Updates From the New Harry Potter Tokyo Theme Park - Goodbye Toshimaen, Hello HP in 2023!

Tokyo Entertainment Toshimaen

2020.08.26

The rumors of a Harry Potter theme park in Tokyo are becoming reality!

Warner Brothers Harry Potter Studio Tour Tokyo - Making of Harry Potter

Not too long ago we wrote about the rumors (and lack of updates) surrounding the closure of almost century-old Toshimaen amusement park, a classic Tokyo fixture, and the Harry Potter theme park due to replace it. Fortunately, news on the brand new Tokyo hotspot for Harry Potter fans has finally arrived! Unlike the Wizarding World of Harry Potter found at Universal Studios Japan (in Osaka), this new attraction will be entirely Harry Potter themed. In fact, according to Japanese reports, when Toshimaen closes on the last day of August 2020 and construction can finally begin, the new Harry Potter facility will look a lot like the "Making of Harry Potter" tour found in London.

Image Source: PR Times

On the 30,000m² where Toshimaen currently stands (at the time of publication), the new indoor and outdoor spaces will offer a chance to tour and explore Harry Potter movie sets, props, and costumes. Displays showing off how special effects were pulled off, models and illustrations, and all sorts of exhibitions will bring visitors into the world of Harry Potter, by immersing them in how the movie was made and how the books were brought to life.

Part of the official announcement mentioned that tickets would be limited to allow guests to thoroughly enjoy the experience, likely using timeslots to avoid classic Tokyo overcrowding, as both the Ghibli Museum and Yayoi Kusama Museum have been doing for years.

Toshimaen will officially close after its final day of business on August 31, 2020.

The Warner Brothers Harry Potter Studio Tour Tokyo - Making of Harry Potter is expected to complete construction and open to the public in the first half of 2023, not long after the similarly anticipated Studio Ghibli theme park in Aichi Prefecture. (It's going to be a good couple of years for the many people who love both Harry Potter and Ghibli!)

There are only days left to grab tickets and enjoy Toshimaen before it closesーbut we're looking forward to hearing more about the new Harry Potter theme park in the coming months. For updates on this attraction and lots more info from Japan, follow Japankuru on twitter, instagram, and facebook!