Harry Potter Sword Replicas Pulled Off Shelves in Japan for Breaking Weapons Law

Japan's authorities have ordered the recall of Harry Potter sword replicas, specifically Godric Gryffindor's sword, for failing to comply with the nation's weapons laws. Despite being sold as decorative items, they were classified as actual swords due to their sharpness, prompting Warner Bros. Japan to initiate a recall and offer refunds.

Replicas of the iconic sword from the Harry Potter franchise have found themselves in trouble with Japanese law. The full-sized swords of Godric Gryffindor, measuring 86cm (34 inches) and displayed on wooden plaques, were put on sale by Warner Bros. Studio Japan LLC from May 2023 until late April of the following year. However, it was not until November that authorities determined these replicas were sharp enough to fall under the legal definition of a sword.

More than 350 of the replicas were sold at a price of 30,000 yen (approximately $200; £158) each, primarily at the newly opened Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo: The Making of Harry Potter, which is the first of its kind in Asia and the largest indoor Harry Potter attraction globally.

In response to the situation, Warner Bros. Studios Japan LLC published a recall notice, citing a "distribution issue in Japan," and encouraged customers who purchased the sword to contact the company for logistics and refunds. Despite these developments, the company has yet to respond to media inquiries regarding the matter.

Under Japan's stringent weapons legislation, carrying knives longer than 6cm (2 inches) is prohibited, with severe penalties of up to two years in imprisonment for offenders. Any replica deemed sharp enough to be classified as a sword must be registered, unless designated purely for training or non-sharpened decorative purposes.

While Japan has a low overall crime rate, incidents involving weapons do occur sporadically. Notably, last year in Yokohama, a 78-year-old man was apprehended for attacking a neighbor with a ceremonial samurai sword during a dispute. In 2017, a samurai sword was discovered alongside other weapons in a Tokyo shrine following an attack that resulted in three fatalities.