Universal Studios Japan just turned September into a Harry Potter month. The park opened its Back to Hogwarts special program on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, and it runs through Wednesday, September 30, 2026. The whole thing celebrates the 25th anniversary of the film “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.”
The date isn’t random. September 1 is the day the Hogwarts term starts in the world of the story, so USJ built its kickoff around it.
Hogwarts Castle Walk is back
This is the headline for me. Hogwarts Castle Walk returned on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, and it’s scheduled through Sunday, January 17, 2027. It’s a walking tour through the castle interior on a special route.
You pass the big griffin statue guarding Dumbledore’s office. You walk under the talking portraits that climb all the way to the high ceilings. It’s the kind of detail work you can only really appreciate on foot, without a ride vehicle pulling you along.
The September 1 wand-lighting event
USJ closed the park and handed The Wizarding World of Harry Potter over to about 600 invited guests on the night of Tuesday, September 1, 2026. The Back to Hogwarts Special Event started at 8:30 p.m.
During the show, Hogwarts Castle went dark. Students, professors and fans raised their wands together, spoke the incantation, and the castle lit up. Guests had the area, the attractions, the food and the shops to themselves for one night.
A free Bertie Bott’s sticker
Starting Wednesday, September 2, 2026, USJ is handing out an original sticker in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The design is styled after a Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans advertisement, a nod to the candy the students share on the Hogwarts Express in the first film.
It’s while supplies last, so if you want one, go early. USJ also notes the giveaway details can change without notice.
Butterbeer gets a 25th anniversary mug
Butterbeer is showing up in a commemorative mug designed for the film’s 25th anniversary. It’s the non-alcoholic version, same as always, just in a mug you can only get right now.
Four house badges, then a fifth
If you’re signed up for USJ Fan, the park’s free official fan program, visiting The Wizarding World of Harry Potter during the event earns you a limited-time digital badge. The designs are based on the Hogwarts houses, and a new one drops each week.
- Gryffindor: Tuesday, September 1 through Monday, September 7, 2026
- Slytherin: Tuesday, September 8 through Monday, September 14, 2026
- Hufflepuff: Tuesday, September 15 through Monday, September 21, 2026
- Ravenclaw: Tuesday, September 22 through Wednesday, September 30, 2026
Collect all four and you unlock a fifth special digital badge. USJ is keeping that design a surprise. You’ll need a valid park ticket for the day to earn any of them, and that’s four separate visits across the month.
If you’re in Japan this month, the Castle Walk alone is worth building a day around. And it sticks around until January 17, 2027, so there’s no rush on that one.
Source: Universal Studios Japan
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