5 Must-See Spots at Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo - The Making of Harry Potter

Harry Potter fans rejoice, Asia's first Making of Harry Potter facility is finally here in Tokyo! For the past few years, curious onlookers have been wondering what might happen to the land that once held the Toshimaen amusement park before its closure in 2020, and we finally have a real answer. Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo - The Making of Harry Potter is the biggest indoor Harry Potter-themed facility in the world, with gorgeous movie sets never before seen by the public, costumes and props from both the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts film series, and all the Harry Potter food and shopping you could want - and it just opened on June 16th, 2023.

The first time we meet a dragon in the world of Harry Potter, it's Norbert the sweet little Norwegian Ridgeback who knows his mummy. But at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo, you're welcomed in by a massive Hungarian Horntail, which seems to be flying down to meet you as you enter the building. If you've ever wanted to know exactly how Harry felt as he was facing the first Triwizard task with the massive spikes of a dragon staring him down, well, this might be your chance. Gulp.

To channel your inner Hagrid and get the best pictures of this beautiful dragon (to fawn over when you get home, of course), we recommend scooting over to very edge of the room on your left just past security. From there you can take in the massive Hungarian Horntail's spiky head and massive claws.

The Warner Bros. Studio Tour features a number of different sets from the movies, including fan favorites like Diagon Alley, Hagrid's house, Platform 9 ¾, and even the Great Hall, but some of the least expected sets create the most movie magic. The Ministry of Magic set at this Tokyo location is the only one in the world recreated at full-size, and so you can walk around just like a very nervous Harry Potter joining Mr. Weasley when he thinks he'll be kicked out of the wizarding world. But, just like the books, so much of the fun at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo can be found in the little scenes of Hogwarts.

Make your way past the Fat Lady and soak up the cozy feeling of a warm fireplace and chintz armchairs in the Gryffindor Common Room, or revel in the cool (and slightly creepy) atmosphere of the Slytherin Common Room down in the dungeons. There's even a game of wizard's chess set up - perhaps Malfoy was secretly just as much of a chess master as Ron? Later on in the tour, you can recreate the experience of all the Hogwarts students who got caught outside of their common rooms past their curfew, and head into the Forbidden Forest for detention. Unfortunately, Hagrid and Fang won't be joining you this time, so you'll have to watch your back for giant spiders.

While much of the Warner Bros. Studio Tour is just that - a tour through the Harry Potter movie sets - they've made sure to include plenty of interactive fun as well, and some of the most exciting options revolve around the wizarding world's favorite sport - Quidditch. Head to the Quidditch Experience to slip into the stands at a dramatic Gryffindor v Slytherin match so you can cheer and jeer these bitter rivals. (They edit you right into the scene from Harry's first match!) Or try out the broom experience to fly through the air on a magical broomstick (possibly a Firebolt, definitely not a Nimbus 2000), whipping over the streets of London or soaring high above Hogwarts, all courtesy of the convenient green screen of course. (Slytherins might be disappointed, but make sure you don't wear green, or you'll disappear right into the background in the video of your broom ride!)

If you're hungry, you'll want to try the fish and chips in the Food Hall, enjoy afternoon tea straight from the desk of Professor Umbridge in the Backlot Cafe, or gorge yourself on sweet treats at the Chocolate Frog Cafe, but for just a sip of something sweet and sinful, a big old mug of butterbeer from the Butterbeer Bar is the answer. It might not have quite the same magical effects as in the world of Harry Potter, but the sweet, buttery flavor is more than enough to warm your heart, and the frothy foam on top will give you the perfect mustache. Indulge in the drink while sitting in the terrace seats to enjoy the view of Backlot attractions outside, like the Hogwarts Bridge (an iconic piece of architecture actually created specially for the movies), a whole chunk of 4 Privet Drive (the Dursley house), some giant wizard's chess pieces, and of course the Weasley's long-suffering Ford Anglia. When you're all finished, rinse out your plastic mug at the "Tankard Wash" so you can take it home!

There's no denying that the shopping experience is a big part of attractions like The Making of Harry Potter, and at this Tokyo location you'll find one of the biggest Harry Potter shops in the world. They're really leaning into the personalization angle these days, with engravement options for wands and keychains, personalized Hogwarts notebooks (fortunately not made with real animal-hide parchment), and even embroidery available so you can add your name to Hogwarts robes in the house of your choosing.

Of course, the personalized items are just the tip of the iceberg, with multiple themed rooms of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts merchandise available for purchase. They even have some limited-edition items available only in Tokyo, with some supremely cool designs. The first trip through the shop is overwhelming, so you might have to do a few circuits of the area to actually fill your shopping basket. (And fill it you will. Trust us.)

The Fantastic Beasts movies have been a boon for Harry Potter fans hungry for more of the wizarding world in recent years, and the gorgeous sets (alongside all the high-level CG work) that allow Newt Scamander to scamper through the retro streets of New York and sneak around Europe are just begging to be shown off to the world. Luckily for us, it's here in Tokyo where all the behind-the-scenes work of Fantastic Beasts is finally being revealed to the public for the first time! Check out the whole exhibition on creature effects (featuring some charming cameos from Eddie Redmayne) to see all the movie magic that created the movie's mischievous niffler and feisty bowtruckles. Plus you can see some of the movies' gorgeous 1920s and '30s costumes on Newt's train heading for Berlin, set up across from the Hogwarts Express!

Despite being contained in one compact building, the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo - The Making of Harry Potter is truly expansive, with enough to keep you entertained all day long. (Dedicated fans who plan on seeing every corner of the space and reading every exhibition sign will want to make sure they arrive nice and early.) From the moment you first set eyes on Prongs guarding the entrance from outside, and slip past the snarling dragon keeping watch over the security lines, it really does feel like you might have entered a world of spells and magic. This list could have easily gone on to 100 and beyond, and Harry Potter fans who visit Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo might have a bone to pick with us for ignoring their favorite spot, but these 5 must-sees at The Making of Harry Potter will already promise you plenty of Harry Potter fun! For all the rest, you'll have to get yourself to western Tokyo via broom, Ford Anglia, or more likely Seibu's Harry Potter trains, and then tell us your own top five once you've seen it all!


For more info and updates from Japan, check Japankuru for new articles, and don't forget to follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!