Osaka City to Sell Stake in Universal Studios Japan

By Taku Kato and Takahiko Hyuga

May 19 (Bloomberg) -- Osaka city agreed to sell its stake in USJ Co., the operator of Universal Studios Japan, to a unit of Goldman Sachs Group Inc. for 10 billion yen ($100 million).

The city will sell 200,000 shares, equivalent to a 9 percent stake in the amusement park, at 50,000 yen apiece to Goldman’s SG Investments, it said in a statement on its Web site.

A Goldman Sachs-led group, including MBK Partners, in March offered 111.2 billion yen to take over USJ.

New York-based Goldman, the world’s biggest and most profitable securities firm until it converted to a bank holding company, invested 20 billion yen in Universal Studios Japan in 2005. It plans to increase advertising and investment in the park, which features rides based on movies such as Jurassic Park, Jaws and Back to the Future.