Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo – The Making of Harry Potter has announced it will officially open its doors on Friday 16 June 2023. Tickets will go on sale on 22 March 2023 at 14:00 JST. Visitors to the new walking tour will be taken behind the scenes of the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts movies and into the amazing world of film production.
The brand-new Studio Tour will allow fans to enter classic locations like the Great Hall at Hogwarts, Diagon Alley, and the Forbidden Forest where they can view costumes, interact with magical animals up close, and discover filming techniques.
Fans can participate in a variety of entertaining activities, such as riding a broomstick, sipping a cool Butterbeer, posing for a moving portrait in a Hogwarts hallway, joining the crowd at a Quidditch match, and shopping from a wide selection of goods, many of which are exclusive to Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo.
Magical sets unveiled at launch event
To celebrate the upcoming opening of Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo, the Hogwarts Express on Platform 9 ¾ was unveiled as the first of several magical film sets. At an event featuring actor Mana Ashida and TV personality Harry Sugiyama, members of the media could pose for a photo op while pushing a trolley through the famous wall and could also set foot on the iconic train. While exploring the new Studio Tour, fans will be able to imagine how Hogwarts students would have felt on their journey to the wizarding school.
The original Harry Potter filmmakers used authentic techniques to construct the Platform 9 ¾ set. It features the Hogwarts Express, a genuine British steam locomotive constructed in 1929 and known as The Dumbleton Hall. After being restored in England, the locomotive was brought to Japan to become part of the Studio Tour.
Torben Jensen, VP and GM of Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo – The Making of Harry Potter said:
“The Studio Tour is a completely new experience for Harry Potter fans in Japan and I’m so excited to open the doors on 16th June. In addition to fantastic interactive features, multiple photo opportunities and the world’s largest Harry Potter shop, the Studio Tour will exclusively showcase a number of incredible film sets that are one of a kind.”
Ashida said: “I love the Harry Potter series, so I’m very happy to be standing on Platform 9 ¾. I’ve heard that some of the sets will be on show for the first time in Japan and I’m really looking forward to seeing those.”
Sugiyama added: “I’m here today as a presenter, having narrated the English version of the film that introduces Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo in Japan and I’m really looking forward to exploring the sets for the first time. I am very excited to see the Hogwarts Express.”
Unique sets and exclusive retail
This section of the new attraction is also home to The Great Wizarding Express, a set that is exclusive to the Tokyo location. This appeared in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.
The train car is styled in an art deco manner to fit the time period, and it is embellished with elaborate details that mimic the look of birdseye maple, ebony, and brass inlay strips. The mannequins showcase the outfits of Newt Scamander, Jacob Kowalski, Theseus Scamander, Bunty Broadacre, Yusuf Kama, and Eulalia “Lally” Hicks, portraying the moment where Scamander leads a squad of wizards, witches, and one brave Muggle baker on a perilous expedition.
🏛️ Here’s your first look at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo: The Making of #HarryPotter!
— Wizarding World Direct (@WW_Direct) March 15, 2023
📅 June 16#スタジオツアー東京 #ハリポタツアー pic.twitter.com/ghLUqTAySu
Guests can also explore the largest Harry Potter store in the world, with 14 themed areas furnished with more than 7,000 custom-made and specially procured props. The spaces draw inspiration from stores on Diagon Alley, like Honeydukes, Ollivanders and Flourish and Blotts. There will be a vast selection of goods for sale, many of which were created just for Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo.
A variety of cafes and restaurants will serve British dishes such as fish and chips, roast beef, English breakfast, and Afternoon Tea.
Visitors may anticipate spending about four hours touring the only Warner Bros. Studio Tour to open in Asia and the largest indoor Harry Potter experience in the world. The Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo will feature exclusive sets only available in this location, giving visitors an experience unlike any other. This is a continuation of the phenomenal success of the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – the Making of Harry Potter, which opened in 2012 and has maintained exceptional visitor reviews.
The Harry Potter film franchise is based on J.K. Rowling‘s best-selling book series, which has sold more than 600 million copies worldwide. Harry Potter lends its intellectual property (IP) to many magical attractions, from a flagship Harry Potter store in New York and Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience to Harry Potter: The Exhibition.
Sarah Roots, EVP of Warner Bros. Studio Tours & Retail at Warner Bros. Studio Operations, spoke at blooloop’s Festival of Innovation in December. She explained how engaging visitors is “about offering something that is both authentic and different”.
Last year, Miral announced a new Harry Potter-themed land for Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, a first in the Middle East.
