Nintendo's New Fukuoka Store Sparks Mixed Reactions

Nintendo has exciting news for fans in Japan: plans are in place to open a new official store in Fukuoka by the end of 2025. Dubbed Nintendo Fukuoka, this will mark the company's fourth official store in the country, following successful launches in Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto. Notably, this is the first Nintendo store not situated on Honshu, Japan's largest island, but rather in Fukuoka City on the southernmost main island of Kyushu.

The announcement on X sparked a wave of congratulatory messages and enthusiasm from the Japanese community, with many expressing hopes that Nintendo will eventually establish stores across the entire nation. Several commenters suggested Sapporo, the largest city on the northernmost island of Hokkaido, as the next potential location for a Nintendo store.

However, not all reactions were positive. A significant number of people expressed disappointment over Nintendo seemingly bypassing Nagoya, a central Japanese city and the capital of Aichi prefecture. Known as a major manufacturing hub and the fourth largest city in Japan, Nagoya has struggled with a reputation for being "boring." This perception was highlighted in a 2016 survey conducted by Nagoya's own government, where residents ranked their city third in attractiveness after Tokyo and Kyoto. Nagoya's location between Tokyo and Osaka often results in it being overlooked by events and tours, a trend humorously dubbed the "Nagoya Skip" in the anime Yatogame-chan Kansatsu Nikki. The recent announcement of a new 17,000-person arena set to open in Nagoya in July has sparked hopes of reversing this trend, according to Chukyo TV.

Nintendo Fukuoka will be strategically located within a shopping mall at Hakata Station, Kyushu's largest railway hub. This location ensures easy access via bullet train from Honshu and flights from Fukuoka Airport, making it convenient for residents of surrounding prefectures and the growing number of inbound tourists, particularly from South Korea, as reported by the 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. These stores also host events and hands-on previews of new titles, and Nintendo Fukuoka is poised to play a key role in promoting the highly anticipated Switch 2.

Meanwhile, in the U.S., Nintendo recently opened its first West Coast store, Nintendo San Francisco. IGN had the opportunity to tour the store and even interviewed Nintendo of America's president, Doug Bowser, to learn more about this exciting development.