More than 350 of the swords have already been sold
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Replica swords sold at the Harry Potter theme park in Tokyo are being recalled for violating Japan’s strict weapons control law.
The Making of Harry Potter theme park opened in Nerima ward last year and features recreations of settings from the popular films as well as props and costumes used during filming.
The props include an “authentic recreation of Godric Gryffindor’s sword” priced at 30,000 yen (£158). The 86cm stainless steel blade is sold mounted on a wooden plaque in the theme park’s gift shop.
The company that runs the theme park, Warner Bros Studios Japan LLC, says it sold 351 of these swords from May last year to April this year.
Japan police recently became aware of the sword and informed the company that the tip of the blade is sharp enough for it to be classified as an actual “sword” under the Firearms and Swords Control Law. This requires owners to register the swords with the authorities.
Warner Bros Studios has since requested customers who purchased the replicas to contact the company as soon as possible. “We have come to the realisation that there are some concerns regarding the sale of the following products that we sold and therefore have decided to recall the products,” the company said in a notice on its website.
“We apologise for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding and cooperation.”
The Firearm and Sword Possession Control Law has rules for what differentiates a sword from other tools with blades like cooking knives. The length of the blade, the material it is made of and its sharpness are all taken into account for classification.
A sword requires the owner to have a special permit and breaking the law can incur a fine of up to 30,000,000 yen (£158,010) and anywhere between 3 to 15 years imprisonment.
The Sword of Gryffindor was first seen in the second instalment of the Harry Potter films, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
Join our commenting forum
