Nintendo Opens New Store in Fukuoka, Japan; Mixed Reactions Follow

Nintendo has exciting news for fans in Japan: plans to open a new official store in Fukuoka at the end of 2025. Named Nintendo Fukuoka, this will mark the company's fourth official store in Japan, following the successful openings of Nintendo Tokyo, Nintendo Osaka, and Nintendo Kyoto. What sets Nintendo Fukuoka apart is its location on Kyushu, Japan's southernmost main island, breaking away from the Honshu-based stores.

The announcement of Nintendo Fukuoka on social media platform X sparked a wave of celebratory reactions from Japanese fans. Many expressed their joy and hoped for more Nintendo stores to pop up across the country. A notable suggestion among the comments was Sapporo, the largest city on Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost island, as a potential next location.

However, not all feedback was positive. A significant number of comments expressed disappointment over Nintendo seemingly bypassing Nagoya, Japan's fourth-largest city and a central manufacturing hub. Nagoya, located in Aichi prefecture, has been battling a reputation for being "boring." This perception was highlighted in a 2016 survey by the city's government, where Nagoya residents ranked their city third in attractiveness, behind Tokyo and Kyoto. Nagoya's location between Tokyo and Osaka often results in it being skipped by events and tours, a phenomenon locals refer to as "Nagoya skipping." Recent news about a new 17,000-person arena set to open in July has raised hopes of reversing this trend (source: Chukyo TV).

Nintendo Fukuoka will be strategically located in a shopping mall within Hakata Station, Kyushu's largest railway hub. This prime location will make it easily accessible for residents of surrounding prefectures and tourists alike. The station connects to Honshu via bullet train and is close to Fukuoka Airport, facilitating visits from inbound tourists, particularly from South Korea, whose numbers have been increasing since the lifting of pandemic restrictions (source: Fukuoka Prefectural Government).

Nintendo's official stores are more than just retail spaces; they are vibrant hubs for gaming culture. Visitors can purchase Switch consoles, games, accessories, and a wide range of Nintendo merchandise. The stores also host events and hands-on previews of new titles, making them essential for fans. Nintendo Fukuoka is poised to play a significant role in promoting the highly anticipated Switch 2 and expanding its reach to new customers.

Meanwhile, in the U.S., Nintendo recently opened its first West Coast store, Nintendo San Francisco. IGN provided a detailed tour of the store and an exclusive interview with Nintendo of America's president, Doug Bowser, to shed light on this new venture.