Nintendo KYOTO — Local services in Kyoto

Nintendo has expanded its presence in Kyoto with two notable attractions: the Nintendo Museum and the Nintendo Kyoto Store.

Nintendo Museum

Opened on October 2, 2024, in Uji, near Kyoto, the Nintendo Museum offers a comprehensive look into the company's 135-year history, from its beginnings as a playing card manufacturer to its evolution into a video game giant.

Exhibits and Activities

The museum is divided into two main areas:

Historical Exhibition: Displays a vast collection of Nintendo's consoles, games, and peripherals, including early products like the Game & Watch and Famicom, as well as iconic titles such as Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda, and Super Mario.

Interactive Zone: Features hands-on activities, including modernized versions of classic Nintendo toys and games. Visitors can engage in batting games inspired by the Ultra Machine and participate in challenges using oversized controllers for games like Super Bros.

Visitor Experience

While the museum offers a nostalgic and engaging experience, some visitors have noted a lack of in-depth historical context and information about the development processes behind Nintendo's products. Additionally, the use of virtual coins to access certain interactive exhibits has been seen as limiting, as visitors may not have enough coins to try all activities.

Ticketing

Admission to the museum requires advance booking through a lottery system, making tickets highly sought after. It's recommended to plan ahead and participate in the lottery well before your intended visit date.

Nintendo Kyoto Store

Located on the seventh floor of the Kyoto Takashimaya Shopping Center, the Nintendo Kyoto Store offers a wide range of merchandise from popular game series, including exclusive items not available elsewhere. The store is conveniently situated near the Nishiki Market and Gion areas, making it an accessible destination for both locals and tourists.

Conclusion

Both the Nintendo Museum and the Nintendo Kyoto Store provide unique experiences for fans and visitors. The museum offers a nostalgic journey through Nintendo's history with interactive exhibits, while the store provides an opportunity to purchase exclusive merchandise. However, due to the high demand and ticketing system for the museum, it's essential to plan your...

Out of the three stores Kyoto, Tokyo and Osaka the Osaka store is the busiest and the largest with more variety of plushies and stuff compared to the other two.. When you arrive at the train station there are some staff in some of the exits saying to go to exit 10 to get a entry ticket to the store. I went to exit 10 at shijo station at around 9:20am and queued on a Saturday morning for an entry at 10am. The entry paper ticket allows you to enter the store within 20mins (10:00-10:20) after which you will need to get a new ticket. We were lucky as there weren't many people queuing for a ticket since we were early. I then had to walk for ten mins to a department store and queue outside the mall for around 15mins before they let you go in. Just before it opened there were already 80 people lining up behind us. We were fourth in the line. We had to queue just inside the mall in the foye next to the Mario figure. The first set of lift at the front on the left behind the big Mario figure doesn't let you ride up to level 7 where the store is located. You need to head straight into the department store then take a right then left then right and then straight at the end where you see another set of lifts that will take you to level 7. Remember if you're there early run to the lift otherwise you'll be waiting for a while. There's only two lifts and it takes a while for lift to go up and down and the lifts aren't big. It can probably fit 10-13 people. If you decide to take the escalator up it will take 5mins. The lift is the fastest (took like ten sec) . Don't bother catching the lift from level 2 up or from level 7 down as it'll be full of people. You won't be able to get in. It's packed at the ground floor with people going up so running up to another level won't do you any good but ti packs of people in a lift with no space to let you in. The store is larger and has a bit more range than Nintendo Tokyo and Osaka . Being the first there meant I was able to buy a lot of things quickly and check out was quick. The staff do restock the items quickly. I got a yoshi egg plush and then next min someone had refill the egg on the shelf. You don't need to make a special trip I universal studio Mario world because all the merchandise are available at the...

They have a massive selection of direct Nintendo goods, many of which are store exclusive to the Kyoto store. I visited in the week before Christmas on a Friday morning and it was an absolute madhouse of people, my props to all the employees for keeping everyone moving and the store functioning.

Every register was staffed by a person (such a common theme during busy times in Japan, really miss this in the states when you have 20 registers now and only one has a staff member because they've cut costs so much).

There is a photo spot on the roof where you can get a picture taken with Mario sliding down a flag pole for free (your camera). A neat little part of the retail experience.

Getting to the store is weird because if you enter from the main street side and get into the elevator right next to Mario coming out of the warp pipe you actually cannot get to the 7th floor, you need to go up to six then into the neighboring department store, then on to an escalator, then up to Nintendo. It isn't exactly hidden but it is a little confusing, especially if you can't read Japanese.

Either way, spent way more than I intended to but cleared out Christmas/Japan gifts for half my people list in one stop. You can also claim Nintendo points here for your purchase but remember that if you're visiting from the USA this may involve logging in again and going through 2FA, which you may not have access to.

The store merchandise is primarily split over the primary first party brands: Nintendo (general) Mario Animal Crossing Legend of Zelda Pikmin Splatoon

And then varying mixes of those together. There were multiple items for sale in more than one series I'd never seen offered for sale before (online or in store) but that could be more from the Japan vs. US markets aspect and less the store itself. They did have Nintendo Kyoto specific items, though.

Other reviews here mention waiting for tickets to enter, this wasn't the case when I went in. The store is fairly new so that was likely just for the opening weeks. It was packed full of people but there was no ticket system, so that information might be...