in Osaka Castle, we headed to USJ. It was really really crowded and mostly everyone was in costume. I admire the effort that everyone exerted on their make-up and costume. I wished I wore a costume, too, but I ran out of budget. When we got in, we directly headed to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter for the timed entrance. To our disappointment, the only available schedule was around 9 pm. We could not take that schedule because my friend’s bus departure going home was an hour after that. I could tell she was extremely disappointed and I felt sorry for her. Ooops, I shouldn’t have suggested going to Osaka Castle. So if you ever plan to enter the world of HP, make sure you go there the moment USJ opens just to be sure!
My friend and I just decided to roam around, eat, and take pictures until night time. We couldn’t enter any attraction because the lines were long. Waiting time consisted of two to three hours. Halloween Horror Night was such a famous and crowded event at USJ. When the clock struck six, different types of zombies came out. They were really scary and made us run away or scream when they came near. I was really satisfied with my Halloween experience. It was what I expected minus the Death Eaters.
Spending Halloween at Universal Studios with your friends is a good idea just as long as you don’t mind the crowd. You can wear a costume and admire other people’s costume, too. If you really stand-out, people would want to take a photo with you. My friend and I enjoyed having our photos taken with ordinary people in costume. They were such a sight to behold— interesting, weird, cool, scary, awesome!
myquietnature 