On April 23, a State of Emergency was issued for Osaka, Japan due to the sharp increase in COVID-19 cases throughout the area. This prompted another closure of Universal Studios Japan.
The closure was originally only supposed to last until May 11, however, Universal Studios Japan has recently announced that the State of Emergency has been extended, and the theme park will remain closed.
On May 7, Universal Japan tweeted:
[Notice of extension of temporary closure] With the extension of the “state of emergency” to Osaka Prefecture, Universal Studios Japan will continue to be temporarily closed due to the ongoing requests for practical closure of theme parks in the prefecture. Please see below for the handling of tickets during the holiday period.
【臨時休業延長のお知らせ】
大阪府への「緊急事態宣言」延長に伴い、府内テーマパークへの実質的な休業要請が継続しているため、ユニバーサル・スタジオ・ジャパンは引き続き臨時休業いたします。なお、休業期間中のチケットの取り扱いに関しては、以下よりご確認ください。https://t.co/p9TehI1ZzA— ユニバーサル・スタジオ・ジャパン公式 (@USJ_Official) May 7, 2021
While the theme park may be closed, that does not mean that Universal Studios wants to leave its Guests in the lurch. Universal Japan announced on its Twitter feed today that it would be hosting a virtual live stream called “Hogwarts™ Magical Celebration”. The event will take place tomorrow night at 7 p.m. Osaka time.
May 9th 19: 00 ~ “Hogwarts ™・ Magical Celebration ” An online special appreciation event will be held! \ The full-length online castle show with the theme of four dormitories to be held in 2019! Watch it together #USJatHome Let’s talk with each other!#USJ ※ The park is currently closed temporarily.
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✨予告✨5月9日 19:00~
「ホグワーツ™・マジカル・セレブレーション」
オンライン特別鑑賞会を開催!
\
2019年開催、4つの寮をテーマにしたキャッスル・ショーを全編オンラインで公開!
一緒に鑑賞して、 #USJatHome で語り合おう! #USJ
※現在パークは臨時休業しております。— ユニバーサル・スタジオ・ジャパン公式 (@USJ_Official) May 8, 2021
The Universal Japan Hogwarts Castle projection show originally launched in 2019 in celebration of the 5th anniversary of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at the theme park. The projections celebrate each of the four Hogwarts Houses — Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw.
If you want to watch this magical celebration, and you live in the United States, be prepared to wake up early. Osaka is 13 hours ahead of states on East Coast time, meaning the show will be at 6 a.m. EST and 3 a.m. PST. However, due to the fact that it will be streamed on YouTube, it is possible you may be able to watch the show at a later time that is more convenient for you!
Will you be watching ‘Hogwarts ™ A Magical Celebration”? Let us know in the comments!
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