Possessing Harry Potter’s Sword of Godric Gryffindor is now illegal in Japan

Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo souvenir replica recalled after warning from muggle law enforcement.

Within the world of Harry Potter, Gryffindor is supposed to be the heroes. Sure, the Hufflepuff kids play nicely with others, but they aren’t known as a house of action. Ravenclaw is smart, but being clever doesn’t necessarily make you good. And Slytherin? Setting aside the question of what the expected benefits were for a school creating a permanent club for evil teenagers, they’re not known for their righteous valor.

So it regularly falls to Gryffindor to answer the call to become heroes…which makes it all the more ironic that, in Japan, possessing a symbol of loyalty the house may now make you a criminal.

Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo–The Making of Harry Potter opened in the summer of last year in Tokyo’s Nerima Ward. A sort of combination theme park/museum/photo spot, the facility features recreations of settings seen in the Harry Potter film series, along with displays of costumes and props used in the series. Naturally, there’s a gift shop too, and among the items it’s offered is a full-size Sword of Godric Gryffindor.

Priced at 30,000 yen (US$196), the stainless-steel replica of the sword wielded by Gryffindor’s founder is 86 centimeters (34 inches) in length. Unfortunately, the size and design of this very big sword for very big Harry Potter fans is causing it to be recalled. The Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo management was recently contacted by the police, who informed them that the Sword of Godric Gryffindor is, in the eyes of the law, a “sword,” and so it’s illegal for civilians to possess.

Japan’s Firearm and Sword Possession Control Law (also sometimes called the Firearm and Sword Control Law), dictates various criteria as to what distinguishes a sword from practical-use bladed tools, such as cooking knives. Criteria such as length, material, and sharpness are taken into consideration, and while the Sword of Godric Gryffindor does not have sharpened edges, apparently the tip of the blade is sharp enough for it to be judged a sword by the police, and it thus would require a special permit to own.

It’s possible that Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo didn’t bother to check the Sword of Godric Gryffindor against the Firearm and Sword Possession Control Law standards, figuring that because it’s sold attached to a wooden backing, it would be treated as a piece of hanging wall art.

The Sword of Godric Gryffindor was offered for sale between March of 2023 and April of 2024, during which 351 were purchased, and they’re now being recalled. The Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo has added a page to its official website here with further information about how to turn in the sword and receive a refund. Visitors to Japan from overseas who’ve already taken their Sword of Godric Gryffindor back to their home country are presumably in the clear, but a number of the swords are currently available through second-hand sales sites in Japan, which domestic shoppers will likely want to avoid.

Source: Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo, NHK via Otakomu
Top image: Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo
Insert images: Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo
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