‘Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo – The Making of Harry Potter’ is a brand-new Harry Potter attraction in Tokyo, Japan. It opened in June 2023, and as soon as I planned my trip to Japan, I knew I had to visit.
The Tokyo tour is very similar to the tour in Watford, in the United Kingdom. The immersive experience takes visitors on a magical journey into the making of the famous films. From the iconic Great Hall, the bustling Diagon Alley and the mystical Forbidden Forest, the tour is a must-visit for any Harry Potter fan – especially those who have yet to visit the tour in London. It also has the biggest Harry Potter store in the entire world.
In this post, you’ll find all you need to know about visiting the Harry Potter Studio Tour in Japan. This includes how to get there, a description of the tour itself and if it’s worth visiting… if you don’t speak Japanese (!). I’ve also included an honest review of my experience.
Where is the Harry Potter Studio Tour in Japan?
The Harry Potter Studio Tour is in Tokyo, the capital of Japan. It’s about a thirty-minute train ride from Shinjuku, which is one of the major tourist destinations in Tokyo. This makes it an easy activity to build into your itinerary.
Be careful not to confuse the Harry Potter Studio Tour with Harry Potter World. Harry Potter World is a theme park near Osaka.
How to get to the Harry Potter Studio Tour?
Getting to the Harry Potter Studio Tour in Tokyo is relatively easy. The closest train station is Toshimaen which is on the Seibu-Ikebukuro Line or the Metro’s Toei Oedo line.
I used the amazing Japan Travel app to get around Tokyo (and all of Japan). The app will tell the best way to get to where you want to be. My favourite part of the app is you can even say which type of rail pass you have, and it will tell you if it’s included or not.
How long to spend at the Harry Potter Studio Tour?
During the introduction to the tour, the staff explained it takes on average around four hours to complete the full studio tour.
I had done some research online beforehand and found mixed information. Some people said they spent a couple of hours there and others said they spent all day there. I spent two hours there.
Honestly, I think it depends on how involved you want to get. I’ll warn you now, it gets incredibly busy there. Most of the interactive activities, such as the broomstick riding or photo spots such as Privet Drive, had loooooong queues. And I mean LONG queues. I asked someone at the front of one queue how long they’d been waiting, and they said about thirty minutes… for a photo!
If you want to do all the activities (and why wouldn’t you?!), and get all those iconic photos, be prepared to spend a few hours there. As I was by myself, I didn’t really feel like standing in queues all day so skipped a few of the activities.
Is the Studio Tour in Tokyo different than London?
Yes and no! The idea is the same – both studio tours take you on a magical journey into the making of Harry Potter. Both have replica sets and famous costumes and items from all the movies.
One of the biggest differences is the Ministry of Magic set – this only features in the Tokyo Studio Tour. I really enjoyed this part. There were a couple of interactive elements and it was also a lot less crowded than other parts.
Overall, they’re both very similar and if you’ve already been on the London tour, you will probably find the Tokyo tour a little repetitive (depending on how big of a fan you are).
How to book the tour
The tour often sells out, so it’s imperative to book in advance if you want to go. Klook is the best way to book activities you want to do in Japan.
I’d suggest booking well in advance. I booked in August for a late October visit, and most times had already sold out.
Is the tour in English?
The Harry Potter tour in Tokyo is certainly more catered to a Japanese market. The opening film includes a welcome speech from Kensho Ono, who voiced Harry Potter in all the movies for Japan. However, whenever Japanese is being spoken, there are English subtitles. Many of the films also included interviews with the cast and crew and these were shown in English with Japanese subtitles.
The main thing I struggled with was the staff only spoke Japanese. At the start of the tour, you’re given a five-minute welcome speech. I wish I could tell you what was being said!
Despite this, I still enjoyed visiting the tour. The Japanese language is a small barrier, but I still think you can enjoy the experience.
Studio Tour Breakdown
Here’s a quick recap about everything on offer at the tour.
- Welcome: to start the tour, you’ll head into a big room which is decorated with all the film posters for the movies. You’ll be shown a welcome video in Japanese (but with English subtitles), explaining how the tour works. After this, you’ll head into the cinema to learn more about the filmmaking process.
- The Great Hall: the first replica set you’ll experience is the Great Hall. It’s a very impressive start to the tour.
- Moving Staircase: after the Great Hall, you’ll get to see the Moving Staircase… that really moves.
- Dorm rooms: here, you’ll get to see all the different dorm rooms for each house, as well as the official uniforms and fun design facts.
- Quidditch Experience: this is an interactive activity which allows you to be in the crowd for a game of quidditch. The activity itself is free but if you want to keep the video, you’ll have to purchase it at the end.
- Movie props: there are an array of movie props to explore in the next part, as well as videos and information boards about how the props are made.
- Potions and Spells: enter the classroom to cast your own spell.
- Forbidden Forest: this was one of my favourite parts of the tour. The set was so well designed and it had amazing detail.
- The Backlot: the next part of the tour is outside, this is your chance to grab some food or try some Butterbeer. They also have the sets for Hagrid’s Hut, Privet Drive and the Knight Bus.
- King’s Cross Station: next up is another highlight – platform 9 ¾ and the Hogwarts Express.
- The Ministry of Magic: this is exclusive to the Tokyo tour, it’s a really awesome set.
- Creatures workshop: learn how many of the special effects in the film were created.
- Ride a broomstick: ever wanted to ride a broomstick? Now is your chance. It’s free to try, but you’ll have to pay if you want to keep the video.
- Sound in film: this next part of the tour is all about the sound effects and the official music score. There are videos with the composer, but it’s not interactive as such.
- Diagon Alley: another highlight for me was walking through Diagon Alley, it felt so realistic!
- Shop: after looking at a miniature (but impressive) version of Hogwarts, the tour is done and you’ll be taken into the world’s largest Harry Potter store.
An honest review of the Harry Potter Studio Tour in Tokyo
The Studio Tour is a must-do for any Harry Potter fan. The tour is engaging, creative and has the perfect balance of interactive and informative activities. The attention to detail during the tour was phenomenal. I’m not a dedicated fan of the Harry Potter films, but the tour was interesting, nonetheless.
My only real criticism of the tour is how busy it was. The queues for a lot of the interactive activities such as the broomstick riding were easily close to an hour. This meant many people skipped the activities, and I was left to question the price of the ticket. As the tickets are pre-booked, it seems like an easy fix to slightly reduce the amount of people allowed in at any one time.
Is the Harry Potter Studio Tour in Tokyo worth-it?
If you’re a Harry Potter fan, it’s absolutely worth-it. The studio tour is well thought out and covers every angle of the film-making process. It has some fantastic interactive activities. Even if you’re not the biggest fan of the films, it’s still a fun day out. It’s an immersive experience that all can enjoy.
Don’t be put off by the fact it’s catered to a Japanese market. All the signposts and information boards had English translations. The films themselves were often in English (when the cast and creators were talking) and if not, they’d have English subtitles.
If you’ve already been to the London tour, the Tokyo tour is very similar, but if you love Harry Potter then I’m sure you will still enjoy it.
Book your trip to the Harry Potter Studio Tour in Tokyo via Klook.
Hakone is another perfect day trip while in Tokyo. Plan your trip to Hakone with my guide.
