3 weeks ago
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Replicas of a sword featured in the Harry Potter film franchise have been recalled in Japan for violating the country's strict weapons law.
The full-sized replicas of Godric Gryffindor's sword - which measure 86cm (34 inches) and are affixed to a wooden display plaque - were sold by Warner Bros. Studio Japan LLC from May 2023 to late April of this year.
But it was only in November that authorities told the company those pieces were sharp enough for people to be categorised as an actual sword.
More than 350 replicas of Godric Gryffindor's sword were sold, reports add, with each one going for 30,000 yen ($200; £158).
The sword was sold at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo: The Making of Harry Potter, which opened in 2023 in Tokyo. It is billed as the first such studio tour in Asia and the largest indoor Harry Potter attraction in the world.
Warner Bros. Studios Japan LLC has published a recall notice for the sword on its site, citing “a distribution issue in Japan” and requesting people who bought it to get in contact for “necessary action including logistics and refund".
The company did not respond immediately to the BBC’s request for comment.
Under Japan’s strict weapons law, carrying knives over 6cm (2 inches) is banned, with violators facing up to two years in prison. Replicas that are sharp enough to be classified as swords under the Firearms and Swords control law must be registered with authorities - unless the swords are meant for training or decoration and cannot be sharpened.
Japan has very low levels of violence, though crimes involving weapons do occasionally take place.
Last year, a 78-year-old man was arrested in Yokohama after attacking his neighbour with a ceremonial samurai sword during an dispute. In 2017, a samurai sword was found along with other knives in a Tokyo shrine after an attack that left three people dead.
