On June 16, Warner Bros. Studio Japan, a division of the massive American film studio with headquarters in Tokyo, will unveil a theme park based on the well-known “Harry Potter” film series in that nation.
The park, Studio Tour Tokyo, was made public to the media by Warner Bros. Studio on Wednesday. The two-story steel-framed building is still being built, replacing the outdated Toshimaen park, which will be demolished in 2020.
Following the debut of a comparable theme park in London, it will be the company’s second “Harry Potter” attraction in the entire world and its first in Asia. Adult admission tickets cost 6,300 yen ($47) and must be reserved in advance to give visitors enough time to enjoy the event. Early bird sales begin on March 22.
The 90,000 square metre park is bigger than its counterpart in London. It will be available for a predetermined 30 years.
As a follow-up to the Tokyo Olympics, “we want to build a facility with an international flavour that can match foreign tourists’ expectations,” said WBSJ Vice President Toshihiro Matsuo. Fans from all over the world travel to London to visit the “Harry Potter” theme park, and tickets are in high demand. 17 million individuals have visited the park since it debuted in 2012. The Tokyo facility anticipates attracting “Harry Potter” fans from abroad as well.
Unlike the London park, the one in Tokyo will contain a set that lets guests experience the making of the “Fantastic Beasts” series. In the original tale, Harry and Ron meet on Platform 9 3/4, where they board the Hogwarts Express to travel to the wizarding world. A version of the magical train is available for park visitors to board.
High school and middle school students must pay 5,200 yen for admission, while kids who are 4 and older must pay 3,800 yen. The park is filled with props and costumes, and visitors may ride a moving staircase and catch a glimpse of themselves in paintings. It takes around half a day to explore the park thoroughly.
A poll conducted by the Ministry of Economics, Trade, and Industry of Japan found that in 2022, spending at theme parks and amusement parks in Japan exceeded the 10,000 yen threshold for the first time. Revenues at these entertainment venues dropped to one-third of their pre-COVID-19 levels during the pandemic, but they have now rebounded to just under 80% of that. Due to the declining birthrate, businesses are now focusing more on older, eager-to-consume clients rather than young children and children just starting out in life.
Theme parks that accurately recreate the fictional settings of the stories they are based on, such as Ghibli Park in Aichi Prefecture, which will be fully open in 2022, and Metsa in Saitama Prefecture, which is centred on the Finnish fairy tale “Moomin,” don’t have any rides that are typical of amusement parks. With the economy recovering from the pandemic, new leisure patterns are starting to emerge.
News Summary:
- Tokyo’s “Harry Potter” theme park will debut in June
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