Ultimate Guide for Super Nintendo World Japan at Universal Studios (2026)!

One of the things I was most excited for on my trip to Osaka was visiting Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan.

This area of the park has been designed like Super Mario Land and feels like you’re walking through a level of the Nintendo game. 

Here, you can ride a real-life Mario Kart, collect coins in Power Up Boxes, eat at Kinopio’s Café and meet your game heroes. 

As a huge Nintendo fan from an early age, it was a childhood dream come true. I had the most magical time, and it’s something I’ll never forget. 

But there are a lot of things I wish I had known before my visit. So, make sure to read this post with all my insider tips. 

Here is the ultimate guide for Super Nintendo World Japan, including how to visit, things to do there, and important advice. 

What is Super Nintendo World Japan?

Super Nintendo World is a fun themed area of Universal Studios Japan theme park in Osaka.

It feels like you’ve walked into a level of Super Mario Bros. where you can find Mario, Luigi, Toad, Yoshi, Bowser and Peach.

There is so much to enjoy here, like themed rides, shops, restaurants, character greetings and power-up games. 

As a huge fan of Super Mario since childhood, visiting this place was like a wish fulfilled. I felt like I was walking through a colourful dream.

It’s a must-visit for any Nintendo fan, and you have to add it to your Japan bucket list. 

How to visit Super Nintendo World Japan

Super Nintendo World Japan is part of Universal Studios Japan, so you’ll need to buy tickets to go inside the park.

Unfortunately, getting into Super Mario Land is not as easy as simply buying a park ticket. 

Due to crowd levels, they often restrict visitors, and so you’ll need a timed entry ticket to enter Super Nintendo World Japan as well.

In short, you need to do two things to visit:

1. Buy a Universal Studios Japan ticket 
2. Book a Timed Entry Ticket (free) or buy an Express Pass (paid)

Step 1: Buy your Universal Studios Ticket

Tickets for Universal Studios Japan go on sale exactly 60 days in advance, Japan Time. 

So, I would set a reminder to buy your tickets two months before the date you plan to go.

Tickets can and do sell out at busy periods, so I recommend purchasing one as soon as they are released. 

I booked my tickets through the official website, and it was very easy. Prices depend on the season and the day of the week.

I also recommend browsing official partners like Klook that often have special discount deals, including meal vouchers and power-up bands. 

Step 2: Buy an Express Pass or book a timed entry ticket 

If you want to guarantee entry to Super Nintendo World Japan, then I highly recommend purchasing a USJ Express Pass.

They aren’t cheap, but it does mean for certain that you’re going inside Super Mario Land and you get to skip the really long ride queues. 

If you don’t want to spend extra money, then once you enter the park, you can book a timed entry ticket via the Universal Studios Japan app. 

These sell out quickly once the park opens, so I recommend heading inside as early as possible to secure one. 

An alternative is to queue very early and to be one of the first people inside the park. Then, head straight to Super Nintendo World. 

They often let early visitors walk in until capacity limits are reached. On my visit, they didn’t even check my Express Pass for entry as I was so early. 

Is a Fast Pass at Universal Studios Japan worth it? 

Yes! I cannot express how important it is to buy an Express Pass for Universal Studios Japan.

It means that you’re guaranteed to enter Super Nintendo World and skip some of the really long queues (some can be well over 3 hours).

I usually hate paying for extra stuff on top of an expensive park ticket, but in USJ, it’s crucial.

There are different types of Express Passes available; make sure to buy one that includes Super Mario World, as not all do.

On my visit, I bought a Universal Express Pass 8, which included a fast track for Koopa’s Challenge, Yoshi’s Adventure and Mine Cart Madness. 

This also included Harry Potter: The Forbidden Journey, Flight of the Hippogriff, Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem, and Jurassic Park. 

It wasn’t cheap, but it saved SO much time on my visit, and I don’t regret a thing. I only had one day there, so it meant I made the most of it.

Express Passes are sold exactly 60 days in advance along with tickets, and they are a separate purchase.

The Super Nintendo ones sell out quickly, so make sure to set a reminder.

Things to do in Super Nintendo World Japan

As soon as I stepped inside Super Nintendo World, I couldn’t believe my eyes. 

The whole area was overstimulating, like a fever dream. It felt like I had stepped inside a level of Super Mario Bros. on SNES.

I could walk through Peach’s Castle, punch power-up boxes, meet Mario and Luigi, high-five Toad and enter Bowser’s Castle.

It was like all my childhood wishes came true. Here are all the things you can do in Super Nintendo World Japan. 

1. Take a photo with the Green Pipes & Sign

Before you even set foot inside the area proper, there is a fabulous photo opportunity to take advantage of.

You can take a photo inside the famous Green Pipes in front of the Super Nintendo World sign!

It makes such a good souvenir, and the staff take official photos that you can purchase.

It does usually have a long queue. So, I recommend going either right away in the morning or waiting until later in the evening.

As I was leaving the park at closing time, I came back to this spot, and there was no queue at all. 

2. Peach’s Castle

You’ll then walk through a giant green pipe to enter Super Nintendo World and enter Peach’s Castle.

This castle is completely gorgeous and looks like Peach’s tower from the game, but there’s not a lot to do inside. 

It’s still worth having a look around as you can find some moving portraits with the Bob-ombs and Goombas. 

There’s also a small pavilion where Princess Peach holds a character greeting (more on this later).

I actually got some really lovely photos of Peach’s Castle at the very end of the day. At night time, it was almost empty. 

3. Bowser’s Castle

In complete contrast, you can also visit the imposing Bowser’s Castle, which feels like stepping into the lava levels of the game.

It looks terrifying, with towers of horns and spikes. You walk through a door shaped like Bowser’s face, and his menacing eyes light up!

Unfortunately, you can’t explore inside Bowser’s Castle without queueing for Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge. 

But this is the best queue line I’ve ever had the pleasure of waiting in. You’ll find a huge statue of Bowser inside and walk through his creepy rooms.

4. Ride Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge

Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge is one of two rides at Super Nintendo World, and this is by far the best one. 

You can play a game of real-life Mario Kart in an interactive simulation!

There are two teams, Team Mario and Team Koopa, and you race each other. You can decide on your team in the queue.

As you race forward, you can hit enemies with shells, knock people out of the way and collect items to gain advantage. 

I had no idea what I was doing on this ride, but I had a lot of fun. Riding a real-life Rainbow Road was the best thing ever.

5. Ride Yoshi’s Adventure

The other ride in Super Nintendo World is Yoshi’s Adventure. 

This is a slow ride where you ride a colourful Yoshi carriage through the entire area. 

It was such a relaxing time with amazing views of Super Nintendo World, and I loved seeing all the enemies from the game along the way. 

There were Piranha Plants, Goombas, Pokey Cacti, Boo Ghosts and Bomb-ombs. You could also spot Toad and Yoshi waving at you. 

I had an Express Pass entry for this in the morning, but if you don’t mind waiting, you should definitely ride at sunset for the best colours. 

6. Dine in Kinopio’s Café

Kinopio’s Café is the only Super Nintendo World Japan restaurant, and it feels like you’ve stepped into the mushroom world of Toad (Kinopio).

The entire restaurant looks like Toad’s house, and you’ll find him and his friends inside preparing food for you.

There is a whole menu of Super Nintendo-inspired food, including a Mario Cheeseburger, Super Mushroom Pizza Bowl and Bowser Steak.

There are also some sweet treats like their Power Up Box Tiramisu and a Goal Pole Cake.

Again, it’s not easy to dine here due to capacity limits, so they usually run entry on a virtual queue; you’ll need to sign up outside through the app.

On my visit, I was lucky enough to head straight inside as soon as it opened. It was wild having a 9 am hamburger and chips!

When I left, there were lots of people queueing up. So, I was glad I went when I did.

7. Shop in 1UP Factory and Mario Motors

If you’re a fan of Super Mario, you’re going to love the shopping you can do here. I did some serious damage to my wallet. 

There are two Super Nintendo World shops in Japan:

1. 1UP Factory (a huge flagship store)
2. Mario Motors (a small shop you exit after the Mario Kart ride)

Both of these stores sell a huge range of Super Nintendo merchandise, including plush toys, keyrings, magnets, and clothes.

They also sell hats, headbands, power up bands and bags that you can wear around the park. I bought my mushroom headband from 1UP Factory.

It can be a little hectic inside as all the shops are super crowded. But it’s worth the effort to take home these amazing goodies!

8. Yoshi’s Snack Island 

Another place where you can grab some quick bites is Yoshi’s Snack Island. 

They don’t sell a huge variety of food here, but you can try one of their famous Green Shell Calzones filled with Yakisoba & Cheese.

I did try this, and I have to admit, it wasn’t quite to my taste. But it did look pretty cool in photos. 

They also sell a Yoshi’s Lassi in strawberry, mango and melon flavours. Plus, some fun themed drink bottles.

I loved their seasonal Yoshi hot apple tea! It was autumn on my visit and quite chilly. So, it warmed me up nicely. 

You can also find a Pit Stop Popcorn stall selling fun popcorn buckets shaped like Super Star and Mario Kart.

9. Meet Toad

If there was one thing I was looking forward to most at Super Mario World Japan, it was meeting Toad.

I wasn’t sure if he was going to make an appearance due to the previous controversies, but he thankfully did. 

Toad is honestly one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen in my life. His little dances and bounces melted my heart. 

I luckily got to have a photo taken with him, thanks to a kind visitor. It made my day!

10. Meet Mario and Luigi

Toad is not a guaranteed character greeting at Universal Studios Japan, and his appearance depends on the day. 

But there are some set character greetings that you can queue for at Super Nintendo World.

You can meet Mario and Luigi in the central courtyard just outside the entrance of Yoshi’s Adventure. 

Luckily, the queue was only 20 minutes during my visit. But this can be over an hour at peak times. 

I loved meeting them both, and I couldn’t believe they could actually speak! 

They both loved my Kinopio plush charm, so he joined us for the official photos haha. 

11. Meet Princess Peach

Another character greeting I mentioned earlier is Princess Peach, and you can meet her outside her castle in a special pavilion. 

I luckily caught Peach just as she was walking out for this meet and greet, and so I was one of the first in line. It only took five minutes to meet her. 

Again, I couldn’t believe that she could speak, and we had some lovely photos taken together.

You can check all your official photographs in Super Nintendo World by presenting a card with your unique barcode on it at the photo counter.

To purchase physical copies with themed frames costs around ¥3500 a pop. I bought all of mine, so I spent a pretty penny. But, when in Mario World!  

12. Power Up Bands

Another really fun thing that you can do in Super Nintendo World is buy a Power-Up Band.

These come in all colours for different characters, and you can use them to collect virtual Star Coins at all the Power-Up Boxes. 

Once you punch the box with the band on, it will make a power-up sound like in the game.

You can then see how many points you collect on the day by using the Universal Studios Japan App.

Some of the Power-Up Boxes are really obvious. Some you have to hunt for, and others can only be accessed in ride queues. 

They even have Power Up Challenge attractions where you can win lots of coins in one go. 

My one regret at USJ is not buying a Power Up Band for my visit, but I still enjoyed punching the boxes. Even if they made a dud sound. 

13. Take hundreds of photos

My camera roll, after visiting Universal Studios Japan, was struggling as I took so many photos.

Every corner of Super Nintendo World is aesthetically pleasing, and there are so many incredible places to capture the magic.

My favourite photo area was the balcony as soon as you walked inside. 

From here, you can get a great photo of you with Super Mario World in the backdrop!

These photo zones can get extremely busy, but with a bit of patience, you can take some amazing postcards. 

14. Donkey Kong Country 

A recent development of Super Nintendo World Japan is Donkey Kong Country.

Donkey Kong was one of my favourite games on SNES, and I still remember the traumatic frustration of trying to beat the mine cart levels with Diddy. 

Here, you can enter the world of Donkey Kong and ride the incredible roller coaster Mine Cart Madness. 

You can also shop in Funky’s Fly ‘n’ Buy, buy themed food at Jungle Beat Shakes and play a game with Rambi the Rhino.

My favourite part was meeting Donkey Kong for a photo in front of his treehouse. He’s my hero, so it was another dream come true!

Is Super Nintendo World Japan worth visiting? 

Yes, Universal Studios Japan was one of my favourite days out on my trip to Japan and one of the most memorable too. 

As a huge Nintendo fan since an early age, visiting Super Nintendo World was a childhood dream come true for me. 

Riding a real-life Rainbow Road, dining in Kinopio’s Café and meeting some of my game heroes are things I will never forget. 

However, if I hadn’t bought an Express Pass, I don’t think I would have been able to do as much as I did. It made the entire experience stress-free. 

So, I highly recommend buying one when planning your visit. It’s expensive but worth every single yen. You won’t regret it. 

Don’t skip Super Nintendo World Japan; it’s a paradise for game lovers.

My top tips

• I highly recommend purchasing an Express Pass to skip the long lines. Mario Kart and Mine Cart Madness can be over 3 hours long.

• If you don’t have an Express Pass, try to ‘rope drop’ this area and visit Mine Cart Madness first. 

• The evening time at Super Mario World was SO much quieter than during the day. 

• Visit Kinopio’s Café at 9 am to avoid long virtual queues and wait times inside. 

• Wear comfortable shoes as you’ll be doing a lot of walking and standing in queues. You’ll ache by the end of the day!

• Some character greetings are weather-dependent. Also, you can check for any planned closures to avoid disappointment. 

• They sometimes open the park up to an hour earlier than the stated opening time. But this doesn’t always happen. I got to the park 90 minutes before they opened, but they opened bang on time.

What else is there at Universal Studios Japan?

Although Super Nintendo World is spectacular and the reason for my visit to USJ, there is more to do here than Super Mario Land. 

A magical area is the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, where you can visit Hogwarts Castle, stroll down Hogsmeade and sip Butterbeer. 

There’s also Ollivander’s Wand Shop, Honeydukes and the Three Broomsticks for a feast worthy of the Great Hall. 

Again, you do often need a timed entry ticket for the Harry Potter area. Another reason to purchase an Express Pass. 

You can also find Jurassic Park, Universal Wonderland, Minion Park, Hollywood, New York, San Francisco, Waterworld and Amity Village. 

It makes a fun-filled day out from Osaka with rides, shows, parades and themed food. I would go back in a heartbeat. 

How to get to Universal Studios Japan from Osaka

Universal Studios Japan is located approximately 12 kilometres from Central Osaka.

You can take the metro from Osaka Station to Universal Studios Japan using the Osaka Loop Line (Red) in around 15 minutes.

From Shinsaibashi, it will take roughly 30 minutes on both the Midosuji Line and the Osaka Loop Line. 

If you’re lucky, you may get to board one of the special Super Mario World trains! 

I didn’t get to ride one, but I saw one pull up on the opposite side of the tracks. So cool.

You’ll alight at Universal-City Station, and it’s just a five-minute walk through the Universal CityWalk to the park gates. 

Alternatively, you can take a taxi to USJ. Uber works well in Japan, but Japanese taxis can be pricey due to added fees.

Where to stay at Universal Studios Japan

If you want to skip a long journey to Universal Studios Japan from Osaka, I recommend spending the night in Universal CityWalk.

You can stay at The Park Front Hotel, which is right opposite the entry gates and the iconic Universal Studios Globe. 

It’s not a cheap property, but staying here means you can get an early start to beat the queues.

It also means you don’t have to make a long journey back to Osaka city centre after an exhausting day at the park.

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