USJ 25th Anniversary – Part 3 - Japanese Breakfast

 

March 28, 2026

For the last ten years or so, Larry has requested we only stay in hotels that serve breakfast. (We became spoiled when we started staying at Hampton Inns with their breakfast buffet included. Domestically, they became our hotels of choice.)

We have stayed at the Hotel Universal Port each time we return to Japan, and we always opt to add the breakfast buffet. It’s Larry’s kind of meal. Lots of small tastes of a bunch of different foods. And the best part is the cappuccino machine!

Since they moved our room to the top floor (ocean view, not park view), we discovered we also got some great perks.

I need to thank the Room Support clerk, Setsuko Washio, who made it all happen and for going far out of her way to make sure we were satisfied. She kept checking in with us to be sure we were enjoying our stay.

And she gave us a sweet card and 25th anniversary sticker from the hotel.

Being on the top floor meant we got special blue ticket for breakfast. Like fast-passes or lightning lanes, they allowed us to bypass the regular (LONG) lines at the entrance and get seated first.

Then, we were escorted to a special, separate dining area. I always request to be seated where we could see the children in the main area. I love watching their enthusiasm as they anticipate a day in the park. The last time, we saw more kids in Harry Potter robes and Mario hats. Fewer were in costume this time, but their excitement was no less palpable.

Not only did we have reserved seating, but each day we received a special “treat” with our meal.

The plates were side plates, and the tiny cups were the size of egg cups, but the fruit was fresh as was the tiny mint leaf, and the fork was about the size of a cocktail fork. Fresh strawberries are expensive, so this was truly a lovely surprise. (They looked exactly the same every day.)

The other perk of being on the top floor was coupons for free drinks in a couple of the hotel lounges. Since we don’t drink, we thought we wouldn’t use them, but several of our Japanese kids came to visit us, and we went there to eat with them. They enjoyed the free drinks!

We always started breakfast with a cup of cappuccino to wake up.

Then we picked up a tray and added one of the smaller serving trays for our food. (They are half the length of the tray and fit across the width. They are sort of like egg cartons with six shallow indentations. They only hold a small amount in each one. So, you can try many options.

There are numerous food stations featuring Japanese, Chinese, American, and other specialties. There is also a kid’s station with special minion-themed dishes for them to eat from. Their section has (among other things) a choice of cereals and toppings—including soft serve ice cream. Larry started a bit of a trend by finishing his meal each day with it. He noticed several other adults followed suit. (He’s a trend-setter.)

My favorite area was the yogurt and smoothie bar. It always had plain yogurt and usually plain yogurt with chia seeds. (I might start keeping it on hand at home since it was good.) They provided small bowls (the same size as the coffee cups) for the yogurt and featured chunks of apple, pineapple, and other fruit. One day, they had fresh raspberries and Japanese blueberries (much smaller than ours, but tasty). Then there were toppings: passion fruit and mixed fruit. Yummy.

The smoothies were usually banana and mango, a berry mix, and green juice. We went for the fruit.

Many items were cooked fresh on the spot. Fried chunks of fish were being cooked at all times, and when a batch was finished, they beat on a drum as notification. Fresh Japanese “omelets” (hard cooked scrambled eggs spread thin and cooked in sheets, then rolled and cut into small bite-sized slices) were announced with a bell.

Larry usually selected the undercooked scrambled eggs. I preferred to choose a whole egg, formed in a perfect circle, which just fit into one of the indents in the serving tray. They made them over-easy, over-hard, and sunny-side-up.

I also liked the fried potato wedges. Larry usually got the tiny patty of shredded potato, sort-of-like McDonald’s mini-hashbrown patties. (I tried them once, but they were cold.)

He always tried a variety of the Asian choices, most of which I didn’t recognize. I pretty much stuck to western foods, and not much of any of them.

Many choices were provided, including undercooked bacon and unsmoked sausage. The undercooked scrambled eggs are in the red container, and the potato wedges are in the yellow one. The rest of the eggs, etc. are around the corner.

They provided a selection of breads and sweet rolls, too. Tiny croissants, small fruit-filled pastries, and bread for toasting were featured. A couple of days, they had miniature waffles, about the size of a quarter of a Belgian waffle, with one edge dipped in icing. Of course, we tried these.

We had to guard against eating too much, but everything was delicious!

We always finished our meals with a final cup of cappuccino while we watched the people enjoying themselves.

On the first morning, as I got my cappuccino, I spotted a little guy in a highchair. He had his stuffed purple paradactyl with him. He was ignoring his breakfast while he “flew” it around the table and placed it on his head. He made me smile.

Another day, a tiny boy, also in a highchair, smiled and giggled and flirted with me. I waved, and he laughed.

And Minion Bob greeted us as we left.

It was altogether a lovely way to start each day.

USJ 25th Anniversary – Part 2 - On the Road Again

March 26, 2026

The alarm went off at 6:00 a.m., but we were awake over an hour earlier. We decided to get up. Showered, dressed, stripped the bed, put out fresh sheets so the cleaner could remake the bed, and finished packing. (The cleaner was scheduled to come the day we arrived home.)

We had a quick cup of coffee and split a protein drink. Then we finished picking up, emptying the trash, and walking through the house closing windows and making sure everything was put away.

Our driver, Chris, (Christopher’s Car Service 949-870-7273) arrived at 9:00 as scheduled. Our flight didn’t depart until 2:20 p.m., but we had heard horror stories about delays at airports across the country due to the government shutdown and TSA not being paid. So, we wanted to get there extra early.

Since COVID, there are no airport shuttles from South Orange County to LAX. We used another service two years ago and were happy with them, but we decided to try Chris for this trip. He was great!

It was a quick drive to the airport. Not much traffic. Despite rush hour, we got there in just over an hour.

JAL has a direct flight from LAX to Kansai (KIX). The other airlines require a transfer. We took this same flight two years ago and loved it. We usually travel with one small rolling bag that fits in the overhead and one additional bag to go under the seat in front. Larry has a backpack, and I take a canvas bag. It holds my purse, computer, Kindle Fire, noise-reducing headset, neck pillow, and other items.

Our tickets included two checked bags at no additional cost. However, one each was more than sufficient.

We needed the extra space because we had to pack copies of our book, 31 Months in Japan: The Building of a Theme Park and omiyage (a souvenir brought for loved ones and close friends).

We took ten paperback copies of the book. On previous trips we had taken a few, and there was always more demand than copies. Larry packed five, and I packed five. (We sold two and gave away four. We brought home four.)

Omiyage is always a challenge. When we were living there, we usually brought back Universal-branded items for our friends and translators. Easy. This time, I got scarves for several of the “girls,” but they wouldn’t work for everyone.

I found some lovely and special small candles made by ScentsAbility before Christmas. I bought ten small ones for Christmas stocking stuffers, etc. However, they didn’t arrive until early February. This is a terrific nonprofit organization. You can read about them on their website. They were featured on the Today show, and I loved the whole concept. Besides, their candles smell wonderful!

I decided they would make nice little gifts, even though they added some weight. (But remember, we had lot of extra suitcase space.) I ordered some small scarves in Universal blue and some ½” white ribbon to tie them.

Then my sister-in-love mentioned that Trader Joe’s tote bags were considered stylish in Asia. A friend of hers had taken a few to the Philippines recently, and they were quite popular.

We checked all the local Trader Joe’s and were told the same thing. They come in without notice, and they sell out within a day when they do get them. Our local stores had none. Fortunately, I found some online. They were more than Trader Joe’s price, but definitely doable. I took eight of them plus tissue to fill them.

So, I had bags for the scarves and candles, and extra candles for others. I breathed a sigh of relief! They were a great hit. (BTW, several of the gals said they were considered like Gucci there.)

We checked in for our flight, got our boarding passes, and checked our two bags. I was scared about weight, but mine was only 35.5 pounds and Larry’s was under 30. Hooray!

Then on to Security. It may have been even faster than normal! We have TSA Pre-check, and there were few people in the line.

We went to our gate. (We like to get there early and would rather wait at the airport than wait at home.)

We had coffee and bagels while we waited.

JAL is nothing if not efficient. Boarding went smoothly. We like the seats in the rear on the sides with only two per row. More leg room and no climbing over other people to get to the bathroom. The only things we put in the overhead were our USJ team jackets. We always travel with them because we can have them cleaned and waterproofed. They came with the Universal Japan logo and our names on them. One of our team members located a shop that would add our names in Japanese (katakana) to match the English ones. Whenever we wear them in Japan, they get lots of notice.

We both put on our headphones, but I took my hearing aids out first. After a while, I knew they would hurt, and I could adjust the volume on my headset.

Since we would arrive in Osaka at 5:50 p.m., I wanted to stay awake throughout the flight so I could sleep when we arrived at the hotel.

I watched about 6 movies. Some I had wanted to see earlier. I was disappointed in a couple. So, I watched my current favorite, Rental Family, again. It got me in the right frame of mind for Japan, and I really like it.

We had a couple of meals on the plane. Always more than I can eat, so Larry picks what he likes of mine along with his.

This was the long flight (12 hours). While we flew, we crossed the International Date Line, so we lost a day and arrived on March 27^th.

March 27, 2026

We retrieved our bags and had our passports checked. (Our new ones have a bar code on the back. All we have to do now is scan the code and take a photo. They match us to the passport. Very quick and automated.) Customs was also quick and easy.

We had ordered a car service to take us to the hotel and had received confirmation before we left. We didn’t have to wait long for our driver to find us. We followed him outside and to the waiting car.

As we drove the familiar route to the hotel, we noticed many changes. Most of the industrial buildings are gone, replaced by modern structures. We saw much more English signage. But some places looked the same. As we approached the park, Larry recalled many trips on these roads, but now they are wider.

We arrived at our hotel, Hotel Universal Port. It is one of the original three hotels built just outside of the park. There are now quite a few others. It is the one we have always stayed at when we come back. It was originally the upscale luxury hotel—very fancy like the Ritz. However, they changed it to meet the needs of families. When we were there two year ago, it had been re-themed for the minions, and we loved it!

We had reserved a room with a queen-size bed. We got there after seven and gave them the reservation. They took us up to our room.

This is what we saw:

The beds (a queen next to two long twins shoved all together for a family) were on a raised platform about 6" tall), but they were set on the ground. I had just had shots in my knee and realized this wasn’t going to work! I was afraid if I ever got down into the bed, I would never be able to get up. And Larry would have been hard-pressed to get in on his side. Besides, the rocking horse and table were on the route to the bathroom. I could just see myself tripping over them in the middle of the night. (When you get old, you make trips during the night.)

The bathroom had an exceptionally deep tub like the one we had in our mansion in Japan. But we were 25 years younger then. It would have been a challenge today.

We went back down to the desk and explained why this just wouldn’t work.

They said there were no queen rooms left, but they found us a double (two twin beds pushed together). It was on the top floor. We discovered this was a decided perk! (More about that later.)

The bath in this room was just like the Japanese bath in our mansion. Our visitors will remember it. It is a wet room with a handheld shower and a tub. We could adjust the handheld so it could be used just like a standard shower. Success!

We had been up for over 24 hours are were tired. So, we went straight to bed. After all, we had busy days ahead.

USJ 25th Anniversary – Part 1 - Party or No Party?

Since March 31, 2026 would mark the 25^th anniversary of the opening of Universal Studios Japan, we wanted to get together in Osaka with other team members to celebrate.

Many changes have taken place in the past 25 years—including change of ownership. When we were there, a multi-national conglomerate (USJCo) owned the park. Today it is wholly owned by Universal Studios. Unfortunately, we were not able to get any help from them in any way.

All the people who planned the delayed 20^th anniversary party two years ago were too busy or out of the area and could not help us this time. I tried to make arrangements from here, but it proved impossible. So, I cancelled the event.

However, an angel named Atsuko Sera, Japanese born and bilingual, said she would see what she could do. She contacted the same hotel where the party had been held two years ago. They were willing to give us the same deal that we had then for the same price! (The only difference was that we had the room for two hours instead of three.) Fortunately, the exchange rate was much more favorable to us this time. The party was back on!

She and I coordinated the preparations and tracked the attendance. Two weeks before the event, we had 80 people who responded positively. This was the number we gave the hotel. (It was like a wedding reception where the number we locked in was the number we were responsible to pay for.)

Unfortunately, a war started two days afterward. Several people were stuck in places where they could not get a plane out. (One family was in Dubai, and the airport had been bombed.) Others were afraid to fly. A few had medical issues. We heard about long delays and cancelled flights at US airports. Still others just didn’t let us know their updates.

Fortunately, several who had not RSVPd were able to get to Osaka. We told them to come!

Sara-san (Atsuko) recruited a couple of friends to help with registration. She would be the MC for the event and do some of the translation. Fortunately, most of the speakers sent her their speeches for translation early!

It was a mad scramble, but we felt we were ready!