Universal Studios Japan Reminds Guests About Costume Rules at Halloween Event

Universal Studios Japan issued a public reminder to guests attending its Halloween Horror Nights event asking them to follow the park’s costume rules. The statement said USJ welcomes a wide variety of costumes but asked guests to cooperate with its rules and etiquette, and noted that guests wearing outfits that may disrupt public order or involve excessive skin exposure could be refused entry or asked to leave.

The reminder appeared to come in response to social media attention around a guest who attended the event dressed as Bowsette, the fan created character combining Nintendo’s Bowser with the Super Crown item from New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe. Photos of the costume, which incorporated a bondage inspired design with Bowser horns and the crown, were taken at various spots inside the park and circulated widely online.

This is not the first time USJ has issued a similar statement. In 2022 an incident at Halloween Horror Nights drew attention after a guest posted images wearing what Japanese women’s magazine Josei Jishin described as underwear. That situation prompted the informal internet nickname “Shitagi Uniba” or Underwear USJ.

USJ’s full costume guidelines are available in both Japanese and English on the park’s website. Halloween Horror Nights is held annually at Universal Studios theme parks in Orlando, Hollywood, Japan, and Singapore, and features haunted houses, scare zones, and themed shows. USJ is one of the few locations that allows guests to attend in costume.

My take: It is genuinely hard to imagine enforcing this at a park where half the appeal is dressing up and being dramatic, but USJ has a real responsibility to keep things comfortable for everyone including kids and families. The Bowsette situation was very online and very niche, but it is easy to see how that kind of attention prompts an official reminder. These kinds of stories are always a little funny and a little complicated at the same time.