Check out these articles for the complete overview of the tour sections and photo opportunities you don’t want to miss during the tour.

Wands at the ready! Step into the world’s largest Harry Potter attraction and discover the secrets behind the Harry Potter and the Fantastic Beasts films. In this walk-through entertainment facility, you’ll have an opportunity to step inside iconic scenes, engage in wizarding activities, and view unique sets that are exclusive to the Studio Tour in Tokyo

Buying Tickets

Tickets can be bought a few months in advance on the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo website. Note that they CANNOT be bought on-site at the facility the day you want to go. I recommend you sign up for their newsletter or follow them on social media to be the first to know when tickets are released. I did this and bought tickets for May 2024 when they were released on January 22, 2024. Be sure to carefully read their guidelines and rules regarding tickets for the studio tour. You need to specify the date and time of your visit when purchasing tickets and once they’re purchased, they cannot be changed or refunded, so make sure you have your schedule planned before making a reservation.

The entrance time you select dictates what time you can enter the tour. You can enter the building up to one hour before your scheduled time and explore the Studio Shop, Frog Cafe, Food Hall, and cloakroom where you can store belongings. They ask that you arrive no later than 20 minutes after your scheduled tour time, but will accommodate late arrivals when they can.

I selected an 11 am slot on a weekday. I was staying in Kamata and it was estimated to be a 1.5-2 hour commute to the facility. Accounting for commute time and wanting to avoid the morning rush, I selected a late morning slot to start my commute at the end of rush hour but early enough to get to the facility with plenty of time for the tour. I left my hotel at 8:45 am and arrived at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo at around 10:30 am, so I was able to enter as soon as I got there.

How long is the tour?

The time it takes to go through the tour depends on how engaged you want to be with each activity. There is no time limit, so take your time exploring the tour. The most frequent recommendation is four hours, but don’t be surprised if you end up staying longer! There is a lot to explore.

Note that the tour is one-way and you can’t re-enter sections once you’ve exited them! The only exceptions are the gift shop and the food courts at the front of the facility. This also applies to the building – once you exit there is no re-entering, even the front section!

Do I need the digital guide?

When preparing for your visit, you will see lots of opportunities to purchase a Digital Guide. For the ultimate full experience, you can purchase a tour package that includes entry tickets, a digital guide, and a souvenir guidebook. The digital guide is a handheld audio-visual guide that brings the Studio Tour to life and offers additional filmmaking secrets to listen to while you tour. The souvenir guidebook lets you take home an overview of the tour. Both are available to purchase separately at the facility on the day of the tour, as well as in a package deal with your tickets.

For the ultimate experience, the digital guide is a fairly cheap add-on to the tour. It provides a lot of additional information that enhances your experience. However, it is not necessary. Especially if you are an English speaker/reader, there is plenty of information on the signs throughout the tour to learn more about the filmmaking process. Many people (including myself) had a great experience on the tour without the digital guide, so it’s something you can go without.

The Digital Guides are available in English, Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese (updated May 2024). Check out their website for more information about the digital guide and other ways to enhance your visit.

What to bring

Be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes as you will be walking throughout the tour. If you are looking to take some Harry Potter-themed pictures, wear your house pride and the outfit you want to take pictures in! If you don’t have anything, you’ll have an opportunity to explore the Studio Shop before you enter the tour and there are cosplay and costume pieces you can buy beforehand. Note that a set of adult Hogwarts House robes costs about 13000 yen (as of May 2024). There are changing rooms available before you enter the tour, so don’t worry about needing to wear all your Hogwarts gear during your commute to the facility (unless you want to).

The facility has lockers for large luggage and they have a cloakroom to keep your belongings during your visit. They are not responsible for valuables so keep them on you during the tour. You are not allowed to store food or drinks in the cloakroom.

At the entrance, you will go through a metal detector and bag check. Make sure you are up to date with the current rules and restrictions on items you can and can’t bring. I recommend bringing water in a reusable bottle for the tour – there’s a lot of walking and you can get dehydrated and tired. Water refill stations are available throughout the tour near the restrooms (but water cups are not provided!). You can buy drinks at the restaurants, but it probably won’t be enough. Also, note that there are no vending machines inside the facility.

What food is there?

There are four areas that offer a selection of foods and drinks for you to enjoy.

Frog Cafe

This is one of the food areas that is in the front of the facility and you can explore before and/or after your tour. They mainly serve desserts and sweet treats. Find their latest menu here.

Food Hall

The other food area in the front of the facility is the Food Hall. It looks like a mini Great Hall with Hogwarts house flags hanging from the ceiling and house-themed tables. This area serves meals that can be enjoyed before and after your tour. Find their latest menu here.

I ate here after my tour. My mom ordered the cheeseburger and I ordered their shepherd’s pie and craft lemonade. Some things I observed if you are interested in these items:

• Note that in Japan, ground/minced meat is often a mixture of pork and beef. It did not have a strong flavor in this dish and the taste might be unexpected if you are used to shepherd’s pie from another country.
• Their craft lemonade was a squirt of lemonade concentrate in soda water. It was almost… spicy? With the concentrate and soda water my mouth was feeling all tingly, but it was very refreshing.
• The cheeseburger was one of the cheaper items on the menu but it was not small and had a good amount of food for its price.

Backlot Cafe

The Backlot Cafe is located about halfway through the tour and can only be entered when you get to that point in your tour – you cannot re-enter after exiting this area. They serve house-themed plates, a variety of foods, drinks, and desserts. My mom and I shared the Marauder’s Beef Stew Pot Pie and the Premium Parfait ~Pink Velvet~. To me the experience was nothing too special – the presentation and room were nicely themed but the food is the kind of quality you can expect at amusement parks. Find their latest menu here.

Butterbeer Bar

The Butterbeer Bar is right next to the Backlot Cafe and is also exclusive to the middle section of the tour – there is no re-entering after leaving this section. The Butterbeer Bar only serves butterbeer, a few snacks, and other types of drinks. But who doesn’t want to try a Butterbeer? The great thing about this place is that the cups the butterbeers are served in are yours to keep. They even have sinks to rinse them out and little baggies so you can carry them home! Find their latest information here.

Are there rides?

No, this is not an amusement park and there are no rides or characters walking in costume. However, there are several interactive activities and many visitors wear Hogwarts robes while doing the tour.

Gift Shops

The gift shops here have all the souvenirs Potterheads can dream of! There are two gift shops at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo: The Studio Tour Shop and the Railway Shop. There are thousands of items available at these shops, from wizarding candies to cosplay costumes and props, wands, bags, and more. Several items are exclusive to the Studio Tour in Tokyo, and some are exclusive to the Railway Shop! Although the Studio Tour shop is available to enter before and after your tour, the Railway Shop is only available when you get to Platform 9 ¾ during your tour and cannot re-enter after leaving this section.

Find more information about the shops here.

What’s the restroom situation?

There are five restrooms located throughout the tour and are equipped with baby-changing facilities and accessible toilets. Please refer to the tour maps to see where they are located.

There are also two water server stations for you to refill your water bottles throughout the tour. Note that water cups are not provided and these are meant for refilling bottles only.

Overview of Sections and Photo Opportunities

If you are interested in what to expect in each area of the tour, check out this overview.

If you are looking to prepare for the photo ops available on the tour, check out my list of photo ops at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo.

Get the behind-the-scenes facts of your favorite movies and get a new appreciation of the franchise at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo. Be sure to check out the sets and items exclusive to the Tokyo Tour, and enjoy!

Mischief managed!

Check out other FAQs on their website.