Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo is set to open its doors on Friday, June 16th, 2023. As it debuts in Tokyo, this newly established Studio Tour will offer fans the opportunity to immerse themselves in awe-inspiring sets, including the renowned Great Hall at Hogwarts, Diagon Alley, and the Forbidden Forest. Within these remarkable settings, visitors will encounter exquisite costumes and come face to face with magical creatures, all while discovering the secrets of filmmaking. The experience will also include exciting activities such as broomstick riding, indulging in the refreshing taste of Butterbeer, appearing in moving portraits within the halls of Hogwarts, joining the crowd of a Quidditch game, and browsing through an extensive selection of merchandise, much of which is exclusive to Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo.
Moreover, the Studio Tour will house the world’s largest Harry Potter shop, featuring 14 themed sections adorned with over 7,000 custom-made and specially acquired props. These areas will be meticulously designed, drawing inspiration from the shops found on Diagon Alley, including Honeydukes, Ollivanders, and Flourish and Blotts. A wide range of products, specifically developed for Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo, will be available for purchase. Additionally, visitors will have the opportunity to savor traditional British cuisine at a variety of restaurants and cafés, serving dishes such as fish and chips, roast beef, English breakfast, and Afternoon Tea.
With its grand scale, this indoor Harry Potter attraction will be the largest of its kind in the world. Visitors can anticipate spending approximately four hours exploring the exclusive Warner Bros. Studio Tour location in Asia. Expanding on the incredible success of Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – the Making of Harry Potter, which opened in 2012 and received exceptional reviews from visitors, Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo will feature unique sets that can only be experienced at this particular venue, delivering an unparalleled adventure for visitors.
After unveiling the captivating sets of Platform 9 3⁄4 and the Great Hall, Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo – The Making of Harry Potter has now revealed the mesmerizing Ministry of Magic set. This exclusive attraction, available only in Tokyo, allows fans to step foot into the expansive Ministry of Magic set for the very first time when it opens to the public on June 16th.
Encompassing a vast area of over 900 square meters, with towering walls reaching 30 feet in height, it’s truly remarkable to consider that this enchanting space was meticulously constructed by skilled filmmakers from the Harry Potter film series, without the assistance of any actual wizards or witches. The set was painstakingly crafted by hand before being meticulously transported and reassembled in Tokyo.
To reach the Ministry of Magic, staff members would commute through various means, including telephone booths, lavatories, and the Floo Network, utilizing the enormous fireplaces that stand at an impressive height of over nine feet. Visitors to the Studio Tour are invited to step inside one of these fireplaces, just like an employee of the Ministry of Magic, and capture memorable photos and videos. With the aid of smoke and lighting effects, the experience emulates the magical ambiance created by Floo powder.
The design of the Ministry of Magic draws inspiration from Victorian architecture, adorned with thousands of green and red lacquered wood tiles. The set’s creation was a feat of intricate craftsmanship and consumed a substantial amount of time during filming. In fact, constructing a set of such size and complexity as the London Ministry of Magic would require a single individual over twenty years of continuous work to complete.
Fans will have the opportunity to step into the set that appeared in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part One, where Harry, Ron, and Hermione assume the disguises of Ministry workers to carry out a daring mission. This meticulously recreated set within Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo – The Making of Harry Potter features the renowned ‘Magic is Might’ statue, depicting Muggles being oppressed under the weight of a witch and wizard standing atop a marble pillar. The installation of this statue signifies the control exerted by the Death Eaters after their takeover of the Ministry of Magic, representing their disdain for Muggles.
Torben Jensen, Vice President and General Manager of Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo – The Making of Harry Potter, expressed his excitement about the unveiling of this exclusive set, stating, “We’re thrilled to present our first exclusive set, the Ministry of Magic. Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo will be the only place in the world where fans can step into the full-scale set, just as Harry, Ron, and Hermione did.”
Here are some intriguing facts and statistics about the Ministry of Magic set:
Daniel Radcliffe, who portrayed Harry Potter in the film series, considered the Ministry of Magic set to be his favorite from his time on set.
The set ranks among the largest created for the Harry Potter film series, requiring the production team to craft over 30,000 tiles. Each tile underwent a meticulous process of being painted with six different colors before being lacquered to resemble ceramic tiles. This time-consuming endeavor took months for the filmmakers to complete.
The size of the set necessitated the inclusion of hundreds of extras to portray Ministry employees in large crowd scenes. As a result, many of the individuals seen on-screen are actually crew members dressed in costume.
During the filming of the Harry Potter film series, it took approximately 22 weeks to construct the Ministry of Magic set.
The pricing for tickets is as follows: Adult tickets are priced at ¥6,300, Junior tickets at ¥5,200, and Child tickets at ¥3,800. It is important to note that all tickets must be pre-booked and will not be available for purchase at the Studio Tour.
