Presentation Ceremony for the 15th Osaka Prefectural Scholarship Association USJ Scholarship Program to Support High School Students Striving to Achieve Their Dreams.
The Reason USJ is Involved in a Scholarship Program.

This summer, the Osaka prefectural government carried out the Osaka Tourism Invitation Project for Children in the Noto Peninsula Area, in which children from areas of Oku-Noto affected by the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake (Wajima, Suzu, Anamizu, and Noto) were taken on a free sightseeing trip around Osaka.
USJ took part in this initiative by preparing a special dinner party and an opportunity to experience an attraction to make their trip even more memorable. The Universal Studios Japan Foundation office also recruited in-house volunteers to plan a surprise for the children. This article provides an in-depth report on the event held on August 13.

• From July to August 2025, USJ took part in a program that invited children from the Oku-Noto area, which was affected by the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake, to visit Osaka.
• This report covers the day of super-energetic hospitality provided by USJ on August 13, 2025, including a special dinner party, an experience in Donkey Kong Country, and a surprise for the kids.
• The organizer shares her thoughts behind the volunteer activity.
• What is the Universal Studios Japan Foundation, the organization that volunteered in the program?

Volunteers welcomed the Guests from Oku-Noto as the doors opened to the dinner party held at Stage 33™. They prepared handwritten cards and surprise gifts while the party took place, then presented them to the Guests when sending them off.

The 13 volunteers all came from different departments and worked in different roles. After everyone had gathered together, Saori Kono from the External Affairs Department, who was in charge of running the event, provided an overview of the program.
The volunteers stood ready in front of the venue, positioned evenly along the entrance. A total of 144 Guests were in attendance that day, consisting of children from Oku-Noto and their parents.
As soon as the gates opened, the Guests were welcomed with a round of applause and big smiles! The Guests responded with happy smiles of their own.

After welcoming the Guests, the volunteers headed to the workroom. Kono mentioned how some of the participants were forced to change schools due to the earthquake, making the event a long-awaited opportunity for them to reunite with their friends. This further motivated the volunteers to make it a day that they will never forget. 

Before starting work, the volunteers each introduced themselves. They also shared a wide range of reasons for taking part in this activity, including the following.

"I wanted to interact with the Guests directly, because I don't often have the opportunity to do so."
"I've always been interested in giving back to the community, but it's hard to find the time while working."
"I want to help the people of Noto, who kindly hosted the 100 km marathon."
"This is my way of giving back for all the help we received during the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake."
"I'd like to do whatever I can to see the children of Noto smile."

One crew member even shared how they were inspired to participate after recalling the experience of joining a volunteer team organized by the company when the Great East Japan Earthquake struck in 2011:
"I was helping out in various ways in the disaster-affected area. When an elementary school student realized I was a crew member from the Park, their eyes lit up with excitement. Their parents even told me they would come to visit when things settle down.  Some years later, they actually did visit the Park and came to see me.
“I will never forget how moved I was to realize how a single crew member from the Park could help bring joy and hope to those affected by disasters. I don't usually have a chance to interact directly with Guests in my work, so I had been hoping that another opportunity would present itself."

For the cards, the secretariat prepared five different message templates. The idea was that having different messages for the parents and children would make the sentiments feel more personal. Writing heartfelt messages without making mistakes turned out to be hard work. The volunteers burst out in laughter as they sympathized with each other about how their efforts revealed how little they write by hand in their day-to-day.

The gifts were sets of three items, including popular snacks and sweets sold at the Park. Seeing their seamless teamwork as they packed the gifts, you would have never guessed that they had met for the first time that day. They worked with a sense of fun, as if they were playing a game to find the most efficient workflow.

"Crew members who rarely have the chance to work together met with a shared sense of purpose and took part in the tasks while respecting one another's work. This wasn't something we intentionally aimed to achieve, but it ended up becoming a truly meaningful opportunity," Kono relates with a smile in her eyes.

While the volunteers carried on with their work, the Guests experienced a two-hour dinner party complete with a special show featuring a magic act, a dance performance, and other entertaining acts! The Guests thoroughly enjoyed the show and the delicious dinner. 

The volunteers busied themselves, placing the completed message cards into envelopes. The work progressed faster than scheduled. Watching this unfold, Executive Vice President & General Manger Murayama of USJ LLC expressed his appreciation, commenting, "It would mean a lot to me if even a small part of what you put into this activity stayed in the Guests’ hearts. I'm truly grateful."

Commenting on the volunteer initiative, Executive Vice President Murayama remarked, "I hope this initiative encourages every employee to reconsider the kind of relationship USJ aims to build with the local community.

"I once visited a special-needs school for children with visual impairments. As soon as USJ's music started playing, a little boy ran up to a character, hugged them, and began dancing along. At that moment, I experienced the power of entertainment firsthand and gained a renewed appreciation for what makes Universal Studios Japan incredible.
“For people who have been affected by a disaster, experiencing even a moment of joy is something truly meaningful, even if only for a minute or a second. I believe that when every employee is mindful of how Universal Studios Japan can give back to society, it significantly enhances the company's overall sense of purpose. However, it loses its meaning if it becomes mandatory. It would make me happy to see more people decide to join in voluntarily."

When the dinner party came to a close and the doors opened, the volunteers at the entrance were joined by Woody and Winnie to send the Guests off. As the volunteers handed out sets of gifts along with their own heartfelt messages of gratitude and warm wishes, smiles spread among the participants. 

The children immediately began excitedly trying on their new hairbands and other merchandise they received as gifts! Seeing how moved the children were by all the gifts and unique handwritten messages put smiles on the faces of the volunteers. 

After the event, the participating crew members shared positive reflections about the experience, including the following.

"I was happy to see so many children smile."
"I'd like to see many more opportunities like this in the future."
"We worked well as a team and left with a sense of achievement."
"It was so moving to see the children having a good time."
"The experience renewed my appreciation for our company's culture of thinking about how to make Guests smile and how to translate that into action."
"Being able to work as one with people we usually don't meet, I felt the warmth of the Universal Studios Japan family."
Finally, Kono shared with the volunteers her hope to further expand CSR activities that involve crew members going forward.

Starting immediately after the Noto Peninsula Earthquake, USJ has offered support to the disaster-affected regions through donations and free supplies and is continuing its relief efforts today.
However, we had not yet been able to carry out an initiative that included greetings from friends from the Park and other such activities until now. In reflection, Saori Kono of the External Affairs Department comments that it was an unparalleled opportunity.

"We aim to create a future full of children's smiles, in line with our CSR slogan, 'LOVE HAS NO LIMIT.' To this end, we saw the Oku-Noto group's visit to the Park as an opportunity to bring more smiles to children, even if just a few.

At the same time, we wanted to create an opportunity for crew members to experience a sense of connection with the community. With encouragement from President Murayama, we decided to recruit volunteers from within the company for this event.

Interactions with people outside the company remind us that our work can motivate others. Our daily work can inspire people to have courage. That in itself is a meaningful contribution to society. Through this initiative, we hope to not only bring joy to the people of Oku-Noto but also help more of our crew appreciate the impact that Universal Studios Japan can make."

The Universal Studios Japan Foundation is a unique donation program that enables employees to take part in social contribution activities by contributing a desired amount from their monthly salary.
Participants can choose whether to contribute to supporting children's futures, helping the Osaka community, or providing disaster and humanitarian relief. In 2023, our initiatives included donating educational materials to Denpo Kindergarten in Konohana Ward, Osaka, and providing support to animal rescue organizations and foster-care support groups.

Going forward, USJ will continue its efforts to contribute to local communities, thereby building a super-energized regional society and a future full of children’s smiles.