Universal Studios Japan plans to delay the opening of a new area featuring the popular Nintendo character Mario, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.
The area was scheduled to open this summer, but the operator of the Osaka theme park has decided to postpone the opening due to the coronavirus epidemic.
"The launch is not expected to happen for several months," an official from parent company NBCUniversal Media, LLC said. Depending on the spread of infections and other factors, the opening could be delayed until 2021.
USJ has spent more than 60 billion yen since 2017 developing the new Super Nintendo World area, which is almost complete.
The Mario-themed area was supposed to open ahead of the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony, which was originally scheduled to take place on July 24.
However, USJ temporarily closed at the end of February due to the coronavirus outbreak. The theme park has been limiting visitor numbers to half of its usual capacity since it reopened on June 8.
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