Nintendo has exciting news for fans in Japan, announcing the opening of a new official store, Nintendo Fukuoka, set to launch at the end of 2025. This marks the company's fourth official store in Japan, following the successful establishments in Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto. What sets Nintendo Fukuoka apart is its unique location outside of Honshu, Japan's largest main island. Instead, it will be situated in Fukuoka City on the southernmost main island of Kyushu.
The announcement on X sparked a wave of positive reactions from Japanese fans, who filled the platform with congratulatory messages and expressed hopes for more Nintendo stores across the country. Many also suggested that Sapporo, the largest city on Japan's northernmost island of Hokkaido, could be a potential site for Nintendo's next venture.
However, not all feedback was celebratory. A significant number of commenters expressed disappointment over Nintendo seemingly bypassing Nagoya. As the capital of Aichi Prefecture and a key manufacturing hub, Nagoya is Japan's fourth-largest city. Despite its size, it struggles with a reputation for being "boring," a label that gained notoriety in 2016 when a survey conducted by the city's own government ranked it third in attractiveness among Japan's eight major cities, behind Tokyo and Kyoto. This survey amusingly showcased local patriotism, with residents ranking their own cities highest, except for those in Nagoya.
Nagoya's location between Tokyo and Osaka often results in it being overlooked by events and tours, a trend humorously dubbed "Nagoya skipping" and explained in detail in the anime "Yatogame-chan Kansatsu Nikki." This phenomenon is well-known among Nagoya's residents, which might explain the volume of comments lamenting Nintendo's decision. Moreover, recent news about a new 17,000-person arena set to open in Nagoya in July has sparked hopes among city officials and local media that it will help combat the "Nagoya skipping" trend, according to Chukyo TV.
Nintendo Fukuoka will be strategically located within a shopping mall at Hakata Station, Kyushu's largest railway hub, which is well-connected by bullet train to Honshu and by plane to Fukuoka Airport. This prime location will make it easier for residents of surrounding prefectures to access the store. Additionally, with the lifting of pandemic restrictions, Fukuoka has seen an increase in inbound tourism, particularly from South Korea, and is expected to see further growth, as reported by the Fukuoka Prefectural Government.
Nintendo's official stores are more than just retail spaces; they are hubs for events and hands-on previews of new titles. Nintendo Fukuoka is poised to play a significant role in promoting the highly anticipated Switch 2, offering fans an opportunity to experience the latest in Nintendo's gaming lineup.
In related news, Nintendo expanded its presence in the U.S. last week with the opening of its first West Coast store, Nintendo San Francisco. IGN provided a tour of the store and conducted an interview with Nintendo of America's president, Doug Bowser, to delve deeper into the company's plans.
