USJ Adds First R-18 Horror Attraction to Halloween Horror Nights
By introducing an R-18 attraction with a mandatory consent form, USJ is pushing Halloween Horror Nights into a new tier of adult-oriented psychological horror that requires guests to formally acknowledge the experience before participation.
Key Facts
- Zanzō is the first R-18 rated horror attraction in Halloween Horror Nights history and requires guests to sign a consent form.
- The attraction runs from September 11 to November 8, 2026, at Stage 18 in Universal Studios Japan.
- Guests aged 17 and under cannot experience Zanzō, and a dedicated ticket costs from 1,900 yen.
- A 30-second version of the 15th anniversary CM featuring Takumi Kitamura was released on YouTube on July 22, 2026.
- A Universal Express Pass 3+1 guaranteeing Zanzō experience is available from 11,800 yen, with sales starting July 27.
Reporting from 2 sources: GAME Watch (Impress), Denfaminicogamer.
Universal Studios Japan announced on July 22 that it will add a new attraction called "Zanzō" to its Halloween Horror Nights event, running from September 11 to November 8. The attraction is the first in the event's history to carry an R-18 rating and require guests to sign a consent form before entering. Set in a facility that studies nightmares, Zanzō subjects participants to psychological horror through isolation and confinement, blurring the line between hallucination and reality. The experience takes place at Stage 18, operates from 10:00 a.m. to park close, and is restricted to guests aged 18 and older. A dedicated ticket costs from 1,900 yen, with sales starting on the official website around 9:00 p.m. on July 27. A Universal Express Pass 3+1 that guarantees a Zanzō experience is also available from 11,800 yen. A 30-second version of the 15th anniversary special CM featuring actor Takumi Kitamura was released on the park's YouTube channel on July 22, showing Kitamura experiencing Zanzō and other attractions. The TV CM will air from July 24.
The attraction is set at Stage 18, a venue inside the park. Its premise places participants inside a facility that studies nightmares, where they face isolation and confinement in an abnormal space where the boundary between hallucination and reality wavers. The experience is described by the park as a "real hell" and an "abnormality where all nightmares writhe."
The 30-second CM released on July 22 features actor Takumi Kitamura as a university student who consults an AI. The AI suggests, "Then, why not try despair?" and Kitamura is dragged into the park turned into hell. The CM shows him experiencing Zanzō, then the new attraction "The Dive: Biohazard Requiem," which recreates the setting of the survival horror game "Biohazard Requiem" with creatures like Licker and The Girl approaching from all directions. After barely escaping, he sees the new "Street Zombie" story, where high school students who were looking forward to their park trip have become zombies. The TV CM will air sequentially from July 24.
The Universal Express Pass 3+1 ~Halloween Set & Zanzō~ guarantees one experience of Zanzō and priority access to three other attractions: Factory of Fear ~Desperate Zombie Tour~, Jurassic Park: The Ride ~In the Dark~, and Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. The pass is sold only on the official website starting around 9:00 p.m. on July 27, with prices starting at 11,800 yen depending on the admission date.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 2 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- GAME Watch (Impress) USJ、ハロウィーン・ホラー・ナイトの新アトラクション「残像」を発表。誓約書必須のR-18ホラー
- Denfaminicogamer USJ史上初、“R-18指定＆誓約書必須”のホラー・アトラクション『残像』が発表。「ハロウィーン・ホラー・ナイト」にて9月11日より開催