Replica Harry Potter swords broke Japan weapons law

Replicas of a sword featured successful the Harry Potter movie franchise person been recalled successful Japan for violating the country's strict weapons law.

The full-sized replicas of Godric Gryffindor's sword - which measurement 86cm (34 inches) and are affixed to a woody show plaque - were sold by Warner Bros. Studio Japan LLC from May 2023 to precocious April of this year.

But it was lone successful November that authorities told the institution those pieces were crisp capable for radical to beryllium categorised arsenic an existent sword.

More than 350 replicas of Godric Gryffindor's sword were sold, reports add, with each 1 going for 30,000 yen ($200; £158).

The sword was sold astatine the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo: The Making of Harry Potter, which opened successful 2023 successful Tokyo. It is billed arsenic the archetypal specified workplace circuit successful Asia and the largest indoor Harry Potter attraction successful the world.

Warner Bros. Studios Japan LLC has published a callback announcement for the sword connected its site, citing “a organisation contented successful Japan” and requesting radical who bought it to get successful interaction for “necessary enactment including logistics and refund".

The institution did not respond instantly to the BBC’s petition for comment.

Under Japan’s strict weapons law, carrying knives implicit 6cm (2 inches) is banned, with violators facing up to 2 years successful prison. Replicas that are crisp capable to beryllium classified arsenic swords nether the Firearms and Swords power instrumentality indispensable beryllium registered with authorities - unless the swords are meant for grooming oregon decoration and cannot beryllium sharpened.

Japan has precise debased levels of violence, though crimes involving weapons bash occasionally instrumentality place.

Last year, a 78-year-old antheral was arrested successful Yokohama aft attacking his neighbour with a ceremonial samurai sword during an dispute. In 2017, a samurai sword was recovered on with different knives successful a Tokyo shrine aft an onslaught that near 3 radical dead.