What we know about the largest Harry Potter Studio Tour in Tokyo
Alohomora! The Warner Bros Studio Tour, on June 16, opened the gates to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, so Potterheads, put on your robes and grab your broomsticks.
After 94 years, the Toshimaen amusement park closed down in 2020 to make way for a Harry Potter-inspired theme park.
The 30,000 square meter Warner Bros Studio Tour houses explorable film sets, interactive areas, original costumes such as the Hogwarts uniform, and real props like wands and the Goblet of Fire used in the iconic film series, making it the first behind-the-scenes tour of Harry Potter outside the United Kingdom.
Deemed the world's largest indoor Harry Potter-themed attraction, Tokyo’s location has more to offer as it has the Ministry of Magic, Defence of the Dark Arts classroom, and more that are not in the UK.
Get your tickets ready and dash through a brick wall toward Platform 9¾. This is one of Harry’s first experiences of the magical world that muggles can not enter at King’s Cross Station in Londons.
Venture into the Forbidden Forest, which Hogwarts students are strictly warned not to go to. Here you are allowed to break the rules and witness the home of magical creatures as you walk deeper into the forest.
Buckbeak, a hippogriff who lives with Hagrid, will welcome you alongside Dementors, whom you can cast a Patronus to before entering Aragog’s den.
Experience the magical effect of the Floo powder by stepping into a fireplace to snap a photo or take a video at Tokyo’s exclusive Ministry of Magic. Or you may also head to Diagon Alley to know what it’s like to walk through the shopping area of witches and wizards as they pick a wand or choose their companions.
Step through the gigantic doors of The Great Hall where Hogwarts students and professors gather. This is also where the Sorting Ceremony takes place, as the Sorting Hat will tell you if you belong to Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, or Hufflepuff – the four Hogwarts houses.
Now a tour would not be completed without souvenirs, good news is this particular theme park is home to the world’s largest Harry Potter store, selling exclusive merchandise that one cannot find anywhere else.
Take a swig of the delectable butter beer, a non-alcoholic beverage that tastes like cream soda and butterscotch, or feast on Hagrid’s birthday cheesecake at the tour’s restaurants and cafes that serve classic British cuisine – the Food Hall, Chocolate Frog Café, Backlot Café, and the Butter Beer Bar.
Aside from the immersive experience that comes with purchasing a ticket to the studio tour of the sensational movie, fans can ride the magical broomstick, watch with the crowd during a Quidditch match, or see their own moving portraits in the Hogwarts hall as part of the green screen experience.
How to get there?
If you are around the Toshimaen Station, the Warner Bros Studio Tour Tokyo is just a two-minute walk.
You can also ride a train from Ikebukuro Station by taking Seibu Ikebukuro Line bound for Toshimaen and alighting at Toshimaen Station.
Or if you are in Tokyo’s busiest station, take the Oedo Subway Line from Shinjuku Station heading for Toshimaen Station.
Purchase tickets in advance
Tickets are not available at the park. Therefore, walk-ins will not be entertained.
They are priced at JPY 6,300 (P2,433) for adults, JPY 5,200 (P2,008) for kids ages 12 to 17, and JPY 3,800 (P1,467) for ages 4 to 11.
To score a ticket, purchase it on the official website of the tour for a specific date and entry time. This is on a first-come-first-served basis, and the price varies depending on seasonality, so be sure to check out the website before the visit.