Start Select Japan
Share guide

An unofficial field guide for Nintendo fans

Press start on your Japan adventure.

From 1889 playing cards in Kyoto to warp pipes in Osaka, build a trip through the places that shaped one of Japan's most imaginative companies.

Build my route

Made by a fan, for fans. Not affiliated with Nintendo.

Neon signs and pedestrians on a lively Tokyo street at night

Your adventure cartridge

How much Japan can you play?

Choose your time and stops. We'll turn them into a realistic fan route—not an impossible checklist.

1 How long are you in Japan?
2 Where will you go?
Route ready

Your 5-day golden route

Three cities, four essential Nintendo stops, and enough breathing room to enjoy Japan between them.

    Book first: Nintendo Museum uses advance ticket drawings. Super Nintendo World may require timed entry in addition to a USJ ticket.

    Six places. One remarkable story.

    The fan pilgrimage

    Official destinations and meaningful history, arranged along Japan's rails.

    A traditional Kyoto street glowing with lantern light UJI
    MuseumAllow 3–4 hours

    Nintendo Museum

    Walk through more than a century of play inside Nintendo's former Ogura manufacturing plant. Giant controllers, hardware history, hands-on exhibits, and a hanafuda workshop make this the essential stop.

    Player tipTickets are sold by advance drawing. Apply before flights and hotels lock your dates.
    Official museum site
    01
    Tokyo · Shibuya

    Nintendo TOKYO

    Official goods and installations on Shibuya PARCO's game-culture floor. Pair it with the nearby Pokémon Center and Capcom Store.

    Visit
    02
    Kyoto · Kawaramachi

    Nintendo KYOTO

    A rooftop Mario installation and floor-to-ceiling character details make Kyoto's official store especially photogenic.

    Visit
    03
    Osaka · Umeda

    Nintendo OSAKA

    Japan's second official Nintendo store sits directly above Osaka Station—an easy stop before or after the Shinkansen.

    Visit
    04
    Osaka · Universal City

    Super Nintendo World

    Spend a full day racing through Mario Kart and exploring the expanded Donkey Kong Country area at Universal Studios Japan.

    Visit
    05
    Kyoto · Kagiyacho

    The original headquarters

    The 1933 headquarters is now Marufukuro hotel. Admire the preserved façade respectfully; interior access is for guests.

    Visit
    06
    Fukuoka · Hakata

    Nintendo FUKUOKA

    The newest official store extends the journey west, ideal for longer trips continuing toward Kyushu.

    Visit

    Before the plumber, there were playing cards.

    137 years of finding new ways to play

    Hanafuda begins

    Fusajiro Yamauchi starts making handmade playing cards in Kyoto.

    Home video games

    Color TV-Game brings Nintendo's electronic play into Japanese homes.

    Family Computer

    The Famicom launches in Japan and transforms the home console business.

    Play goes portable

    Game Boy proves that a great game can travel anywhere.

    Switch changes the mode

    One system moves seamlessly from television to train journey.

    The museum opens

    Nintendo's former Uji factory becomes a home for its own history.