Nintendo to Open New Official Store in Fukuoka, Japan — but Not Everyone Is Happy With This Choice

Nintendo has exciting news for fans in Japan, announcing plans to open a new official store, Nintendo Fukuoka, at the end of 2025. This will mark the company's fourth official store in Japan, following successful locations in Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto. Notably, Nintendo Fukuoka stands out as the first store not situated on Honshu, Japan's largest main island, but rather in Fukuoka City on the southernmost main island of Kyushu.

The announcement on X sparked a wave of positive reactions from Japanese fans, who expressed their congratulations and hopes for more Nintendo stores to open across the country. Several commenters suggested that Sapporo, the largest city on Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost island, could be the next ideal location for a Nintendo store.

However, the news was met with some disappointment from residents of Nagoya. As the capital of Aichi prefecture and Japan's fourth-largest city, Nagoya has long felt overlooked, particularly due to its location between Tokyo and Osaka. This perception was highlighted in a 2016 survey conducted by Nagoya's government, where residents ranked their city third in attractiveness behind Tokyo and Kyoto. The phenomenon of "Nagoya skipping" was humorously explained in the anime "Yatogame-chan Kansatsu Nikki," resonating with locals who feel their city is often bypassed. The recent announcement of a new 17,000-person arena opening in Nagoya in July has sparked hopes that this new attraction will help combat the "Nagoya skipping" trend, as reported by Chukyo TV.

Nintendo Fukuoka will be strategically located within a shopping mall at Hakata Station, Kyushu's largest major railway station. This location, connected by bullet train to Honshu and by plane to Fukuoka Airport, will make it easily accessible for residents of surrounding prefectures and the increasing number of tourists visiting Fukuoka, particularly from South Korea, as noted by the Fukuoka Prefectural Government.

Nintendo's official stores are more than just retail spaces; they are vibrant hubs where fans can purchase Switch consoles, games, accessories, and various Nintendo merchandise, and participate in events and hands-on previews of new titles. With the upcoming release of the Switch 2, Nintendo Fukuoka is poised to play a significant role in promoting and introducing this new console to customers.

In other news, Nintendo has also expanded its presence in the U.S. with the opening of its first West Coast store, Nintendo San Francisco. IGN had the opportunity to tour the store and interview Nintendo of America's president, Doug Bowser, to learn more about this exciting development.