On September 1, Osaka City announced that it will proceed with discussions with USJ Co., Ltd. on utilizing city-owned land in Sakurajima 2-chome, Konohana Ward, as an expansion site for Universal Studios Japan (USJ).
The site is approximately 3.1 hectares of city-owned land and is currently leased to Nippon Steel. Demolition work on the buildings is underway in preparation for its return, and the land is expected to be returned from Nippon Steel to Osaka City by June 2027. The city then aims to conclude a lease agreement through a discretionary contract around 2028. Osaka City received a proposal from USJ Co., Ltd. in April and reached an agreement with USJ Co., Ltd. and Nippon Steel on August 31.
The land was originally owned by Nippon Steel, but Osaka City came to own it through a land readjustment disposition as land associated with USJ. For the time being, Osaka City will conduct a soil contamination survey and hold discussions with relevant parties, including on changes to the city planning designation. The city said it will conduct the soil contamination survey as the landowner.
The lease period and rent will be determined through future discussions and have not yet been decided. A future sale of the land is not contemplated; the arrangement will be a lease through a discretionary contract. Osaka City said it is not aware of the specific intended use of the expansion site or its planned opening date.
Osaka Mayor Hideyuki Yokoyama said, “I believe USJ ranks third in the world in terms of visitor numbers, but depending on its future initiatives, it has both the capability and appeal as an entertainment destination to aim for the world’s number-one visitor count.” He also expressed the view that the expansion would be a positive factor for the integrated resort (IR) scheduled to open in 2030 and for development of the former Expo site.
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