Goldman Sachs Group Inc. will make a takeover bid to gain 100 percent control of USJ Co., operator of the Universal Studios Japan theme park in Osaka, a source said Wednesday.

Goldman Sachs, with a 41 percent stake, is preparing to acquire the remaining shares in the company by March 31, the source said, declining to be identified because no announcement has been made.

The purchase of the remaining 59 percent would be worth about ¥50 billion at Tuesday's closing price on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

USJ's stock has plunged by more than 40 percent in Tokyo in the past year, despite the company turning a profit in 2007. Goldman Sachs invested ¥20 billion in Universal Studios Japan in 2005, when the attraction was losing money and visitors following a series of sanitation problems that included serving tainted drinking water and food beyond its expiration date.

"The current economic environment allows Goldman to acquire full control at a reasonable price," said Daisuke Seki, chief executive officer of Tokyo-based IB Research and Consulting Inc. "Now they'll need a catalyst to get more customers by adding more popular attractions, enabling them to pay a return to investors and sell shares to the public in the future."

New York-based Goldman's spokeswoman in Tokyo, Hiroko Matsumoto, declined comment, as did USJ spokesman Johta Takahashi.

The park opened in 2001, drawing 30,000 customers on its first day with Hollywood-inspired attractions, including the Jurassic Park water ride and ET's bicycle adventure.

The company, which returned to profitability in 2007, reported a net income of ¥4.1 billion for the six months ended last Sept. 30 on revenue of ¥34.3 billion.

Attendance will be about 8.6 million for the year ending March 31, compared with 9.9 million five years earlier, USJ's Takahashi said.

The Nikkei business daily said Goldman may turn USJ into a unit and delist the company from the stock exchange.