During the recent Nintendo Direct aired in September 2023, Nintendo confirmed plans to open a dedicated Nintendo Museum in Kyoto, Japan, based in the disused Nintendo Uji Ogura Plant. The locale has reportedly been closed since 2016 – but that’s all set to change, with construction of the official Nintendo Museum currently underway, and set to be completed by March 2024.
An exact opening date for the museum has not been revealed just yet, but Nintendo has teased its future during Nintendo Direct, revealing it will house a significant gallery revealing more about Nintendo history, and containing a variety of historically significant artefacts.
While Nintendo‘s modern legacy is largely related to video games, the museum’s opening will likely provide ample opportunity for fans to discover more about its 130+ year history – which began with playing cards (karuta and hanafuda), and continued with other tabletop products, and later, electronic toys.
Of course, the Nintendo Museum will also likely spotlight the success of the company in modern times, and the rise of gaming icons like Mario, Zelda, Donkey Kong, and adjacently, the Pokemon franchise.
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So far, the only firm details revealed about the museum are its construction end date, a render that reveals a squat building with a car park for tour buses, and a shot of the roof – which sports an image of a golden Question Mark Block from the Super Mario franchise.
It’s likely Nintendo has big things planned – particularly given the Nintendo Museum is likely to be a tourist hotspot for global Nintendo fans.
In recent years, Nintendo has expanded its offerings for global tourists, recently launching theme park attraction Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios in Los Angeles, United States and in Osaka, Japan.
With the imminent arrival of the Nintendo Museum, it might just be time to start planning an international trip. Stay tuned for more details about the Nintendo Museum as Nintendo prepares for a grand opening, likely sometime in 2024.
