In the run up to Universal Studios Japan’s (USJ) seasonal event “Universal Surprise Halloween 2018,” the park has opened its new horror attraction Hotel Albert that offers a new way for adults to enjoy Halloween which they are calling “Otona Halloween” (Adult Halloween).

The attraction combines elements of USJ’s “Halloween Horror Night” with immersive theatre, a type of interactive theatre that started in New York’s Off-Broadway theatres in which the audience is a participant in the play to some degree.

People will participate in groups and will become guests of the luxury hotel which is set in a time 40 years ago. The hotel has a lobby decorated with a gorgeous chandelier and guest rooms are decked out with real antique furniture. Guests will be able to walk around the attraction as characters in the story and experience a beautifully haunting tale unfold before them.

Japanese actress Ayami Nakajo experienced the attraction herself and commented the following:

“I was a participant of the story and surprises came my way as the story advanced. I became separated from the person I was with. I experienced some frights on my own and came to understand everything at the end when I spoke with everyone in the lobby. There’s never been an attraction like this. They even went so far as to put details in the environment like old furniture and the smells with the scent of old carpets. I was totally immersed in the world. It was a new kind of experience. The horror captivated me, and if you’re a girl then there’s a melancholic story there that you’ll be able to empathise with.”

Nakajo also got to experience the park’s first horror maze where you’re not allowed to let your voice out. It’s one of the new attractions called Silence in the Ghost Ship.

“You are followed by fear because you want to scream but you’re not allowed. I wanted to get through it quickly. You can’t let your voice out, so I covered my ears and held my breath as I advanced. My voice and emotions that I was holding back all came out all at once like I was throwing up when I got to the exit.”

Hotel Albert and Silence in the Ghost Ship are just some of the exciting new Halloween experiences arriving at USJ this year for adults. But Universal Surprise Halloween 2018 has plenty in store for families too including Street Zombies and Zombies Mob where zombies will roam about the park. Lots more events are planned to be announced too.

Enjoy a new kind of Halloween this year at USJ.