Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Japan returns for its 15th anniversary from September 11 through November 8, 2026, running inside the wider Universal Extreme Autumn ~Discover U!!!~ umbrella event that opens September 10. The 2026 lineup adds a new Resident Evil Requiem: The Dive maze in partnership with Capcom, Zanzō, the first R-18 age-restricted attraction in the event’s 15-year history, a 15th-anniversary retrospective stage show, refreshed ride overlays for Hollywood Dream, and after-dark Jaws overlays, with Universal Studios Japan also marking its own 25th anniversary this season.
Unlike Universal’s US Halloween Horror Nights events, USJ’s HHN is included with standard Studio Pass admission — no separate hard-ticket is required for the street zombies, the Zombie de Dance, or the ride overlays. Some enclosed attractions require a free day-of timed-entry e-ticket in the USJ app, and a paid Halloween Express Pass covers priority access to the biggest mazes.
What is new for 2026
| Addition | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Zanzō (残像) | Extreme horror attraction | Stage 18; first-ever R-18 age-restricted attraction in the event’s 15-year history. English name: Lights Out: Nightmare Isolation. Separate “Afterimage” ticket from ¥1,900 including tax, on sale now, capped inventory. 17 and under barred. |
| Resident Evil Requiem: The Dive | Enclosed maze | Stage 18; tied to Capcom’s Resident Evil 30th anniversary and USJ’s 25th anniversary. Runs through Dec 27, 2026. |
| Halloween Horror Night Academy ~15 Years of Screams~ | Stage show | Marquee 15th anniversary retrospective in Gramercy Park; gathers HHN’s iconic monsters, zombies, and performers. |
| Playback Zombie de Dance | Street show | Nostalgia medley closing out each evening; features Ado’s “Show” and Sandaime J SOUL BROTHERS III’s “Rat-tat-tat.” |
| Chainsaw Man × Hollywood Dream ~IRIS OUT~ | Ride overlay | Backdrop coaster set to Kenshi Yonezu’s Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc theme. Replaces 2025’s “KICK BACK” overlay. |
| Zombie de Dance × Hollywood Dream | Ride overlay | Hollywood Dream and its Backdrop play King Gnu’s “SO BAD” and past Zombie de Dance tracks. |
| Jaws: Red Alert | Ride overlay | After-sunset Jaws boat ride with heavy fog and dramatic red lighting. Runs through Jan 31, 2027. |
| Sadako’s Curse ~Dark Horror Ride~ | Ride overlay (returning after gap) | Ring-inspired Space Fantasy overlay first run in 2023, absent in 2025. |
| Super Nintendo World 5th anniversary greetings | Character meet | Debut of Pink Yoshi and Light Blue Yoshi; runs through Jan 11, 2027. |
What is not returning in 2026
| Attraction / Show | Status | Replaced by |
|---|---|---|
| Chucky’s Carnival of Chaos | Retired after 2025 | No direct replacement; USJ ran a four-day “Gallery Version” walk-through after HHN 2025 closed to mark the end of the run. |
| Biohazard: Night of Heroes | Format changed | Replaced by the enclosed Resident Evil Requiem: The Dive maze (indoor walk-through instead of outdoor live show). |
| M3GAN “Megan’s Attack” | Absent from 2026 lineup | Not announced for 2026; no direct replacement noted. |
| Hamikuma Sweet Scream Party | Superseded | The Halloween Horror Night Academy 15th anniversary show. Hamikuma still appears across the 2026 lineup. |
At-a-glance: haunted attractions and horror rides
| Attraction | Location | Rating | Access | Runs through |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zanzō | Stage 18 | R-18 + waiver (17 and under barred) | Separate paid ticket from ¥1,900 (on sale now, capped) or Express Pass 3+1 | Nov 8, 2026 |
| Resident Evil Requiem: The Dive | Stage 18 | R-15 | Day-of e-ticket or Express Pass | Dec 27, 2026 |
| Factory of Fear ~Zombie Tour of Despair~ | Stage 22 | R-15 | Day-of e-ticket or Express Pass | Nov 8, 2026 |
| KATE Presents “The Witch of No. 18” | Stage 18 | Not R-rated | Timed-entry e-ticket | Nov 8, 2026 |
| Sadako’s Curse ~Dark Horror Ride~ | Space Fantasy – The Ride | Not R-rated | Standby or Express Pass | Jan 4, 2027 |
| Chainsaw Man: The Chaos 4-D | Cinema 4-D Theater | Under-13 needs guardian consent | Standby or Express Pass | Nov 8, 2026 |
At-a-glance: shows, dance parties, and street experiences
| Show / Experience | Location | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Halloween Horror Night Academy ~15 Years of Screams~ | Gramercy Park | Start times vary by day (paid Special Viewing Area from ¥2,100) |
| Street Zombies ~POWER UP!~ | Park-wide (excluding some areas) | 6:00 p.m. to park close |
| Zombie de Dance | Park-wide (excluding some areas) | 6:00 p.m. to park close |
| Playback Zombie de Dance ~15th Anniversary~ | Park-wide | Last show of the day |
| Smileys Happy Halloween Greetings | Near Cinema 4-D Theater | Varies by day |
At-a-glance: ride overlays and family programming
| Experience | Location | Runs |
|---|---|---|
| Chainsaw Man × Hollywood Dream ~IRIS OUT~ | Hollywood Dream – Backdrop | Park open to park close |
| Zombie de Dance × Hollywood Dream | Hollywood Dream / Backdrop | Park open to park close |
| Jaws: Red Alert | Jaws boat ride | After sunset, through Jan 31, 2027 |
| Jurassic Park: The Ride – In the Dark | Jurassic Park: The Ride | Sept 11 through Nov 8 |
| Minion Belloween Greeting | Hollywood Area / Minion Park | Varies by day |
| Super Nintendo World 5th anniversary greetings | Super Nintendo World | Through Jan 11, 2027 |
| Hogwarts Castle Walk | Wizarding World of Harry Potter | Sept 1 through Jan 17, 2027 |
| Park-wide Trick or Treat | Park-wide (excl. Super Nintendo World and Wizarding World) | Park open to 5:00 p.m. |
Haunted mazes and horror rides
Resident Evil Requiem: The Dive (NEW for 2026)
The 2026 season’s headline addition is Resident Evil Requiem: The Dive, a Capcom-tied indoor horror maze inside Stage 18 recreating the abandoned Wrenwood Hotel and the Rhodes Hill Chronic Care sanatorium featured in Capcom’s newest Resident Evil game. The storyline follows FBI analyst Grace Ashcroft, who vanishes while investigating a series of mysterious consecutive deaths inside the hotel. Live-action appearances include Leon S. Kennedy, and creatures include Licker β2 and “The Girl.”
The maze is R-15 rated (children 14 and under, or junior-high students and below, are not permitted) and requires a day-of e-ticket from the USJ app or a Halloween Express Pass. It operates from 10:00 a.m. to park close. Timed-entry e-tickets can only be obtained in the official Universal Studios Japan app, though USJ notes it may be possible to experience the attraction without one on less crowded days.
It opens September 11 and continues through December 27, 2026 — well past HHN’s Nov 8 close — and is framed as a joint celebration of the Resident Evil series 30th anniversary and USJ’s 25th anniversary.
Factory of Fear ~Zombie Tour of Despair~ (returning)
Factory of Fear returns to Stage 22 as an enclosed walk-through set inside a “zombie manufacturing plant,” with Prison Zombies and Cyber Zombies as the featured factions. The maze is R-15 rated and runs 10:00 a.m. to park close.
KATE Presents “The Witch of No. 18” (returning)
USJ’s collaboration with Japanese cosmetics brand KATE returns to Stage 18 as a sensory, makeup-themed walk-through with four witches at the “Witch’s Mansion Where Emotions Play.” The attraction requires a timed-entry e-ticket and skews lower on the horror intensity spectrum.
Sadako’s Curse ~Dark Horror Ride~ (returns after gap)
Sadako’s Curse revives for 2026 after being absent in 2025. The Ring (Ringu) overlay of Space Fantasy – The Ride sends guests through pitch-black darkness under Sadako’s curse. The overlay runs from September 11 through January 4, 2027.
Chainsaw Man: The Chaos 4-D (returning, third season)
The Cinema 4-D Theater attraction returns for a third season, featuring Denji, Aki, Power, and Kobeni in a 4-D theater battle with the Halloween Horror Night Demon and his zombie army. Under-13 guests need guardian consent.
Street zombies, dance parties, and the 15th anniversary show
Street Zombies ~POWER UP!~ returns park-wide from 6:00 p.m., with USJ promoting the 2026 iteration as featuring the highest number of zombies in the event’s history and a new story “packed with 15 years of horror.” Factions include the Psycho Circus clowns led by mascot Hamikuma, who is also getting his first Universal Orlando meet and greet this year, the Chainsaw Chain-Gang, and tortured test subjects.
Zombie de Dance returns for 2026 and continues the King Gnu “SO BAD” collaboration track from 2025. The final performance of each evening switches to Playback Zombie de Dance ~Halloween Horror Night 15th Anniversary~, a nostalgia medley of past HHN collaboration tracks including Ado’s “Show” and Sandaime J SOUL BROTHERS III’s “Rat-tat-tat.”
Halloween Horror Night Academy ~15 Years of Screams~ is the marquee 15th-anniversary stage show, running in Gramercy Park across the season and gathering iconic monsters, zombies, and performers from HHN’s 15-year history. A paid Special Viewing Area ticket for enhanced seating went on sale July 15, 2026, priced from ¥2,100 by date.
New Hollywood Dream ride overlays
Both Chainsaw Man × Hollywood Dream ~IRIS OUT~ (the Backdrop coaster set to Kenshi Yonezu’s Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc theme) and Zombie de Dance × Hollywood Dream (King Gnu’s “SO BAD” plus past Zombie de Dance tracks) are new 2026 audio overlays on Hollywood Dream and its Backdrop version, replacing the 2025 “KICK BACK” audio treatment.
Extreme Autumn family programming
USJ’s daytime Universal Surprise Halloween side returns for 2026 with several family-first offerings:
| Experience | Location | Runs |
|---|---|---|
| Minion “Belloween” Greeting | Hollywood Area / Minion Park | Sept 11 through Nov 8 |
| Park-wide Trick or Treat | Park-wide (excl. Super Nintendo World and Wizarding World) | Park open to 5:00 p.m. |
| Super Nintendo World 5th anniversary greetings | Super Nintendo World | Sept 10, 2026 through Jan 11, 2027 (Pink Yoshi + Light Blue Yoshi debut; easier Bowser Jr. Final Battle Power-Up Band Key Challenge) |
| Hogwarts Castle Walk | The Wizarding World of Harry Potter | Sept 1, 2026 through Jan 17, 2027 |
| Jaws: Red Alert | Jaws boat ride | Sept 11, 2026 through Jan 31, 2027 (after sunset overlay with heavy fog and red lighting) |
| Jurassic Park: The Ride – In the Dark | Jurassic Park: The Ride | Sept 11 through Nov 8, 2026 (near-total-darkness night version) |
Halloween Horror Nights Japan 2026 merchandise
Licker Popcorn Bucket
Universal Studios Japan’s first Resident Evil popcorn bucket goes on sale Wednesday, September 9, 2026 at the popcorn cart in front of Stage 22, two days before Resident Evil Requiem: The Dive opens. The official product photo shows the Licker mounted on two shoulder straps and worn down the wearer’s back. The head opens to reach the popcorn, which is miso flavored, and the claw and tooth sections are made from a soft material. USJ has not announced a price, and says more original food tied to the collaboration is still to come. Full details in our Licker Popcorn Bucket coverage.
Raccoon City Police Department line
A Raccoon City Police Department range arrives the same day, September 9, but from the Cinema 4-D Store rather than the popcorn cart. Two pieces have been shown: a black short-sleeve shirt with an R.P.D. badge at the chest, which USJ calls the newest entry in its popular narikiri shirt range, and a 3-WAY bag that converts between a waist pouch, a shoulder bag and a chest bag. Buying the R.P.D. items requires showing your own same-day admission ticket or annual pass. USJ says more collaboration items are coming.
Tickets and Halloween Express Passes
Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Japan is included with Studio Pass admission. USJ’s Studio Pass switched to dynamic pricing in 2026, with per-day prices varying by demand.
The paid Halloween Express Pass covering priority access to Resident Evil Requiem: The Dive, Factory of Fear, and Chainsaw Man: The Chaos 4-D went on sale at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, with prices starting at ¥11,800 and varying by date. The 2026 Halloween Express Pass starting price is roughly 74 percent higher than the 2025 starting price of ¥6,800.
Zanzō is the exception to included-with-admission: the R-18 attraction, listed on Universal’s English site as Lights Out: Nightmare Isolation, requires a separate “Afterimage” ticket from ¥1,728 (¥1,900 including tax). Tickets are on sale now at the official online ticket store, and sales end once the capped inventory sells out. The attraction runs from 10 a.m. until park close at Stage 18, with a waiver signed on the day of your visit and no bags allowed inside. A new Universal Express Pass 3+1 ~Halloween Set & Zanzō~ from ¥11,800 guarantees one Zanzō experience plus one-time priority access to Factory of Fear, Jurassic Park: The Ride ~In the Dark~, and Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey; it goes on sale at the same time, official website only. Full details in our Zanzō coverage.
Halloween Horror Nights All Night (one night only, September 25)
Separate from the nightly event, USJ holds a single all-night edition, Halloween Horror Nights ~All Night~, on Friday, September 25, 2026, running from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. It is an 18-and-over event with its own paid credential: guests under 18 are not admitted, holders of a regular Studio Pass must leave by 9:00 p.m., and All Night ticket holders may exit and re-enter through the night. Horror-night attractions and popular permanent rides run nonstop until morning, and special-show viewing is assigned by lottery for guests without a show pass.
The night carries content built only for this date: two special shows at two venues, one billed as frenzy-inducing and one as scream-inducing horror, Street Zombies turning up where you would not normally meet them with added special effects, and a special version of the popular Zombie de Dance. Three passes are sold through Lawson Ticket, with credential pickup times that vary by ticket type.
| All Night pass | Price (incl. tax) | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| All-Night Pass | ¥14,000 | Park admission and attractions. Park entry from 3:00 p.m. Super Nintendo World is not available after 9:00 p.m. |
| All-Night Pass + Super Nintendo World | ¥17,000 | Guaranteed Super Nintendo World entry, open after 10:00 p.m. with final entry at 2:10 a.m. and play until 3:15 a.m. Park entry from noon. |
| All-Night Pass + Special Show Ticket | ¥17,000 | Adds tickets to the two special shows. Park entry from 3:00 p.m. |
Additional Express Pass options and attraction operating schedules are expected to be released by USJ closer to the start of the autumn season.
Frequently asked questions
When does Halloween Horror Nights Japan run in 2026?
Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Japan runs from Friday, September 11 through Sunday, November 8, 2026. The wider Universal Extreme Autumn event opens one day earlier on September 10. Some attractions, including Resident Evil Requiem: The Dive, Sadako’s Curse, and Jaws: Red Alert, continue beyond November 8.
Do I need a separate ticket for Halloween Horror Nights Japan?
No. Unlike Universal’s US Halloween Horror Nights events in Orlando, Hollywood, and Las Vegas, USJ includes HHN in standard Studio Pass admission. Some attractions require a free day-of timed-entry e-ticket in the USJ app, and a paid Halloween Express Pass covers priority access to the biggest mazes.
What is new at Halloween Horror Nights Japan in 2026?
Two new enclosed attractions headline 2026: Resident Evil Requiem: The Dive, tied to Capcom’s newest Resident Evil game, and Zanzō, the first R-18 age-restricted attraction in the event’s 15-year history. Other 2026 additions include the Halloween Horror Night Academy 15th anniversary show, Playback Zombie de Dance, Jaws: Red Alert overlay, new Hollywood Dream ride audio overlays, and Super Nintendo World 5th anniversary greetings. Sadako’s Curse returns after being absent in 2025.
Is Chucky’s Carnival of Chaos returning in 2026?
No. Chucky’s Carnival of Chaos was officially retired after the 2025 season. USJ ran a four-day “Gallery Version” walk-through after HHN 2025 closed to mark the end of the run.
How much does the Halloween Express Pass cost?
Prices start at ¥11,800 and vary by date. The 2026 starting price is roughly 74 percent higher than the 2025 starting price of ¥6,800.
What is the age rating for the mazes?
Zanzō is R-18 with a mandatory waiver: guests 17 and under cannot experience it at all, a first in the USJ event’s history, per Universal Studios Japan. Resident Evil Requiem: The Dive and Factory of Fear are R-15 rated, meaning children 14 and under (or junior-high students and below) are not permitted. Chainsaw Man: The Chaos 4-D requires guardian consent for guests under 13. KATE Presents “The Witch of No. 18” and Sadako’s Curse do not carry the R-15 restriction.
Where is Universal Studios Japan?
Universal Studios Japan is in Osaka, Japan. The park opened in 2001 and marks its 25th anniversary in 2026.
HAN prior Halloween Horror Nights coverage
- Halloween Horror Nights 2026: Dates, Tickets, and Lineups for Every Park — HAN’s master HHN hub across all Universal parks
- Halloween Horror Nights 14 Singapore Reveals Four Haunted Houses and Two Scare Zones for 2026
- Universal Beijing Halloween 2026: Scares at Universal Guide
- Halloween Horror Nights 2026 Reveals First Haunted House and Returning Icons for 35th Anniversary — HHN Orlando
- Halloween Horror Nights Tickets Guide — every US ticket tier
- Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood 2026 — West Coast Universal event
About Universal Studios Japan
Universal Studios Japan is a Comcast NBCUniversal park in Osaka that opened on March 31, 2001 and marks its 25th anniversary in 2026. It is the second-most-attended theme park in Japan after Tokyo Disneyland and one of the world’s largest attended theme parks. Halloween Horror Nights debuted at USJ in 2011 and celebrates its 15th anniversary in 2026.
For tickets and the full 2026 program, visit Universal Studios Japan’s official Halloween page.
Last updated: August 14, 2026. This guide is updated as Universal Studios Japan announces additional 2026 Halloween Horror Nights details.
