I’m a Potterhead; there isn’t any denying it. I queued for every guide on launch day and rushed to see every film on the large display. I then re-read and re-watched all of them many instances through the years, so it’s completely no shock that after I heard the Harry Potter Studio Tour Tokyo was open, I booked our tickets and headed alongside to test it out as quickly as potential identical to we did when Harry Potters Wizarding World opened at Universal Studios in Osaka.
Let’s begin with an outline of the Harry Potter Studio Tour Tokyo and a few of our highlights from the day. We’ll drop some suggestions alongside the way in which after which cowl different widespread questions on the finish. If you could have a particular query, please skip on to that part utilizing the index.
This is an official Warner Brothers Studio Tour, which incorporates studio units, props, costumes, and data immediately from the cinematic manufacturing of the movies. It shouldn’t be a theme park. There are some interactive actions, however no rides, and no characters are strolling round in costume. There are loads of guests in robes, although, and that’s OK right here, even inspired.
Getting to the Harry Potter Studio Tour Tokyo
The massive footprint of the venue and park signifies that the Harry Potter Studio Tour shouldn’t be positioned centrally within the metropolis, however it’s simply accessed by prepare to Toshimaen Station. There are literally two Toshimaen stations, one on the Seibu Line (an above-ground prepare) and one other for the subway. Which one you arrive on will depend upon the place you’re beginning, however they’re subsequent to one another, and it actually doesn’t matter both means.
If you are taking the Seibu Line from Ikebukuro, your Harry Potter journey begins earlier than you even get on the prepare. You will discover that the Ikebukuro station platform is embellished as Kings Cross and the Toshimaen Station as Hogsmeade. It is a enjoyable contact when you can construct it into your plan for the day, nevertheless it isn’t value detouring when you can take the subway immediately from the place you’re staying.
It’s a really brief stroll from the station to the park gates, that are open from 8:30 a.m. The first tour begins at 9 a.m. The surrounding park has some nice statues of the basilisk and different characters, and strolling by means of the large timber units the scene for what’s to come back.
The Harry Potter Studio Tour Tokyo expertise
We booked our tickets for the Making of Harry Potter Studio Tour on-line with Klook as quickly as we confirmed our Tokyo dates and flights. Ticket gross sales are open for the present month and three months forward. It appears a very long time upfront, however getting on to it as early as potential is the easiest way to get the date and time that you really want.
We selected the 10am tour. We deliberate to reach about an hour earlier than our tour began however knew we had a 40 minute prepare journey to get there so didn’t wish to have to start out out from the resort too early. That would then make lunch on the half means level at an affordable time. It labored out fairly nicely.
Remember to reach sooner than the time in your ticket. At the ticket time, you’ll begin the tour, which is completed in a gaggle for everybody with that very same ticket time. The first couple of tour sections are structured, however after that, you proceed at your personal tempo, and the preliminary crowd areas out.
The Entrance Foyer
When you arrive on the studio, you’ll stroll by means of the park to the primary constructing. There will most likely be a queue, however ours moved very quick. They examine your ticket, and also you undergo a safety examine, the place they might look inside your bag. Normal luggage and small backpacks can stick with you all through the day, however bigger luggage and baggage should be checked into the cloakroom. We didn’t have to retailer something, nevertheless it appeared a simple and streamlined course of.
You at the moment are within the entrance lobby. From right here, you could have a big open central area with seating, the queue the place you enter the tour, the present store, the Great Hall, aka the Food Hall restaurant and Frog Cafe, loos and the cloakroom handy in or accumulate objects. You will begin and finish your tour on this area.
Setting the Stage
We don’t wish to give massive spoilers right here, so we’ll maintain to the knowledge crucial to know the circulate of the day and the amenities accessible so everybody could make any crucial plans for his or her circumstances.
You’ll line up on the door forward of your ticket time, they usually’ll examine the time in your ticket. In the primary part, you stroll by means of the citadel hallways, with posters from the films and wizarding pictures shifting and speaking throughout you. Once everyone seems to be assembled within the bigger room, an audiovisual presentation units the stage for the tour earlier than you progress by means of to the theatre and sit down for the introduction. This is probably going the one level you’ll sit down earlier than the midway level.
While ready right here, they’ve QR codes to scan to get arrange for the interactive actions inside. Don’t fear when you miss it; you are able to do it whereas in line for the primary exercise.
The first corridor
The Harry Potter Studio Tour Tokyo is split into roughly two halves, though we spent a bit longer within the first half.
While you may get a digital information to put on round your neck to present you extra data in English and a number of other different languages, it actually isn’t required for English audio system. Where the audio is in Japanese, there are English subtitles, and the knowledge boards present good English data. We have used digital guides previously at numerous points of interest and located them extra of a hindrance than a assist, so we skipped them this time.
The Hogwarts shifting marble staircases zoomed overhead to point out how they really labored. Although we noticed many alternative flights of stairs transfer within the film, solely one of many staircases on set really moved. The relaxation was achieved with a miniature mannequin staircase and inexperienced display filming to position the actors into the scaled scene.
While the studio doesn’t supply rides, it does have fairly just a few interactive displays that assist clarify how numerous cinematic results work. One exercise is collaborating as a part of the group within the grandstands, cheering in your Hogwarts staff throughout a quidditch match.
Seeing the units up shut was additionally fascinating. The degree of element in what they curated, created and included to get the precise really feel they have been after was wonderful. Another favorite in right here was the potions classroom with all of the steaming cauldrons and the tiny potions bottles crammed with all types of dried leaves, liquids and plastic bugs.
As you weave in direction of the tip of the primary half, you come to the Forbidden Forest. This part is extremely nicely achieved with the flying automobile, Arigog, Hagrid and Buckbeak.
The Interlude
You exit the Forbidden Forest at Hagrids Hut, which is the pure break for lunch or refreshments. The Backlot is is the partially out of doors part and the one part the place you could have any thought what the climate is doing. We obtained a little bit of rain, however we nonetheless managed to see the whole lot and sit right down to lunch.
There is indoor and undercover out of doors seating right here, and the restaurant is named The Backlot Cafe. The meals are usually British, assume fish, chips and mushy peas, pies and chips, and so on., however there have been additionally some lighter snack choices. We have been glad to cease and sit down with a meal and the meals high quality was moderately good for what’s successfully a theme park. We discover this fairly persistently in Japan vs. at dwelling in Australia.
You’ll additionally discover the ButterBeer bar. For us, it’s a necessary a part of any Harry Potter expertise. It is simply offered right here within the memento plastic tankard, so it is a little more costly and never very environmentally pleasant, as I think most of them nonetheless find yourself within the bin. It is unquestionably value attempting, although, and they’re nicely arrange with a station to scrub out the cup when you’re achieved and provide you with a plastic bag to place it in to hold dwelling. The drink is sort of a butterscotch creaming soda, very candy however fairly distinctively butterbeer.
You stroll behind Hagrids hut to see the detailed set inside, sit on Hagrids flying bike and sidecar, go contained in the Night Bus, the home at 4 Privet Drive, play on the life measurement wizards chess board and take your photograph on the Hogwards picket hall bridge. This looks as if a small space in comparison with the general web site however there’s fairly a bit to do and work together. For most you’re getting into smaller areas so you’ll seemingly need to queue up for each though we perceive the day we went tickets have been offered out for many classes however the queues have been by no means that lengthy. If you wish to eat lunch too and get a Butterbeer you’ll spend a shocking period of time on this part.
The second corridor
In the second half of the indoor part there are extra interactive photograph opportunties, take dwelling of video of you apparating by means of the flue community, get a photograph of you about to board the Hogwarts Express and check out the inexperienced display expertise for a photograph of you flying over the streets of London on a brush.
This part was additionally for these within the ‘how’ of the cinematic course of. There is plenty of element on how a few of the elaborate units are constructed, particularly the Ministry of Magic. The the Flue Network and the Ministry workplaces give an perception into the artistic course of and the extent of creativeness, artwork, structure, engineering, and commerce ability which have to come back collectively for every set.
One of the enjoyable interactive experiences on this part is utilizing flue powder to journey by means of the fireside community; it’s tremendous enjoyable and takes a video of you doing it linked to the QR code scan so as to obtain it later. Clearly we will’t observe route very nicely, so it’s hystirical however not fairly the seamless social media snippet they most likely imagined. Sorry guys. We most likely ought to have checked it earlier than we moved on,the queue was fairly brief so might simply have achieved it once more to get it proper.
The last sections embrace a stroll by means of of the Diagon Alley set together with Gringotts the Wizards Bank, Ollivanders wand store and Flourish and Blotts. There are show circumstances alongside the partitions with props used within the films, you may think that any previous little bit of paper will do as a prop however regardless of how small or briefly in body every merchandise that makes it on set is meticulously created to be on level.
Do I have to guide upfront?
We extremely suggest reserving on-line as quickly as you recognize your journey plans or when ticket gross sales open to your most popular date. The widespread instances guide up quick, and entire days guide out nicely forward of time. If you wish to do the tour whereas in Tokyo, you do have to guide forward.
View accessible dates and guide your Harry Potter Studio Tour in Tokyo
The excellent news is that it’s nearly completely an indoor venue, so some moist climate isn’t an issue. Buying the tickets on-line doesn’t value extra, and when you use a reliable ticket accomplice like Klook, you may guide confidently.
How lengthy ought to I plan to remain?
They counsel permitting at the least 4 hours for the tour, however when you plan to cease for lunch, queue to participate in a few of the interactive classes, and browse the numerous data boards, I might permit round 5 hours. It is determined by the person, however 4 hours ought to be thought of the minimal based mostly on our expertise.
Only the very starting is time-gated. Your ticket entry time will get you into the primary corridor, the place everybody gathers to observe an interactive presentation that offers some details about the points of interest and units just a few expectations. You are standing for this part, after which that full group strikes to the theatre and sits to observe the introduction.
Afterwards, you enter the nice corridor with the home and academics’ uniforms. Again, you’ll be moved on from this room earlier than the subsequent cinema session finishes, however from there, it’s completely freeform, and also you management the pace at which you undergo the totally different sections.
If you can also make it work, I’d suggest a morning tour. It begins to get rather a lot busier by 11 a.m., beginning earlier provides you extra flexibility when you discover you’re going by means of a bit extra slowly than you anticipated.
Is the Tokyo tour the identical because the one in London?
Both venues are below the Warner Brothers umbrella. The one in London opened first, and the one in Tokyo opened in 2023. They each spotlight the filmmaking course of, costumes, and props. The units and merchandise on the market are considerably comparable, though there are just a few unique objects. It might be not anticipated that you’d go to each places until you’re a tremendous fan, however there are loads who will.
Is the Harry Potter Studio Tour Tokyo value it?
If you’re a Harry Potter fan or have simply loved the films, I believe the studio tour is greater than value it. It will probably be a very memorable a part of your journey. Likewise, if you are interested in behind-the-scenes cinematography, set design, costumes, and sound, then this tour provides a implausible perception into what goes into making a blockbuster film just like the Harry Potter collection.
If you’re travelling with a Harry Potter fan however you aren’t actually one your self, then I believe it’s nonetheless value it. Watching their sheer pleasure and marvel at being immersed in Hogwarts and each little element is priceless, plus they’ll love you without end for going with them.
We actually loved the tour. We felt it was good worth for what was fairly near a full days leisure, it lined a various vary of pursuits and there was rather a lot to see and do.
You would possibly even take into account going again to Ikebukuro on the Seibu line for a go searching and dinner so that you get to see each stations, it’s got a wide variety or outlets (together with my favorite Pokemon Store) and plenty of actually good locations to eat. It is simple to get again to most components of Tokyo from Ikebukuro within the night both on the Yamanote Line (JR) or the subway system.
