Nintendo's New Store in Fukuoka Sparks Mixed Reactions

Nintendo has exciting news for fans in Japan: they've announced plans to open a new official store in Fukuoka at the end of 2025. This will be the company’s fourth official store in the country, following successful locations in Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto. What sets Nintendo Fukuoka apart is its location on Kyushu, Japan's southernmost main island, marking the first time Nintendo has ventured off Honshu, the largest island.

The announcement on X sparked a wave of enthusiastic reactions from Japanese fans, with many expressing congratulations and hopes for more stores across Japan. Several users suggested that Sapporo, on the northern island of Hokkaido, should be the next expansion target for Nintendo.

However, the news wasn't met with universal joy. A significant number of commenters expressed disappointment over the lack of a store in Nagoya, a major city in central Japan and the capital of Aichi prefecture. Nagoya, despite being Japan's fourth largest city, has a reputation for being "boring," a sentiment highlighted in a 2016 survey by its own government, where residents ranked it third in attractiveness behind Tokyo and Kyoto. The city's location between Tokyo and Osaka often leads to it being overlooked in events and tours, a phenomenon dubbed "Nagoya skipping," which was humorously illustrated in the anime Yatogame-chan Kansatsu Nikki. Recent developments, such as the upcoming opening of a 17,000-person arena in July, are aimed at combating this trend, as reported by Chukyo TV.

Nintendo Fukuoka will be strategically placed within a shopping mall at Hakata Station, Kyushu’s largest railway hub. This location is not only connected by bullet train to Honshu but also easily accessible by plane via Fukuoka Airport. The store's placement is a boon for residents of surrounding prefectures and is expected to attract more tourists, especially from South Korea, as inbound visitor numbers continue to rise post-pandemic, according to 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 games. With the upcoming release of the Switch 2, Nintendo Fukuoka is poised to play a crucial role in promoting and introducing this new console to eager customers.

Meanwhile, in the U.S., Nintendo recently expanded its presence with the opening of its first West Coast store, Nintendo San Francisco. IGN provided an exclusive tour of the store and an interview with Nintendo of America's president, Doug Bowser, offering insights into the company's latest ventures.