Nintendo's New Fukuoka Store Sparks Mixed Reactions

Nintendo has exciting news for fans in Japan: they've announced plans to open a new official store in Fukuoka at the end of 2025. Named Nintendo Fukuoka, this will be the company's fourth official store in Japan, following the successful openings of Nintendo Tokyo, Nintendo Osaka, and Nintendo Kyoto. What sets Nintendo Fukuoka apart is its unique location on the southernmost main island of Kyushu, in Fukuoka City, making it the first Nintendo store not situated on Honshu, Japan’s largest main island.

The announcement on X sparked a wave of positive reactions from Japanese fans, with many sending congratulatory messages and expressing hopes for more Nintendo stores across the country. Some fans even speculated that Sapporo, the largest city on Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost island, could be the next ideal location for a Nintendo store.

However, the news wasn't met with universal joy. A significant number of comments expressed disappointment over Nintendo seemingly bypassing Nagoya. As Japan's fourth largest city and the capital of Aichi prefecture, Nagoya is a bustling hub of manufacturing but suffers from a reputation of being "boring." This perception was highlighted in a 2016 survey conducted by the city's own government, which asked residents of Japan's eight largest cities to rank their attractiveness to travelers. Interestingly, while most residents ranked their own city highest, Nagoya's residents placed their city third, behind Tokyo and Kyoto.

Nagoya's geographical position between Tokyo and Osaka often results in it being overlooked by events and tours, a phenomenon known as the "Nagoya Skip." This issue was humorously depicted in the anime "Yatogame-chan Kansatsu Nikki." The city's residents are keenly aware of this trend, which likely fueled the concerns about Nintendo's decision. Recently, Nagoya has been in the spotlight again with the upcoming opening of a new 17,000-person arena in July, which city officials and local media hope will help combat the "Nagoya skipping" trend (source: Chukyo TV).

As for Nintendo Fukuoka, the store will be strategically located within a shopping mall at Hakata Station, Kyushu's largest railway hub. This prime location connects to Honshu via bullet train and to Fukuoka Airport by plane, making it easily accessible for residents of surrounding prefectures and increasing its appeal to tourists. Since the lifting of pandemic restrictions, Fukuoka has seen a surge in inbound tourism, particularly from South Korea, and this trend is expected to continue (source: Fukuoka Prefectural Government).

Nintendo's official stores are more than just retail spaces; they offer a variety of events and hands-on previews of new titles. With the upcoming release of the Switch 2, Nintendo Fukuoka is poised to play a crucial role in promoting and introducing this new console to a broader audience.

In related 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.