Warner Bros. Studios Japan held an event on March 15 to announce the opening date of “Studio Tour Tokyo: The Making of Harry Potter. As previously reported, the opening date is June 16, and tickets will go on sale at 2:00 p.m. on March 22.
This article reports on the event held in front of the unveiled Hogwarts Express set on lines 9 and 3/4 with Harry Sugiyama, a TV personality who admits to being a Harry Potter fan, and actress Mana Ashida.
Studio Tour Tokyo Making of Harry Potter,” which will open on the former site of Toshimaen in Tokyo’s Nerima Ward, will be a walk-through entertainment facility that will allow visitors to go behind the scenes of the “Harry Potter” and “Fantastic Beasts” film series as if they were the characters in the films. It is the second of its kind in the world, following the “Studio Tour London” in the U.K., which opened in 2012.
According to Vice President Toshihiro Matsuo, who took the stage at the beginning of the event, Studio Tour Tokyo will have four restaurants and cafes, one of the largest stores in the world, and many limited items will be available.
He said that there were several other candidates besides Japan, but Tokyo was chosen because Japan has more ardent Harry Potter fans than the UK, has a strong manufacturing culture and a high respect for craftsmanship, and the Japanese are highly interested in the world of magic.
Harry Sugiyama, a Harry Potter fan since childhood, appeared next as a special navigator. He gave an overview of the Studio Tour Tokyo, the first of its kind in Asia and the largest in the world.
The 9 and 3/4 Hogwarts Express, which was unveiled for the first time that day, will be open for visitors to actually go inside and pose for a photo on the platform as they push their handcarts into the brick wall. Other features include the Great Hall of Hogwarts Castle, which appears many times in the play, Diagon Alley, Dumbledore’s Headmaster’s office, and the set of Hagrid’s Hut.
The “Great Wizarding Express” from “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” will also be on display as a set that can only be seen on the Studio Tour Tokyo. In addition, visitors will be able to pose in their favorite poses for magical portraits that will be displayed in the corridors of Hogwarts. This is another experience not available on the Studio Tour London.
The Studio Tour Tokyo takes approximately 4 hours to complete. Tickets are 6300 yen for adults, 5200 yen for junior high and high school students, and 3800 yen for children from 4 years old to elementary school students. Tickets must be reserved in advance by selecting a specific date and time from the official website.
The second part, which started at a slightly different location where the first car of the Hogwarts Express could be seen, featured a special guest appearance by actress Mana Ashida, and was streamed on YouTube for Harry Potter fans. In this second part, Harry Sugiyama and Mana Ashida chanted the “Alohomora” spell to open the door, and a giant logo with the opening date engraved appeared.
© Source travel watch