Harry Potter Sword Replicas Recalled in Japan for Weapons Law Violation

Warner Bros. Studio Japan has announced a recall of its Godric Gryffindor sword replicas due to violations of Japan’s weapons law, after local authorities classified them as actual swords due to their sharpened edges.

In a surprising turn of events, Warner Bros. Studio Japan LLC has initiated a recall of full-sized replicas of the iconic Godric Gryffindor sword from the Harry Potter franchise. The replicas, measuring 86cm (34 inches) and displayed on a wooden plaque, were available for purchase from May 2023 to late April of this year. However, it wasn't until November that the authorities flagged the swords for being sharp enough to be categorized as actual weapons, triggering compliance concerns under Japan's stringent weapons laws.

The company sold over 350 units of the replica swords, each priced at approximately 30,000 yen ($200; £158), primarily at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo: The Making of Harry Potter. This studio tour, which launched in 2023, proudly claims to be the first of its kind in Asia and stands as the largest indoor Harry Potter attraction globally.

Upon the issuance of the recall notice, Warner Bros. openly acknowledged “a distribution issue in Japan,” urging customers who purchased the replicas to reach out for “necessary actions including logistics and refunds.” The BBC has yet to receive a response from the company regarding the incident.

Japan's weapons laws are notably strict, where carrying knives longer than 6cm (2 inches) is forbidden, and violators can face severe penalties, including up to two years in prison. Swords that are sharp enough to be classified as weapons under the Firearms and Swords Control Law must be registered with authorities unless they are purely for decorative or training purposes without sharpened edges.

Despite having one of the lowest rates of violent crime, incidents involving weapons still occur in Japan. A notable case from last year involved a 78-year-old man who was arrested in Yokohama for attacking a neighbor with a ceremonial samurai sword during a dispute. In another troubling event from 2017, a samurai sword was discovered alongside other weapons in a Tokyo shrine following a fatal attack that resulted in three deaths.