Nintendo Opens First-Ever Museum in Japan, Where Nostalgia Comes Alive

Nintendo has done it again. This time, it’s not a new game, console, or theme park, but something more permanent—a museum. Japan's first Nintendo Museum, which opened its doors in Uji, Kyoto, is a nostalgic and interactive journey through 135 years of the company's history. 

Once used to manufacture cards and repair consoles, the building houses an exhaustive collection of Nintendo’s milestones, including limited-edition consoles, rare prototypes, and interactive exhibits. 

Shigeru Miyamoto, the mastermind behind Mario and Zelda, was deeply involved in the museum’s creation. Reflecting on the site, he remarked, “This is a place of memories... It would be a shame to have all this gathering dust in a warehouse.” 

The Nintendo Museum in Kyoto is divided into three main sections: “Learn,” “Experience,” and “Create and Play.” The "Learn" area offers a chronological exploration of the company's evolution, highlighting not just video games but Nintendo’s lesser-known roots as a playing card manufacturer. 

A digital Hanafuda card game in action, blending tradition with tech.

The company was founded in 1889, producing traditional Japanese Hanafuda cards. The museum honors these origins with a special workshop where visitors can craft their cards, keeping that legacy alive. 

In the “Experience” area, the hands-on fun begins. Giant controllers for beloved games like ‘Donkey Kong’ and ‘Super Mario’ await, allowing visitors to partner up and play using oversized replicas of the original controllers. 

One of the highlights is the “Big Controller” station, where guests can engage in classic Nintendo games.The third section, “Create and Play,” is a workshop where visitors can craft their own creations. 

The Nintendo Museum in Kyoto features iconic Super Mario decor, celebrating gaming history

 At the heart of the museum’s appeal is the personal touch of Miyamoto. He recalled visiting the factory often in the 1970s and 1980s when it was still operational. “We were exploring how to preserve it somehow, and then the suggestion came up: why not make it into a museum?” he explained. 

The museum has its own themed café, Hatena Burger, and a gift shop offering larger-than-life Nintendo souvenirs like controller cushions and hanafuda keychains. Yet, the fun doesn’t come easy. Tickets are already sold out months in advance, allocated through a lottery system.

Visitors walking over an interactive floor display at the Nintendo museum

 Museum visitors receive 10 digital coins to use for playing the games, but here's the catch: you can't purchase more, so players will need to plan and make thoughtful choices. 

As Kensaku Namera, an analyst at Nomura Securities, points out, the museum is not only about entertainment but also an effective reuse of the company’s assets, transforming an old factory into a cultural hub. 

Visitors playing a giant interactive game at the Nintendo museum. 

 Nintendo is no stranger to creating tourist destinations. The museum adds to a growing list of gaming attractions in Japan, including the ‘Super Nintendo World’ theme park in Osaka, which is now the third-most visited theme park in the world. 

In fact, a similar park is set to open at Universal Studios in Orlando next year. "These cultural exports and tourism form a symbiotic relationship,” said Japan’s columnist Gearoid Reidy, commenting on how companies like Nintendo are vital to Japan’s global appeal. 

Reidy further added, ‘Over time, they absorb new trends they encounter and bring them back home – think the rise of ramen over the past few decades.’ 

He also noted that Japan’s Cool Japan strategy, launched in June, aims to quadruple the overseas market for video games, anime, and manga within the next decade. For Nintendo, this museum in Kyoto is another step in broadening its brand exposure globally. 

"We wanted to make sure that this is someplace that regardless of any language or cultural barrier, people can come to interact and understand," Miyamoto said