Harry Potter theme park recalls replica swords after Warner Bros blades break Japan’s weapons law
3 December 2024, 10:43 | Updated: 3 December 2024, 11:28
More than 350 of the stainless steel sword replicas have already been sold and must now be returned to the manufacturer.
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Replica Gryffindor swords sold at Tokyo’s Harry Potter theme park are being recalled for breaking Japan’s strict weapons law.
The 86cm stainless steel sword is meant to resemble Godric Gryffindor’s sword, which features occasionally throughout the Harry Potter franchise.
The swords, mounted on a wooden plaque, were sold by Warner Bros. Studios Japan LLC from May 2023 to late April this year, at 30,000 yen (£157.80) per sword.
It was being sold at Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo: The Making of Harry Potter, which opened in 2023. It is billed as the first studio tour of its kind in Asia and the largest indoor Harry Potter attraction globally.
In November, authorities found the tips of the sword to be sharp enough to be categorised as actual swords, meaning they break Japan’s weapons law.
Possession of the sword without a special licence is illegal under Japan’s 1958 firearms and sword control law.
The law makes it illegal for anyone to carry a knife over 6cm long, with a punishment of a two year prison sentence.
The theme park published a recall note on its website, citing a ‘distribution issue’ with the sword, and asked customers to get in touch to send the sword back and receive a refund.
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Godric Gryffindor’s magical sword is named after one of the founders of Hogwarts, who commissioned the sword more than 1,000 years before the film’s setting.
It is seen in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, where (spoilers!) Harry used the sword to kill the Basilisk, a mythical snake.
Japan’s weapons laws contribute to its low levels of violence - in 2021, only 21.1 cases of assault were recorded per 100,000 Japanese residents.
