Universal Studios Japan

There's a lot of good stuff packed into Universal Studios Japan.  We arrived before the gates opened and stayed until well after dark.  There are dinosaurs, terminators, zombies (especially released for Halloween) and much much more.  However, this post focuses on where we spent most of our time which was lost in the two worlds of minions and wizards.

Nothing quite beats seeing a cartoon come to life.  Welcome to Gru's house from Despicable Me.  And yes, you can go inside because that's where the ride is, but be prepared to stand in a long long lineup.

Leading up to Gru's house are buildings perfectly themed for the minion-obsessed.

I mean, how can you not love these guys?!

Okay, the minions were fun, but the real jaw-dropping place was Harry Potter world.  Welcome to Hogwarts!  

Inside those walls we got to walk through a few places like Dumbledore's office and the Gryffindor dormitory which all leads to the best ride ever! 

Seeing Hogwarts was cool enough, but wait, there's more...

Welcome to Hogsmeade, where there's magically snow on the rooftops even in 35 degree weather. 

Wandering along a back alley.

Some shop fronts are just for show.

But the majority of them, you can go right on in.

Finding some mischief in Zonkos toy store.

After a long hard day shopping for wands and trying on cloaks, stop for a drink and a bite to eat at The Three Broomsticks!

Even in here, the attention to authenticity is impeccable.

Hunting for the perfect wand in Olivander's.

Lots of mail at the owl post today.

These broomsticks are under lock and key because, well, they actually move.

Time for a mid-afternoon snack at Honeydukes where they really do sell chocolate frogs...

...and packages of Bertie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans. 

It's worth going back in the evening to see Hogsmeade lit up at night and to watch an awesome light show against the backdrop of Hogwarts (it was in Japanese, but we could still get the gist).