Calling all Potterheads: ‘The Goblet of Fire' comes to Tokyo
'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire' turns 20 this year (yes, millennials, we're that old), and to celebrate with a good dose of nostalgia, Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo is staging its first-ever special exhibition based on the movie from April 18 through Sept. 8.
Following a successful run at the sister Studio Tour in London, the Tokyo event located a few steps from Toshimaen Station starts with the Great Hall of Hogwarts, where a familiar sight beckons: the Goblet of Fire, blue flames turning red and spewing pieces of parchment with the names of chosen champions. There's the age line drawn by school headmaster Dumbledore to prevent underage students from entering the Triwizard Tournament, and dummies of the mischievous Weasley twins, white-haired and sprawled on the floor after having tried to fool the barrier with an aging potion.
For Harry Potter fans, it's all just like the movie, but this limited-time event adds never-before-seen content to an already impressive collection, including the enchanted water taps of the prefects' bathroom, as well as props and behind-the-scenes footage of underwater scenes in Hogwarts' lake. Visitors can also get up close and personal with a 3-meter-wide replica of Tom Riddle's gravestone, and the meticulously detailed model of Hogwarts Castle at the end of the tour has been turned into a backdrop for projection mapping, culminating in a dazzling reenactment of the dragon chase from the eponymous movie.
Diagon Alley is remade at the "Goblet of Fire" exhibition, giving visitors the chance to peek into some of the iconic shops of the Harry Potter series. |
GENDEL GENTO
Of course, everything that has made the general exhibition great since its opening in 2023 is still there, including many of the real costumes worn by actors during filming.
But this is no mere museum. There are a myriad of interactive activities: Insert yourself into one of the school's animated paintings as a moving staircase pivots overhead; join spectators in the first movie's quidditch match and see your reaction shots seamlessly edited together into the actual scenes; or attend a Defense Against the Dark Arts class and fend off a dastardly Death Eater.
You can also fly around film locations on a broomstick, but should you want the photos and video of your flight, that'd be 5,000 galleons — I mean, yen.
All of the texts and videos accompanying the exhibition items have English translations, but explanations and activity instructions from staff (friendly and expressive though they are) are given in Japanese.
The "Goblet of Fire" exhibition turns Hogwarts Castle into a projection mapping backdrop to portray scenes from the same movie. |
GENDEL GENTO
The tour is especially successful in making visitors feel like they're stepping into the locations and even specific scenes from the series. Take the Ministry of Magic set, which is exclusive to the Tokyo exhibition. As you walk into the imposing atrium as Harry did in the fifth movie (the film's soundtrack playing in the background), it's hard not to be transported into that very scene. The centerpiece of this area is what stays seared into your brain: the Magic Is Might monument, with its mass of nonmagical 'muggles' being crushed under the weight of Voldemort's magical fascism, carved with unsettling detail.
Such large-scale sets abound. There's Platform 93⁄4, where you can board the Hogwarts Express after taking the obligatory photo pushing a luggage cart through a brick wall. Then wander the Forbidden Forest and meet Aragog and his spider children, or take a stroll along Diagon Alley and peek into iconic shops like Ollivander's.
In all, it takes 3 to 4 hours to go through everything the expanded exhibit has to offer, and if you feel like snacking after all this walking around, popular classics include Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans (they do mean every flavor, so beware the ear wax ones!); chocolate frogs (look inside the package for a collectible card featuring a famous character); and butterbeer, the non-alcoholic refreshment of choice of the budding witch or wizard.
If you prefer something more filling, new limited-time meals include two premium burgers based on Hogwarts' rival schools Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, with Instagrammable blue and red buns, respectively.
With food offerings ranging from ¥1,000 to ¥3,000 per item, the victuals at the exhibition aren't cheap. |
WARNER BROS. STUDIO TOUR TOKYO — THE MAKING OF HARRY POTTER
When you're done, the exit takes you through the largest Harry Potter store in the world, selling every imaginable merch you might desire. It'll cost you, though: Get your very own Hogwarts robes for ¥13,000, which you can personalize at no extra cost. Add the magic wand of your favorite character for about ¥4,500. Aforementioned snacks and meals are around ¥1,000 to ¥3,000 a pop.
Admission alone is ¥7,000 for adults, but ¥5,000 evening tickets are available until June.
All in all, there's much to like about the tour, except maybe the assault on your wallet. The abundance of activities ensures that even those who are not hardcore Harry Potter fans can enjoy themselves. And the grand scale and attention to detail is likely to impress — just make sure to withdraw some galleons at Gringotts before coming.
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