On 2 October, the long-awaited Nintendo Museum in Japan officially opened its doors for its first visitors. Located in Nintendo’s historic Uji Ogura factory, approximately one hour south of Kyoto, the museum is a nostalgic and immersive experience that appeals to people of all ages.
The location picked for the museum is rich in Nintendo history, and since 1969, it has served as a production base for its trading cards and later for video game consoles and toy repair. Now, the factory has transformed into an immersive journey that invites visitors to glimpse beyond what is already known.
The Nintendo Museum showcases 135 years of rich history, development, and innovation related to the company and its journey to becoming a world-renowned mogul. Home to popular games such as Zelda, Super Mario, and Donkey Kong, the museum is where every single product has been given life and soul.
Divided into different sections, the Nintendo Museum offers various exhibitions. The story begins with Nintendo’s first Hanafuda cards design, also known as flower cards, and showcases consoles and toys dating to the modern day.
Then, on the first floor of Exhibition Building 1, visitors can immerse themselves in the Nintendo universe. The floor is a giant screen on which visitors can play Hyakunin Isshu with smart devices distributed from the museum. In the traditional version of Hyakunin Isshu, one person reads out a poem or well-known proverb, and the player, who recognizes the card that corresponds to the words the fastest, wins the card. In this modern version of the game, the smart devices read the poems, and the player searches for the matching cards on the floor, collecting them by holding up the device. Up to 20 people can play simultaneously and players win points depending on their speed.
On the second floor of the same exhibition building, there are all the items and products that have been produced to date, including scrapped prototypes and unreleased consoles. The Discover area invites people to journey through the evolution of entertainment and explore the development of consoles, highlighting how the gaming world has evolved with the implementation of new technologies.
Eight interactive experiences allow visitors to engage with unique forms of play. They include the Nintendo Classics, Zapper & Scope SP, Ultra Machine SP, and Love Tester SP, among others. The big controller is also part of these immersive experiences. What makes it special is that it takes two people to operate. Despite the unchanged shape of the controller, its size makes it impossible for a single person to operate. Therefore, two people must collaborate and synchronize to complete the game.
However, there is a twist to this gaming experience. Upon entering the museum, each visitor receives an entry card loaded with ten digital coins, which can be used for museum activities. The number of coins required for each interactive experience is different. This means visitors won’t be able to try every interactive exhibit.
There is one more thing that is different about this museum. Tickets cannot be purchased at the entrance. They can only be booked online, three months in advance, through randomly selected drawing. It works like lottery. This means that anyone who wants to visit the Nintendo Museum has to apply for the tickets and wait for the drawing results, which are sent out via email. The winning visitors are asked to complete their purchase. Tickets cost 3300 yen (20.3 euros) for an adult, 2200 yen for teenagers (13.5 euros), and 1100 yen (7 euros) for children, and they are free for kids younger than 6 years old.
