Harry Potter Magic in Japan 2023

For those who just can’t do without their Harry Potter fix while in Japan, don’t panic, we have you covered. In 2023 you have quite a few more options than you did just a few years back, and the options seem to be growing exponentially by the year.

Harry Potter has always been a big hit in Japan. Way back when Harry Potter first made its debut over 20 years ago, the Harry Potter books were an instant hit in Japan, and an entire nation of Japanese fans eager to brush up on their English, lapped up all the books, and were equally excited about the movies a few years later. Fast forward to 2014, and Japan took its first deep dive into the world of Harry Potter theme park rides and attractions.

Osaka Universal Studios: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Four years after the first Harry Potter-themed attraction opened its doors in Florida and California (in 2010), in the form of ‘the Wizarding World of Harry Potter’, Japan opened its own Wizarding World attraction inside Universal Studio Japan in 2014. Since it’s opening, the rides that still continue to attract the most excitement (and the longest lines) in 2023 are ‘Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey’, and ‘Flight of the Hippogriff’. Other unique Japan highlights are the actual real owls, and the Hogwarts black lake. The wand shop is also a big hit.

Harry Potter Akasaka (Tokyo)

For those who can’t make it to Universal Studios in Osaka, Tokyo has you covered. In a prequel to the opening of Tokyo’s very own Harry Potter theme park, scheduled for summer 2023, the franchise decided to wet the appetite of Tokyoites by partnering with TBS Tokyo in 2022.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Akasaka stage production):

Since July 2022, Akasaka Act Theatre has been home to the extremely successful stage performance: ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’. Currently playing in London, New York, Melbourne, Hamburg and Toronto, this live show is now in Tokyo as well, so if you are looking for all that there is Hogwarts, and with its own very unique Japanese flavor, Akasaka is where you’ll need to visit in 2023.

Arriving at Akasaka station, you will immediately be greeted by a Harry Potter style staircase (inspired by the moving staircases of Hogwarts), that leads up to Akasaka Act Theater Hall. And if you have time before or after the show, Akasaka Sacas, below Akasaka Biz Tower, has been remodeled in the theme of Harry Potter. There are restaurants, cafes and souvenir shops all designed around the Harry Potter theme. We recommend avoiding weekends and holidays, when crowds can be an issue, and if you want to try the restaurant with all the interesting Harry Potter dishes, try reserving ahead of time.

Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo – The Making of Harry Potter

In late 2020, one of Japan’s oldest and most beloved theme parks finally closed its doors after 94 years in operation. The theme park, located in Nerima (west Tokyo), was called Toshimaen, and it first opened to the public way back in 1926. Many a local shed a quiet tear in 2020 when news arose of the end of an era for Toshimaen; but then rumors started to spread that ‘Harry Potter World’ would potentially take its place.

By late 2020, the rumors became a reality and it was official. The site was to be redeveloped and turned into the new home of Japan’s very own Harry Potter theme park: ‘Warner Bros Studio Tour Tokyo – The Making of Harry Potter’. When complete, it will be the only 100% Harry Potter theme park outside of the original in London, and the opening is now just a few months away. Very exciting!

Now, just a few months away from its much anticipated opening, tickets will soon be going on sale. Click this link to keep an eye on upcoming details. Rumor has it that there will be three types of tickets available: Adult tickets (18+), junior tickets (12-17) and child tickets (4-11). Children under four years of age enter for free.

Harry Potter train stations

Two train stations in Japan are being turned into Harry Potter style stations. The first of course is Toshimaen Station, which is the station closest to the theme park, and will likely be where you will be getting off your train when you arrive. Toshimaen station is still currently undergoing renovations, and will soon be transformed into the style of Hogsmeade train station. It is expected to be fully renovated by spring 2023, ready to greet the many Japanese day-trippers and overseas tourists expected to arrive in droves each day.
*Tickets to the theme park will be limited each day however, to make sure the park can be enjoyed without being crowded out by too many people.

The second station to be restyled in the theme of Harry Potter is Ikebukuro Station. Ikebukuro Station is huge, and is a major transport hub for commuters and shoppers coming into Tokyo each day, so it will not be the whole station that gets a facelift, but just the two platforms that service trains going to and from Toshimaen Station. Construction should be complete very soon, ready for the grand opening of Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo – The Making of Harry Potter. The park is expected to be a huge success, much like Tokyo Disneyland, which opened way back in 1983, and is still going strong 40 years after its grand opening.

And for all those people who can’t make it to Tokyo, remember all of the Harry Potter movies are now available on Netflix, but of course it’s not quite the same as getting yourself down to Tokyo for the grand opening.