Back to Hogwarts

With autumn's arrival comes the start of term at Hogwarts too — and it's no accident that this season pairs so well with the Harry Potter universe. Every new school year begins in September; in England, autumn arrives early, and the cold right along with it, especially up north. So what better time to visit the Harry Potter museum and drink a butterbeer than early autumn, just as the leaves start turning their golden-brown shades and the wind slipping through your t-shirt warns you it'll soon be time to dig out coats and scarves.

I've always loved the Harry Potter universe, and I sort of grew up alongside it — back in the days when you waited for the next book to come out, an experience younger fans never really had. That wait between each volume only fed the imagination; the films later gave it a body. Unlike someone discovering the whole saga already complete today, we spent years waiting for each new volume, picturing the places and the characters' faces ourselves long before the films ever gave them a definitive shape. So what a treat to walk in the footsteps of one of our favorite characters. During the tour, you pick a house and follow in your heroes' footsteps. My favorite stop was probably the Dursleys' house at 4 Privet Drive — complete with the famous cupboard under the stairs where Harry slept as a child — and, of course, tasting the famous butterbeer (a sweet, non-alcoholic drink that's beer in name only). Standing in a place I'd first built entirely in my head, long before the movies ever put a face to it, felt like a strange kind of collision, twenty years on, between what I'd imagined and what the screen eventually made of it. But that visit was already two years ago, and this autumn might be my chance to go back — and buy, this time, a red-and-gold Gryffindor scarf.

If the Ghibli Museum left you wanting more (or you couldn't get a ticket), if Disneyland feels a bit much, and before heading off to explore Hogsmeade and Hogwarts Castle at Universal Studios Japan, in Osaka, why not spend an afternoon diving back into the Harry Potter universe? It's part museum, part interactive tour, and you'll find everything you need to dress up like a proper student of the school. The sets are impressive, and the school's moving staircase feels more real than you'd expect. The train station, meanwhile, leaves no one indifferent. If you're lucky enough to go with a Muggle who's a die-hard Harry Potter fan — or if you're one yourself — don't miss the chance to make this visit. Not far from Ikebukuro, the surrounding area is pretty pleasant in its own right, with its park and cafés — enough for a slightly original afternoon out, one that can rescue an otherwise gloomy day.

Hogwarts, Tokyo Edition

You might wonder what Harry Potter is doing on a site devoted to Japan. Except that, as is often the case whenever Japan decides to recreate a universe, they didn't exactly do things by halves. Opened in 2023, Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo – The Making of Harry Potter is Asia's very first Harry Potter Studio Tour, and Warner Bros. bills it as the largest indoor Harry Potter attraction in the world. The site also has its own exclusive set: the Ministry of Magic, unveiled to the public for the very first time when the tour opened, complete with fireplaces standing over nine feet tall and the “Magic Is Might” statue.

So, grab your broomstick, and enjoy the visit!

A Few Practical Pointers

• Booking is done online, in advance, at wbstudiotour.jp — on-site tickets exist too, but they sell out fast, so don't count on them. Book around two months ahead if you can, especially for a weekend or public holiday
• Prices vary by age and by date — check the day's fare when you book
• Set aside 3 to 4 hours on-site — this isn't the kind of visit you want to rush
• To dodge the crowds at the most popular spots (the Great Hall, Knockturn Alley), aim for a weekday morning
• The site is in Nerima, on the former site of Toshimaen amusement park — about 15 minutes by train from Ikebukuro