In autumn 2024, the day that gaming fans had been waiting for finally arrived — the new Nintendo Museum opened in the city of Uji, located in Kyoto Prefecture. Voyapon is happy to reveal the first official details about the opening for Nintendo fans.
And no matter whether you like Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, or Pokémon, all fans of the video game and console manufacturer will get their money’s worth here. Find out everything we already know about the new museum below.
When did the Nintendo Museum in Kyoto Open?
As early as June 2021, the company announced in a press release that it was planning to build a museum called the Nintendo Gallery. The actual opening date was given at the time as the end of March 2024.
In the fiscal year of 2023, the video game manufacturer finally corrected its information and scheduled the opening to fall 2024 before announcing a specific date. It was finally confirmed that the Nintendo Museum in Kyoto would open its doors to all gaming fans and travelers to Japan on October 2, 2024.
What is There to Discover in the Museum?
In the two-story building, fans of Nintendo are able to take a trip into the past. Visitors can experience the different eras of Nintendo consoles, which will probably make certain fans feel nostalgic.
An interactive exhibition, for which you will need digital coins, adds extra fun and excitement to your museum visit. You will receive ten of these digital coins when you buy your ticket, according to the official Nintendo Museum website. Additional coins cannot be purchased. The company also notes that the ten coins won’t be enough for all activities and you should therefore think carefully about which interactive activities in which you want to participate. According to the museum, how much these interactions will cost will be announced at a later date.
In addition to the interactive exhibition, two workshops also provide entertainment, where you will not only learn about a traditional Japanese game, but also follow in the footsteps of Nintendo’s history: Hanafuda (花札). Make your own Hanafuda flower cards, which Nintendo first produced in 1889, in the Let’s Make Hanafuda! workshop before learning the rules of the game in the Try Playing Hanafuda! workshop. Perhaps you might even be infected with Hanafuda fever and make it your New Year’s tradition?
How to Buy Tickets for the Nintendo Museum And How Much do They Cost?
The first tickets for October and November 2024 have already been allocated through a lottery process. The application period for December tickets ended on September 30th. Gaming fans can now register for the lottery process for tickets for January 2025 via the official Nintendo Museum website until Thursday, October 31.
Ticket prices are as follows:
| Adults | 3,300 Yen |
| Junior High & High School Students (12 – 7 years) | 2,200 Yen |
| *Elementary School Students (6 – 11 years) | 1,100 Yen |
| Children (0 – 5 years) | free |
The Nintendo Museum in Kyoto is open from Wednesday to Monday from 10am to 6pm. The museum is closed on Tuesdays and during the New Year holidays from December 30 to January 3. If Tuesday falls on a national holiday, the museum is open and closed the following day (Wednesday).
How to Find the Nintendo Museum
The Nintendo Museum is located in Uji, in the former Nintendo Uji Ogura factory, where the company produced Hanafuda cards until 1969 before focusing on repairing game consoles.
The closest station to the museum is Ogura Station, which is about a 20-30 minute ride from Kyoto Station on the JR Nara Line or Kintetsu Railway Kyoto Line. If you are coming from the JR station, take the north exit of Ogura Station, and if you are coming from the Kintetsu Line, take the east exit of the station. There is no parking lot for cars or motorcycles at the museum.
If you are not one of the lucky winners who received a ticket in the first draw or if you don’t want to wait until January for the next lottery, then we have another tip for you: Visit Universal Studios in Osaka! At Super Nintendo World even the little ones will get their money’s worth.
Featured image by Claudia Mitsubori.
