Universal Studios Japan Kicks Off 'THANKS LOVE MONTH 2026,' a Commemorative Month to Spread "Gratitude" and "Love"! Limited Time from Friday, May 8, 2026 to Sunday, June 21, 2026

Universal Studios Japan (operated by USJ LLC) will hold 'Thanks Love Month 2026,' a special commemorative month to express "gratitude" and "love" not only on Mother's Day and Father's Day, but also to important people around them, for a limited time from Friday, May 8, 2026, to Sunday, June 21, 2026. Ahead of its public opening, a special program to be held for a limited time was unveiled to the press today at Stage 33 inside the park. Additionally, the first-ever traveling event, "Flower Shop that Makes Flowers Bloom with 'Thank You,'" also started today in Tokyo, with opening ceremonies held simultaneously in Tokyo and Osaka. Around 9 AM, park characters adorned with colorful flower bouquets and brooches gathered at the ceremony venue. They presented "Gift of Thanks ~Thanks Love Month~," the park's first-ever greeting show designed to make everyone want to say "thank you" more to their important people, to approximately 200 invited guests. Guests who arrived early in the morning also exchanged gratitude, getting "super energetic" with joyful music and dance, and celebrating the start of the gratitude month splendidly with confetti fluttering and shouts of "Thank you!" At the beginning of the ceremony, Hironobu Kurokawa, Senior Vice President, CMO/Head of Marketing at USJ LLC, spoke about the 5th anniversary of "Thanks Love Month"*1, stating, "Under the CSR slogan 'LOVE HAS NO LIMIT,' we hold this event annually aiming to create a future full of children's smiles. Through this event, which sends gratitude to important people, we believe that easily exchanging 'thank yous' and filling society with love and gratitude will lead to the creation of a super energetic society." He also announced the results of an internal survey on gratitude conducted for the first time this year. To the question of whether they have someone they want to express gratitude to, 67.4% responded yes. However, among them, more than 40% revealed that they had not been able to express it to the person they wanted to. When asked when they last expressed gratitude to the person they most wanted to thank, approximately half of the respondents had not done so within the past six months, and about one in four (24.5%) answered, "I don't remember when I last expressed it." Universal Studios Japan has advocated "Thanks Love Month" as a new opportunity to express gratitude to all important people, not just mothers and fathers, aligning with today's diversifying lifestyles, family structures, and ways of expressing gratitude. Based on the insights from this survey, it was decided to hold the first-ever traveling event in Tokyo, "Flower Shop that Makes Flowers Bloom with 'Thank You.'" Today, Elmo and Cookie Monster made an appearance at a special venue in Tokyo, outside the park, to splendidly celebrate the opening, and the commemorative month filled with gratitude and love kicked off simultaneously in Tokyo and Osaka. This year, we will provide experiences that make more people want to express "thank you" in various locations, creating new opportunities for everyone to freely and naturally express gratitude in their daily lives, anytime, anywhere. [ Universal Studios Japan "Thank You Survey" Overview ] ■ Implementation period: April 6-7, 2026 ■ Survey method: Internet survey ■ Target audience: 1,000 men and women aged 20-60 nationwide (100 people per gender/age group) *1) In its first year, 2022, it was held for a limited period of one week as "Thanks Love Week." ≪First this year≫ ■ Greeting Show "Gift of Thanks ~Thanks Love Month~" To the invited guests, a new greeting show with the theme of "Thank You" was unveiled for the first time today. To the rhythmic music, park characters danced an original dance, and everyone made "thank you flowers" bloom. Guests who were asked about an episode where they recently expressed gratitude during the show shared their stories shyly and expressed their gratitude again. May / 9 (Sat), 10 (Sun), 16 (Sat), 17 (Sun), 23 (Sat), 24 (Sun), 30 (Sat), 31 (Sun) June / 6 (Sat), 7 (Sun), 13 (Sat), 14 (Sun), 20 (Sat), 21 (Sun) In front of Stage 22 *The location may change without notice on the day. Please check the show schedule for performance times. *Posted approximately one week before the visit date. Woody Woodpecker