Osaka-based theme park Universal Studios Japan has officially announced that they are limiting daily visitors following a spike in COVID-19 cases within Osaka City. Previously, the theme park had allowed 20,000 daily visitors. Now, the limit will be one fourth that number, at 5,000. It is speculated that Osaka's spike in COVID-19 cases is directly connected to the opening of Super Nintendo World, a new Super Mario-themed area of the Universal Studios park.
Daily COVID-19 cases in Osaka have increased steadily for a week, with 719 cases reported on April 6th. The neighboring prefectures of Hyogo and Nara are also reporting record high numbers, with Hyogo nearing 300 new cases per day and Nara nearing 100.
Super Nintendo World was first announced in 2015, with constructions beginning in mid-2017. The area, which includes Toad's Cafe and Yoshi- and Bowser-themed rides, was originally scheduled to open in mid-2020 alongside the Tokyo Olympics, but was delayed multiple times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The park held its grand opening on March 18, 2021, following the end of a state of emergency in Osaka.
With these new limits active, visitors eager to experience Super Nintendo World may have to be content with the virtual tour of the park hosted by Shigeru Miyamoto, which was released in late 2020 as a Nintendo Direct.
In addition to opening Super Nintendo World in March, Universal Studios Japan has been engaging in other practices which are not considered pandemic-friendly. The theme for 2021, which marks the park's 20th anniversary, is "No Limit," a slogan which contradicts the many strict limits put in effect in order to present the spread of COVID-19. While the park required visitors to wear masks, it did allow congregation in groups and eating inside restaurants. Videos of Super Nintendo World's opening ceremony also showed a huge concentration of visitors clumped together at the park's gate, in defiance of recommended social distancing.
Japanese news source Mainichi News reported that Osaka may soon reach a "red light" state, in which 70% of hospital beds are occupied by serious COVID-19 patients. It is possible that Osaka may have to return to a state of emergency, which is still in effect in other major Japanese cities such as Tokyo.
Plans to bring Super Nintendo World lands to other Universal Studios locations, including Singapore and Orlando, Florida, have also been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is currently unknown whether the spike of cases attributed to Osaka's Super Nintendo World will delay these constructions further.
Source: CinemaCafe