Thanks to Ctrip, this Muggle had the rare opportunity to explore Tokyo’s “Harry Potter Studio Tour” before its official opening.
The Tokyo Harry Potter Studio Tour is the world’s second, and Asia’s first, Harry Potter studio, following the one in London. If you’re a Harry Potter fan, it’s definitely worth a visit.
Having watched all 8 Harry Potter films and the 3 Fantastic Beasts movies, the studio tour resonated deeply with me.
There are quite notable differences between the Harry Potter Studio Tour and Universal Studios.
The Harry Potter Studio Tour does not feature large amusement rides. Instead, it focuses on set recreations, behind-the-scenes insights, and immersive interactive experiences.
Simply put, if you’re looking for thrilling rides, you won’t find them at the studio tour. But if you want to take photos, shop, and learn, this is the place to be. It promises a feast for the eyes.
Today’s article provides a detailed guide to Tokyo’s “Harry Potter Studio Tour.” Spoiler alert ahead.
Where is the Harry Potter Studio Tour?
The studio is located on the site of the former Toshimaen amusement park, now Nerima Castle Park (upper left corner of the map below). It’s about a one-hour drive (or subway ride) from downtown Tokyo.
You can reach Tokyo’s Harry Potter Studio Tour by two subway lines: the Seibu Ikebukuro Line (from Ikebukuro) and the Oedo Line (from Shinjuku), with the nearest station being Toshimaen Station.
What to do at Tokyo’s Harry Potter Studio Tour?
I’ll describe it in a chronological order.
Upon entering, on your left, you’ll find shops for all your shopping needs, and on your right are two restaurants: the Chocolate Frog Café and Food Hall. The central gate is the entrance for the tour.
I recommend arriving at 9:30 AM because the studio opens at 9:30, but the internal tour starts at 10:00 AM. In short, the studio opens at 9:30, giving you time to shop for gear.
At the very least, wear a wizarding robe and carry a wand. This way, you’ll stand out from the “Muggles.”
The first section inside features a bunch of posters and stills. You’ll then be guided to watch two short films, dubbed in Japanese with English subtitles, beyond my understanding.
After the films, a door appears; push it open, and you’ll find yourself in the Great Hall of Hogwarts.
The second section is the Great Hall.
After entering the hall, you are completely immersed in the magical world of Harry Potter, where the main focus is on creating a sense of immersion.
For Hogwarts students, the Great Hall is the center of school life.
When newcomers enroll, the Sorting Hat will tell you whether you will enter Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, or Hufflepuff.
Yes, the Sorting Hat is here.
The Great Hall has four long tables, each representing one of the four Houses.
My House, Slytherin, values honor and places victory above all. Its main recruitment focuses on pure-blood wizard families, but occasionally it admits students from Muggle families.
Gryffindor is the protagonist’s House, selecting students who possess courage, daring, and chivalry.
Then there are Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.
The third part: Inside Hogwarts.
As the name suggests, this section features various scenes from inside Hogwarts. For example, the moving staircase in the picture below, which perfectly replicates the scene from the movie.
The Potions classroom. Harry Potter hates the Potions classroom because he dislikes Snape.
The Gryffindor common room, predominantly red in color, symbolizes passion and vitality.
The common room’s reproduction is very accurate, with the cute painting of the Fat Lady at the entrance. In the movie, she deliberately makes up funny passwords to tease students—you need the correct password to enter the common room.
Slytherin’s common room is a narrow, low-ceilinged dungeon with walls and ceilings made of rough stone, casting a greenish glow since it is located under the lake in the movie.
The Gryffindor dormitory, specifically the boys’ dormitory.
The Hogwarts library is located beside the corridor on the first floor of Hogwarts Castle in the movie, with thousands of books on thousands of shelves.
Dumbledore’s office—there is a phoenix.
The Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, the subject with the highest turnover rate for teachers. Lupin and Snape both taught this course.
The course is cursed, with no teacher holding the position for more than a year.
The Room of Requirement.
There are still many scenes involving Voldemort.
Interaction segments start from within Hogwarts itself.
For example, in the image below is a Quidditch match, and you can edit clips of yourself cheering and supporting into the film and then send it to your phone.
Part Four: The Forbidden Forest
The Forbidden Forest is located on the edge of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Hogwarts students are usually not allowed to enter the Forbidden Forest. There are many magical creatures in the forest.
This section is mainly focused on sightseeing.
Part Five: Outdoor Area
After leaving the Forbidden Forest, you will arrive outdoor. The Tokyo Harry Potter Studio Tour is divided into two main areas: the indoor “Sound Stage” and the outdoor filming “Backlot.”
This is a good place to take a break.
Here is Hagrid’s house.
There is Harry Potter’s home in the Muggle world (4 Privet Drive).
Harry Potter’s room. Before he entered the wizarding school, he always lived in the cupboard under the stairs.
Even so, I always felt that Aunt Petunia was not a bad person; she did care for Harry.
It seems that there was a time when she said to Harry Potter, “You lost your parents, I also lost a sister.” She still loved Harry and her sister.
The outdoor area also features the wizard chess from the movie.
Ron’s flying car, which Ron and Harry used to fly to Hogwarts in the film.
The purple triple-decker Knight Bus, an emergency transport for stranded witches and wizards. This bus can take people anywhere on land.
There is the world’s largest Butterbeer Bar here, and you can take the cup with you after drinking.
You can also enjoy the Tokyo-exclusive owl-shaped cake.
The main restaurant here is the Backlot Café, offering British fast food, traditional British afternoon tea, and coffee.
If you started your tour at 10 o’clock, by this time you should be just about ready for a meal, which is perfect to replenish your energy.
The menu is as follows. I personally find it very reasonable—you can get a meal for under 100 yen, and if you want to enjoy a nicer one, it’ll cost around 200 yen.
The exchange rate for the yen has been dropping drastically lately.
Section Six, Platform 9¾
This is where the magical adventure begins. Twenty-five years ago, Harry Potter departed from here to head to Hogwarts, introducing us to the entire magical world.
This train was airlifted from the UK to Japan. It’s the Dumbleton Hall, which had been in operation for 35 years, then refurbished.
You can enter the train; the compartments showcase different scenes from the movies.
There’s also a Railway Shop inside, featuring exclusive Tokyo Harry Potter merchandise.
Section Seven, The Ministry of Magic
This part is unique to Tokyo Harry Potter. The Ministry of Magic is depicted as the government of the magical world.
It recreates the scene where you must pass through a marble fireplace grate to enter the Ministry.
The Ministry of Magic section has a small snack stand, Ministry Munchies, selling cookies, scones, muffins, and the like.
Section Eight, Props Exhibition and Film Production Secrets
This section showcases numerous props from the movies. It’s my personal favorite because you get to learn many new and intriguing facts.
Here, you’ll find out how sound effects are made, how props are created, and how movies are filmed. If you bring children along, they’ll learn a lot.
You can ride a broomstick, and thanks to green screen technology and computer-generated imagery, a video of you flying on the broom will be created. It’s quite fun.
Of course, riding the broomstick costs extra.
Section Nine, Diagon Alley
Diagon Alley is also a crucial scene in the movies; it’s the most bustling commercial street in the magical world.
There are many familiar shops from the movies in Diagon Alley. Walking through them brought tears to my eyes.
Eeylops Owl Emporium, selling owls. In the movies, delivering letters relies entirely on owls.
Flourish and Blotts, a bookstore where Hogwarts students usually purchase their textbooks.
Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes, George Weasley and Lee Jordan’s favorite shop.
Ollivanders Wand Shop.
Gringotts Wizarding Bank, the safest place in the Harry Potter universe, where goblins will go to any length to protect their wealth.
A wanted poster of Harry Potter is also posted on the walls of Diagon Alley.
Section Ten, Hogwarts Castle Model
There will be changing lights to showcase the transition of Hogwarts Castle from day to night.
After introducing the interior section, outside of it, there is also a shop and two restaurants. However, it is important to note that although they are at the park’s exit, you still need a ticket to enter.
Studio Shop is the world’s largest Harry Potter store, reportedly with over 7,000 items, allowing you to have a great shopping spree all at once.
The number of wands inside is outrageous, with wands galore.
Chocolate Frog Café sells wizard-themed desserts. Another place, Food Hall, offers British cuisine.
We have created a video about Harry Potter Studio that provides a more direct way to understand how to enjoy Tokyo Harry Potter Studio.
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