Nintendo has exciting news for fans in Japan: they're set to launch Nintendo Fukuoka, their fourth official store in the country, slated to open by the end of 2025. Unlike its counterparts—Nintendo Tokyo, Nintendo Osaka, and Nintendo Kyoto—Nintendo Fukuoka will be situated on Kyushu, Japan's southernmost main island, in Fukuoka City. This marks a significant expansion for Nintendo, reaching beyond Honshu, Japan's largest island.
The announcement of Nintendo Fukuoka was met with a wave of enthusiasm on X, where Japanese fans shared their congratulations and expressed hopes for more Nintendo stores across Japan. Several users suggested that Sapporo, the largest city on Hokkaido, the northernmost island, should be next in line for a Nintendo store.
However, not all reactions were positive. A notable portion of the feedback highlighted disappointment over Nintendo seemingly bypassing Nagoya. As Japan's fourth-largest city and the capital of Aichi prefecture, Nagoya is a key manufacturing center. Despite its size and importance, it struggles with a reputation for being "boring," a perception that was highlighted in a 2016 survey conducted by Nagoya's own government. Interestingly, while residents of other cities ranked their hometowns highly, Nagoyans ranked their city third, behind Tokyo and Kyoto. Additionally, Nagoya's location between Tokyo and Osaka often results in it being overlooked for events and tours, a phenomenon dubbed the "Nagoya Skip," as illustrated 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 local hopes of reversing this trend (source: Chukyo TV).
Nintendo Fukuoka will be strategically located within a shopping mall at Hakata Station, Kyushu's largest railway hub, which connects to Honshu via bullet train and to Fukuoka Airport by plane. This prime location will make it easier for residents of surrounding prefectures to access the store. The increase in inbound tourists to Fukuoka, particularly from South Korea, since the lifting of pandemic restrictions, is expected to continue growing (source: Fukuoka Prefectural Government).
Nintendo's official stores are more than just retail spaces; they are hubs for events and hands-on experiences with new games. With the upcoming launch of the Switch 2, Nintendo Fukuoka is poised to play a crucial role in promoting and introducing the new console to a wider audience.
In related news, Nintendo recently expanded its presence in the U.S. with the opening of Nintendo San Francisco, its first store on the West Coast. IGN had the opportunity to tour the store and interview Nintendo of America's president, Doug Bowser, to delve deeper into what fans can expect from these exciting new developments.
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