Mahoutokoro

"*Mahoutokoro's reputation rests not only on its impressive academic prowess, but also on its outstanding reputation for Quidditch...*"
— Mahoutokoro's impressive reputation[src]

**Mahoutokoro** (Japanese: , *Mahōtokoro*) was the Japanese wizarding school, located on the topmost point of the volcanic island of Minami Iwo Jima. It had the smallest student body of the eleven major wizarding schools.

## Contents

* 1Location
* 2History
* 3Reputation
* 4Recruitment
* 5Uniform
* 6Known staff
	+ 6.1Heads of Mahoutokoro
	+ 6.2Professors
* 7Known students
* 8Etymology
* 9Behind the scenes
* 10Appearances
* 11Notes and references

## Location

*Main article: Mahoutokoro palace*
The school was located at the topmost point of Minami Iwo Jima, a volcanic island in the southern tropical region of Japan. Described as an ornate and exquisite palace made of nephrite or "mutton-fat jade", a translucent white stone. Both island and palace were thought to be uninhabited by Muggles.

## History

"*As our competitors ascend to the second stage of the championship, our Japanese champion from Mahoutokoro still leads the group.*"
— Mahoutokoro student competing in the Wizarding Schools Potions Championship[src]

Mahoutokoro was possibly one of the oldest wizarding schools, as it was described as "ancient".

Quidditch was introduced to Japan and to Mahoutokoro centuries ago by a band of foolhardy Hogwarts students who were blown off course during an attempt to circumnavigate the globe on wholly inadequate broomsticks. Rescued by a party of wizarding staff from Mahoutokoro, who had been observing the movements of the planets, they remained as guests long enough to teach their Japanese counterparts the rudiments of the game, a move they lived to regret. It was because of the Hogwarts students teaching them Quidditch, that Japan beat them in the Quidditch World Cup, due to Japan practising in bad weather, dodging not only Bludgers, but also Muggle planes.

During the 1990–1991 school year, Jacob visited Mahoutokoro and returned with the Dark Scroll after Kazuhiro Shiratori was captured.

Recently, a student from Mahoutokoro competed in the Wizarding Schools Potions Championship.

## Reputation

Mahoutokoro had the reputation of having an impressive academic prowess, and an outstanding reputation for Quidditch.

Every member of the Japanese National Quidditch team and the 2016 Champion's League winners, the Toyohashi Tengu, attributed their prowess to the gruelling training they were given at Mahoutokoro, where they practised over a sometimes turbulent sea in stormy conditions, forced to keep an eye out not only for the Bludgers but also for planes from the Muggle airbase on a neighbouring island.

Students of this school prized wands made out of cherry wood, and those who owned them were held in a place of high honour.

## Recruitment

The school took students from the age of seven, although they did not board until they were eleven. While day students, wizarding children were flown back and forth to their homes every day on the backs of a flock of giant storm petrels.

## Uniform

*Main article: Mahoutokoro uniform*
When students started off at the school, they were given robes that grew as they grew and changed colour as the wearer gained experience, with pink as the beginning colour. If the wearer received top grades in all the school subjects, their robes would turn gold.

Any student who betrayed the Japanese wizard's code or practised Dark Arts would result in their uniform turning white, which was a huge disgrace, and the student in question would be immediately expelled.

## Known students

Kazuhiro Shiratori

Minaka Hirakata

Keiko Takahashi

Noriyuki Sato

Yoshihiro Suzuki

Ryotaro Tanaka

Tamotsu Iwamoto

Shizuka Watanabe

Potions champion

* Masaki Hongo
* Shintaro Shingo
* Ryuichi Yamaguchi
* Kimiko Kurosawa
* Yoshi Wakahisa
* Todoroki
* Noriko Sato

## Etymology

* The name *Mahoutokoro* is composed of the Japanese words 魔法 (*mahō*), meaning "magic", "witchcraft", "sorcery" and 処 (tokoro), meaning "place", "spot", or "site".

## Behind the scenes

* Mahoutokoro is the only Asian wizarding school mentioned in canon so far. It is possible that some Asian witches and wizards also attend Koldovstoretz in Russia.
	+ Given the long history of animosity and conflicts (despite some forms of past cultural exchange within the East Asian sphere) toward Japan within Asia by each other's non-magical communities (the most recent being that of World War II), it is also possible (if such historical conflicts are ingrained into the psyche/consciousness of the magical community in some way) that Mahoutokoro might not be the only wizarding school known within Asia.
		- This is supported by many-sourced facts that China appears to have had a long history of magic (which might be as old as Chinese history and its mythological founding): a notable magical community, magical flora and fauna (see Category:Creatures from China), and institutions for the fostering and support of Chinese magic (which includes, but is not limited to: alchemy, creature specialisation, Quidditch, and a Ministry of Magic).
		- It would also be mathematically impossible for the school with the least amount of students to be the only one in Asia, considering the enormous population of countries such as China and India.
* Based on the fact that students start attending the school at age 7 and still attend it at age 17 (age requirement for the Wizarding Schools' Potion Championship) it seems that Mahoutokoro has at least ten years.
* Fans have theorised "魔法所" to be the name of the school in Japanese, based on how *Mahoutokoro* can be broken down as 魔法 (*mahō*) and 所 (*tokoro*), meaning "place", "spot", or "site". Thus, the name could be translated as "magical place" or "place where witchcraft/sorcery occurs".
	+ This theory is not supported by the official Japanese *Wizarding World* Twitter account, though close.
* The official pronunciation of Mahoutokoro given on *Pottermore* and later *Wizarding World*, was "*Mah - hoot - o - koh - ro*", however, to actually pronounce it in Japanese, it'd be "*Mah - hoh - toh - koh - roh*".