Day 10 - Tokyo with our special guest Harty Potter

Konichiwa everyone,

This morning we got up and first did a round of laundry. Our room is on the 7th floor, the washing machine is on the 3rd – so I thought to myself right after showering: 'Quick down, laundry in, done.' Still in my bathrobe, which looks more like a costume for a carnival nurse than a classic bathrobe – I stepped into the elevator. My hope of not running into anyone was dashed immediately. The doors opened – and of course, the elevator was well filled. Everyone looked at me. No one said anything. But everyone was trying to suppress their laughter – with moderate success. Only I stood there, internally dead. Do you know that moment when something is just too funny to stay serious, but you still can't laugh? That's how it was – for everyone else. Just this much: When I later picked up the laundry, I was definitely dressed differently.

After the laundry disaster, we went for lunch, and today I had Gyudon on the menu, while Ramona chose Fried Korean Chicken. I ordered my Gyudon with a raw egg yolk. In the past, I would have only thought about raw eggs in food with Tiramisu, Carbonara, or Rocky Balboa. But now? I order the egg yolk quite naturally. The dish becomes creamier and somehow just Umami.

After that, we treated ourselves to a coffee at the nearby Harry Potter café and discussed whether we should go to the Making of Harry Potter - Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo or not. Ramona was in favor, while I was skeptical. I’m not a huge Harry Potter fan and honestly didn't want to spend 7,000 yen (around 45 euros) on it. But then Ramona brought up the point that Carmen had talked about it so enthusiastically yesterday, and I couldn't find a counter-argument (Thanks Carmen 😋). While still in the café, we booked the tickets 😄

After the coffee stop, we headed back to the hotel, changed quickly – and off to Warner Bros. Harry Potter. After a good 50-minute ride, we stood in front of the entrance and… boom, straight in. Even before we had swung our first wand, we ended up in the first Harry Potter merchandise shop. A sort of magical Bermuda triangle that’s hard to find your way out of – especially with a full wallet. There was everything, really EVERYTHING related to Harry Potter: Dobby plush toys, wands with personalized engravings, golden snitches, Hermione hairbands, Gryffindor ties, talking hats, and of course, cloaks in every house color. I was actually only there for the Butterbeer. Sounded cool – until I realized it was a kind of hyper-sweet caramel drink with whipped cream. Even Ramona gave up after two sips. That says a lot. One thing you have to give Warner Bros.: Their marketing department does an excellent job. If I hadn't held Ramona back, she would probably be broke and have to book excess luggage 🤭

I must admit: The sets were quite impressive. Whether it was Diagon Alley, the Ministry of Magic, the Forbidden Forest, or the Hogwarts Express – the attention to detail in every single room was simply fascinating. One could easily imagine how much work and precision must go into creating such a film set. The Making of Harry Potter – Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo primarily focuses on showing the creation of the films – from the elaborate sets to costume design and makeup, to visual effects and sound design. What was also great: There were interactive stations where you could step into the role of an actor – for example, flying through a film scene on a flying broomstick.

And that’s almost it for our Tokyo adventure. Tomorrow there are still two events planned: A final shrine visit (spiritual cleansing can never hurt) and a detour to the Government Building – not to do politics, but to enjoy the free observation deck. After that, it’ll be: back to the station, into the Shinkansen, and off to Osaka.