A complete guide and review of the brand-new Nintendo Museum in Kyoto
Image Credit: Nintendo Museum
Introduction
The long-awaited Nintendo Museum finally opened its doors on October 2nd, 2024. Located in Uji, a short train ride from Kyoto, the museum takes visitors on a journey through the company’s impressive 135-year history, from its origins as a playing card company to its status as a videogame pioneer. Whether you’re a lifelong fan of Mario or simply curious about the evolution of video games, the Nintendo Museum offers a unique and interactive experience you won’t want to miss. Here’s everything you need to know to plan your visit.
Table of Contents
Inside The Museum
Image Credit: Nintendo Museum
The Nintendo Museum is spread out over two floors and focuses on 4 sections:
Interactive exhibits on the first floor
Crafting exhibits and historical displays on the second floor
A themed burger cafe
An exclusive merch store
This thoughtfully designed space creates a journey that begins with hands-on excitement and develops into an exploration of Nintendo's rich history, featuring rare consoles and prototypes. The museum's layout guides visitors through an experience that grows more meaningful with each step, combining interactive entertainment with historical significance.
The First Floor
The interactive shadow game. Image Credit: Nintendo Museum
The first floor is an interactive playground that transforms you into an active participant of Nintendo's gaming legacy. Innovative technology meets classic gaming in a series of carefully crafted exhibits that let you physically engage with Nintendo's most beloved work. The space buzzes with excitement as people test their skills on oversized controllers and immersive installations.
Each visitor receives 10 digital coins to spend on the following attractions:
The Big Controllers
Image Credit: Nintendo Museum
Oversized replicas of classic controllers
Multiplayer gaming experience
Cost: 2 Gold Coins
The Classics
Image Credit: Nintendo Museum
7-minute sessions with original consoles
Featuring games from the original NES, the Super Nintendo, and the Nintendo 64
Two-player options available
Cost: 1 Gold Coin
The Zapper & Scope
Image Credit: Nintendo Museum
A shooting game featuring characters from the Mario universe
Uses classic Nintendo light gun technology on a massive screen
Cost: 4 Gold Coins
Other Exhibits
Image Credit: Nintendo Museum
The remaining exhibits all cost 2 gold coins each, they include:
Ultra Machine - baseball batting experience
Ultra Hand - competitive ball-grabbing game
Love Tester - two-player challenge
Game & Watch - shadow-based gaming
Shigureden - a modern take on a traditional card game
The Second Floor
Image Credit: Nintendo Museum
The second floor transports you through time to witness Nintendo's remarkable journey from a traditional card maker to a videogame pioneer. This thoughtfully curated space serves as a temple to Nintendo's heritage, showcasing not just products, but the story of innovation and creative evolution that shaped the company.
Some of the notable features include:
Rare console prototypes
Limited edition devices
Original Hanafuda cards from 1889
Comprehensive product timeline
Historical artifacts and memorabilia
Hanafuda Workshops
Hanafuda Cards. Image Credit: Nintendo Museum
Beyond the main exhibits, the Nintendo Museum offers an immersive hands-on experience creating your own Hanafuda cards. Hanafuda cards are traditional playing cards used for Japanese card games that were established 400 years ago.
Craft Room: Create and paint your own Hanafuda cards (¥2000)
Play Room: Learn traditional Hanafuda games with modern technology (¥500)
Tip: Book workshops immediately upon arrival as spots fill quickly
The Hatena Burger Cafe
Image Credit: Nintendo Museum
The museum's burger cafe also offers an interactive experience that enables you to create your own fully customised burger. Plus the decor, food, and drinks are all themed to create a unique Nintendo atmosphere. And apparently, the custom burgers have over 270,000 possible combinations.
The Exclusive Merch Store
Image Credit: Video Games Chronicle
The museum shop is a treasure trove of super cool Nintendo merch. Unlike typical gift shops, the Nintendo Museum store, referred to as the 'Bonus Stage', offers items you won't find anywhere else in the world. One of the most popular items are the huge controller plushies that cost around ¥12,000. The museum has an exclusive policy that limits these items to 1 purchase per customer, ensuring you take home something that feels special. If you're unable to travel to Japan or didn't secure a museum ticket for your trip, feel free to contact us and we'll arrange a purchase for you.
Location & Tickets
Image Credit: Nintendo Museum
The Nintendo Museum is located on the site of the original Nintendo factory, which is located about 30 minutes from central Kyoto in the town of Uji. The tickets are issued using a reservation and lottery system, this is to prevent over-crowding and ensure a fair distribution of the tickets. The tickets are purchased through the official website linked below. You can increase your chances of winning the ticket lottery using a few strategies we've listed here.
🎟️ How to buy a Nintendo Museum ticket?
Aim for weekdays when there is less demand for tickets.
Everyone in your party can join, so you can register separately for each person. But if multiple people win, make sure you cancel the other tickets.
The ticket lottery can be entered up to 3 months in advance.
If you don't win a ticket, you can check the lottery page later for cancellations.
You must pay online within 7 days of winning the ticket, otherwise your ticket will be cancelled.
🕗 Opening Hours & Time Commitment
10am - 6pm
Closed every Tuesday
Closed during New Year holidays: 30th Dec to 3rd Jan
Aim for 2-4 hours, time varies depending on workshops, lunch, shopping, and crowds
📍 Location
Ogura Station - Uji, Southern Kyoto (Google Maps)
💴 Entry Price
Adults (18+): ¥3,300
Youth (12-17): ¥2,200
Children (6-11): ¥1,100
Munchkins (0-5): Free
Tips & Extra Info
Arrive 10-15 minutes before your scheduled slot
Security checks at the gates are pretty strict
They have coin lockers, but it's best to leave large bags at your accommodation
English navigation is available throughout, but staff English proficiency varies
Main exhibits are accessible regardless of language ability
If you want to try the Hanfuda card workshop, book as soon as you arrive
Although the cafe food is focused on burgers, the flavours are more mild compared to USA-style burgers
How much time should you spend? Aim for 2-4 hours, the time commitment varies depending on workshops, lunch, shopping, and how busy it is on the day.
Nearby Attractions
The Uji River near Byodo-in Temple. Image Copyright: Ollie Ronin
The Nintendo Museum is located in the small city of Uji, which is a beautiful location near Kyoto. It's famous for being the birthplace of matcha tea and contains a variety of tea houses which have been selling green tea and matcha for hundreds of years. The attractions of Uji start at a street known as the Byodo-in Omotesando which runs alongside the Uji River and eventually leads to Byodo-in Temple.
Byodo-in is famous for being the temple that's featured on the 10 yen coin. Uji and Byodo-in are well worth the visit if you're planning to check out the Nintendo Museum, combining these attractions makes for a perfect full-day itinerary.
