Nintendo's New Fukuoka Store Sparks Mixed Reactions

Nintendo has announced the opening of a new official store in Fukuoka, Japan, set for the end of 2025. This upcoming location, named Nintendo Fukuoka, will become the company’s fourth official retail outlet in the country, joining Nintendo Tokyo, Nintendo Osaka, and Nintendo Kyoto. What sets Nintendo Fukuoka apart is its unique geographical placement—it will be the first official store located outside of Honshu, Japan’s largest main island. Instead, it will open in Fukuoka City on Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan’s major islands.

The announcement was met with widespread enthusiasm on X (formerly Twitter), where users shared congratulatory messages and expressed hope that Nintendo would continue expanding its physical presence across Japan. Many fans suggested that Sapporo, the largest city on Hokkaido—the northernmost main island—would be a natural next step for future expansion.

However, the news also sparked disappointment among residents of Nagoya. Despite being Japan’s fourth-largest city and the capital of Aichi Prefecture, Nagoya has once again been overlooked. Known as a major manufacturing center, Nagoya has long grappled with a reputation for being “boring”—a perception highlighted in a 2016 survey conducted by the city’s own government. In the survey, which asked residents of Japan’s eight largest cities to rank urban centers by traveler appeal, Nagoya was the only city whose citizens did not rank their own city as the top choice, instead placing it third behind Tokyo and Kyoto.

This sentiment ties into a well-known cultural phenomenon referred to as the “Nagoya skip,” where events, tours, and major developments often bypass the city despite its size and economic significance. Its central location between Tokyo and Osaka only reinforces this trend, as travelers and organizers frequently move directly between the two larger hubs. The anime Yatogame-chan Kansatsu Nikki even humorously depicted this pattern, further embedding it in public awareness.

Interestingly, Nagoya is currently in the spotlight for positive developments. A new 17,000-seat arena is scheduled to open in July, with city officials and local media, including Chukyo TV, expressing hope that this major venue will help reverse the “Nagoya skip” and attract more national and international events.

Nintendo Fukuoka will be situated in a shopping complex within Hakata Station, Kyushu’s largest railway hub. The station is well-connected via Shinkansen bullet trains to Honshu and is adjacent to Fukuoka Airport, making the store easily accessible to both domestic travelers and international visitors. Since the lifting of pandemic-era restrictions, Fukuoka has seen a steady rise in inbound tourism, particularly from South Korea, a trend projected to continue according to the Fukuoka Prefectural Government.

Like other official Nintendo stores, Nintendo Fukuoka will offer a full range of products, including Nintendo Switch consoles, games, accessories, and exclusive merchandise. The store is also expected to host special events, community activities, and hands-on previews of upcoming titles—making it a key location for promoting the highly anticipated Switch 2.

Meanwhile, in the United States, Nintendo recently opened its first West Coast flagship store, Nintendo San Francisco. IGN visited the new location and spoke with Doug Bowser, President of Nintendo of America, to learn more about the store’s vision and future plans. [ttpp]