Travel Spots

Seibu Railway Plans ‘Harry Potter’ Ad-wrapped Train in Theme Park Tie-up

Courtesy of Seibu Railway (“Wizarding World” and all related names, characters and indicia are trademarks of and ©Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Wizarding World publishing rights © J.K. Rowling)
An artist’s rendering of the Seibu Railway’s Studio Tour Tokyo Express train

The Yomiuri Shimbun

11:42 JST, April 15, 2023

Seibu Railway plans to run a train decorated with characters from the Harry Potter movies ahead of the June opening of a new Potter-themed attraction in Nerima Ward, Tokyo.

The Studio Tour Tokyo Express will operate on the Seibu Toshima Line, which connects Toshimaen Station with Ikebukuro Station, among others. The trains are scheduled to start running in around May.

Toshimaen Station is the nearest station to Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo — The Making of Harry Potter, which will operate at a location that used to be Toshimaen Amusement Park.

The exterior of three trains, each comprising eight cars, will depict the films’ three main characters — Harry, Hermione and Ron — backgrounded by the Forbidden Forest, which features in the movies.

“We hope we can extend a warm welcome to visitors by having them begin their train journey from Ikebukuro Station with Harry, Ron and Hermione,” a Studio Tour Tokyo official said.

The Potter-themed attraction will be the second of its kind, after London. It allows visitors to walk around and peek “behind the scenes” of the movies’ production.