Japan’s Harry Potter Cafe kicks off for movie’s 20th anniversary with Hogwarts House bento boxes and more

In 2018, Japan became the first place to host an official Wizarding World of Harry Potter Cafe with a pop-up in Tokyo and Fukuoka.

Now, as if by magic, more cafes have appeared in Tokyo and Nagoya. While the previous one had a focus on the Fantastic Beasts franchise, this one is all about Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. As the first ever movie set in the Wizarding World universe, it came out 20 years ago, and this awesome cafe is the perfect way to celebrate.

Inspiration has been taken from various aspects of the film to create the elaborate fare magicked up for the menu. A recurring theme is the instantly recognisable Hogwarts Houses. Bento box-style lunchboxes with the crest and colour scheme of each house can be ordered, filled with sandwiches and with a soup on the side for a hearty school dinner. You can even pay a bit extra to take a box home with you as a souvenir.

For the healthy option, there’s also a 'Herbology Class Salad'.

Or a shepherd’s pie with a Hogwarts crest on top.

If you're planning to share with a fellow student, you can go for a tiered ‘snack platter’ inspired by Owl Post. It has both savoury dishes, in the form of letter-shaped sandwiches, and adorable owl desserts too.

The desserts are just as attractive as the mains, with an elaborate 'Golden Snitch Parfait'.

And the perfect tribute for the film’s anniversary, a recreation of Harry’s birthday cake, given to him by Hagrid, that diners can even decorate themselves.

Enchanting beverages are abound with smoothies inspired by the Hogwarts Houses that look like potions in cauldrons. There’s also an awesome Hogwarts Express cafe latte that has cotton candy steam.

Another chance for a cool souvenir is the cute teacups that come with a pot of hot tea or coffee. The teacup in your chosen Hogwarts House colours can be bagged for some extra yen on top of the beverage price.