Nintendo's New Fukuoka Store Faces Mixed Reactions

Nintendo has exciting news for fans in Japan: they plan to open a new official store, Nintendo Fukuoka, at the end of 2025. This will mark the company's fourth store in Japan, joining the ranks of Nintendo Tokyo, Nintendo Osaka, and Nintendo Kyoto. What sets Nintendo Fukuoka apart is its location on Kyushu, Japan's southernmost main island, making it the first Nintendo store not situated on Honshu, Japan's largest island. The store will be nestled in a shopping mall within Hakata Station, Kyushu's largest railway hub, which connects to Honshu via bullet train and to Fukuoka Airport by plane. This prime location promises easy access for both local residents and tourists alike, especially with the increasing number of inbound visitors from nearby South Korea, as reported by the Fukuoka Prefectural Government.

Reactions on X to the announcement of Nintendo Fukuoka were overwhelmingly positive, with many users offering congratulations and expressing hopes for more Nintendo stores to spread across Japan. Several commenters even suggested that Sapporo, the biggest city on Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost island, could be the next ideal location for a Nintendo store.

However, not all reactions were celebratory. A significant number of commenters expressed disappointment over Nintendo seemingly bypassing Nagoya, a major city in central Japan and the capital of Aichi prefecture. Nagoya, despite being Japan's fourth-largest city, has been dubbed "boring" in a 2016 survey conducted by its own government, where its residents ranked it third after Tokyo and Kyoto. This sentiment, coupled with Nagoya's location between Tokyo and Osaka, has led to the "Nagoya skipping" phenomenon, where events and tours often overlook the city. The frustration over this trend was recently highlighted in the news with the opening of a new 17,000-person arena in July, as reported by Chukyo TV, with hopes that it will help put Nagoya back on the map.

Nintendo's official stores are more than just retail spaces; they serve as vibrant hubs for gaming enthusiasts. These stores offer a range of products including Switch consoles, games, accessories, and various Nintendo merchandise. They also host events and provide hands-on previews of new titles, which is likely to be the case with Nintendo Fukuoka. With the upcoming Switch 2 on the horizon, the new store is poised to play a crucial role in its promotion and distribution.

Meanwhile, in the U.S., Nintendo recently expanded its presence by opening its first West Coast store, Nintendo San Francisco. IGN had the opportunity to tour the store and even interviewed Nintendo of America's president, Doug Bowser, to delve deeper into what fans can expect from this new location.