Nintendo Opens New Store in Fukuoka, Japan Amid Mixed Reactions

Nintendo has exciting news for fans in Japan: a new official store, Nintendo Fukuoka, is set to open in Fukuoka City by the end of 2025. This will mark the company’s fourth official store in Japan, joining the ranks of Nintendo Tokyo, Nintendo Osaka, and Nintendo Kyoto. What sets Nintendo Fukuoka apart is its location on Kyushu, Japan's southernmost main island, making it the first Nintendo store not situated on Honshu, the country's largest island.

The announcement of Nintendo Fukuoka on social media platforms like X was met with widespread enthusiasm. Many fans expressed their congratulations and voiced hopes for more Nintendo stores across Japan. Some even speculated that Sapporo, the largest city on Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost island, might be the next location for a Nintendo store.

However, not all reactions were positive. A significant number of commenters expressed disappointment over Nintendo seemingly bypassing Nagoya. As the capital of Aichi prefecture and Japan's fourth-largest city, Nagoya is often perceived as "boring," a sentiment highlighted in a 2016 survey conducted by the city's government. In the survey, Nagoya residents ranked their city third in attractiveness, behind Tokyo and Kyoto. Additionally, Nagoya's central location between Tokyo and Osaka contributes to the "Nagoya Skip" phenomenon, where events and tours often overlook the city. This issue was recently brought into focus with the announcement of a new 17,000-person arena set to open in Nagoya in July, which local officials hope will combat the "Nagoya Skip" trend (source: Chukyo TV).

Nintendo Fukuoka will be strategically located within a shopping mall at Hakata Station, Kyushu's largest railway hub. This prime location, connected by bullet train to Honshu and by plane to Fukuoka Airport, will make it easily accessible for residents of surrounding prefectures and the increasing number of tourists, particularly from South Korea, visiting Fukuoka since the lifting of pandemic restrictions (source: Fukuoka Prefectural Government).

Nintendo's official stores are more than just retail spaces; they are vibrant hubs where fans can purchase Switch consoles, games, accessories, and various Nintendo merchandise. They also host events and provide hands-on previews of upcoming titles. With the anticipated launch of the Switch 2, Nintendo Fukuoka is poised to play a crucial role in promoting and introducing this new console to a broader audience.

In other Nintendo news, the company recently expanded its presence in the U.S. by opening its first West Coast store, Nintendo San Francisco. IGN had the opportunity to tour the store and interview Nintendo of America's president, Doug Bowser, to gain insights into the company's latest developments.