Nintendo Museum: what the institution is like in Kyoto – 10/02/2024 – Tourism

Known as Japan’s city of temples, Kyoto has a new worship area. Opening on October 2nd, the Nintendo Museum promises to become a mecca for video game fans.

At the invitation of Nintendo, the Sheet was able to visit the museum full of products launched by the company throughout its 135 years of history.

To get there, there is no need to undertake a major pilgrimage. Set up in the same place where the company produced hanafuda decks (a Japanese game with cards without numbers and natural motifs), the complex is about 25 minutes by train from Kyoto central station.

After disembarking at Ogura station, a short walk takes you to the museum area. The space can be divided into three sectors, each dedicated to a type of experience.

In the main building, just to the left of the entrance, the visitor is greeted by a quintet of singing Toads and directed to the upper floor, where the visit actually begins. There, products published by Nintendo are displayed in large showcases.

In addition to hundreds of game cartridges and dozens of different video game consoles, the collection has a generous portion of games and toys —which were the company’s main focus until the mid-1980s—, including some rarities.

One of them is a backgammon board published by Nintendo in 1943, during the Second World War. The item advertises Emperor Hirohito’s army, with scenes in which anthropomorphic animals dressed as soldiers hold rifles and Japanese flags. There is even an image in which US and UK flags can be seen lying on the ground.

Although it has historical significance, the article casually occupies the corner of one of the windows and can easily go unnoticed.

The same happens with curious prototypes such as the Ultra 64 (which would become the Nintendo 64), the Wii Remote (Wii controller) and the Wii Balance Board, evolving until becoming the final product. They give a glimpse into the company’s creation process, but seem forgotten in a dark corner of the exhibit hall.

In a press conference, the company’s veteran executive Shigeru Miyamoto — best known for being the creator of franchises such as “Super Mario”, “The Legend of Zelda” and “Pikmin” — stated that the idea is that the museum’s collection will only contain products that the company launches.

Still, he recognizes that, putting himself in consumers’ shoes, he would like to have a behind-the-scenes look at the company and how things are done there. Hence the idea of ​​exhibiting some prototypes.

“We wanted to create a place where people can understand what Nintendo is all about. I believe we have achieved a space that three generations of the same family can visit and each person will have their own corner to revisit cherished memories,” said Miyamoto, in a statement translated by a employee hired by Nintendo.

With this approach based on nostalgia, there are very few explanatory texts or information about the items on display. Nor are numbers shown that indicate the commercial success or failure of the products — even though the wimpy showcase of the Wii U, one of Nintendo’s last major failures, speaks for itself.

Likewise, little is said about the employees who were part of the company’s history. The most visible mention of a Nintendo executive is the discreet autograph of Miyamoto himself, displayed at the entrance to the main building.

The tactic works for those who grew up playing Nintendo titles or are already fans of the brand. It is impossible not to remember fondly some of the games on display. Still, for those who don’t know the company and its characters so well, the tour will be of little interest. But there is more to come.

Down the stairs, on the ground floor, there is an interactive exhibition with eight different experiences linked to Nintendo products.

The one that draws the most attention, right in the middle of the space, is Shigureden. In it, patrons use smartphones to find among the letters with Japanese poems displayed on screens on the floor the one that is being recited over the sound system.

Another that stands out is a shooting minigame with “Mario” characters in which the player can try out the Super Scope (released for the Super Nintendo) and the Zapper (from the NES).

The most eclectic experience that promises to captivate both video game fans and those who have never held a controller in their lives is the one based on Super Machine.

The toy, a ball launcher for practicing baseball indoors, is set up in a series of settings that imitate the rooms of a house. If you hit specific objects, the player triggers reactions and gains new rolls.

Each of these experiences costs a specific number of coins, which are digitally stored on the museum access card.

Each entry —which costs 3,300 to 1,100 yen (R$126 to R$42), depending on the visitor’s age— entitles you to ten coins, which is not enough to test all the experiences. Nintendo states that it will not sell extra coins and that the limitation is an attempt to avoid long queues.

All experiences have instructions in English (in addition to Japanese), which makes life easier for foreign tourists and museum staff.

The last area, on the top floor of the smaller building, is a workshop dedicated to hanafuda, whose cards were the first product manufactured by Nintendo. Visitors can make their own hand-painted cards and learn to play in an area with interactive boards that explain the basic rules.

These experiences, however, are charged separately and reservations must be made in advance.

The complex also has a store with exclusive products just outside the main building and a customizable burger restaurant just below the hanafuda workshops.

When visiting the complex, the attention to detail is impressive. From the ground of the central square to the roof of the main building, there are signs (or “easter eggs”) of Nintendo characters and games everywhere. A feature that fans of the Japanese company already know from its games, but which will now be immortalized in the museum.