It’s official: The Nintendo Museum in Kyoto will finally open on 2nd October 2024. The creator of beloved video game characters like Mario and Donkey Kong is prepping to take fans down memory lane through showcases of their entertainment history.
So, if you thoroughly enjoyed yourself at Super Nintendo World in Osaka, it’s time to take a step back to before the Mario Karts and “?” Blocks. Here’s what you can expect in the Nintendo Museum:
Image credit: Nintendo
The Nintendo Museum is a homage to the success the company has garnered over the years. The attraction features 3 main areas – the exhibitions, play zones, and handicraft workshops. Visitors can marvel at the long history of Nintendo and its many products.
Rest assured that you can participate in the interactive activities regardless of whether you’re a video game geek or have zero knowledge about them.
The 2-storey museum has 3 exhibition buildings, so be sure to allocate sufficient time to explore. We think 3 hours here should be enough to look through all the displays and play the games.
Tickets are priced at ¥3,300 (~S$30) for adults, ¥2,200 (~S$20) for youths aged 12-17, and ¥1,100 (~S$10) for children ages 6-11. Any child younger than that is entitled to free entry.
Image credit: Osaka Station
To get to the Nintendo Museum from Singapore, you’ll need to find your way to Kyoto first. If you plan to explore various parts of the country, here are some cities in Japan with direct flights from Singapore.
Since there’s no direct flight to Kyoto, the fastest way is to hop on a flight to Osaka via Scoot from $358 and then take the train on the JR Kyoto line from Osaka to Kyoto station. Remember to purchase your JR Pass beforehand.
Image credit: Nintendo
If your main goal of visiting the museum is to reminisce about your childhood and find nostalgic Nintendo pieces, the exhibits are located on the 2nd floor of exhibition building 1.
If any of these games look unfamiliar to you, we’re on the same page. These items are from the era before Nintendo released video games, back when it was still labelled as a toy company.
You can also find video games that Nintendo published in the past and spot your favourite characters, such as Popeye or Donkey Kong.
The exhibit also showcases the brand’s evolution in technology with each reboot. See how the graphics of the well-loved Mario games have changed and improved over the years.
After exploring the display pieces, proceed to the 1st floor of exhibition building 1. This is where you’ll find all the interactive exhibits.
Visitors can access the interactive exhibits via digital coins. Each player is entitled to 10 coins, stored in a playing card and to be issued upon entry into the museum.
The exhibits require different amounts of coins, and you may not be able to play with all of them, so pick the ones that look the most fun to you.
There’s a total of 8 play exhibits for you to choose from.
| Exhibit | Highlights |
| Shigureden SP | Collect missing cards with a smart device |
| Zapper & Scope SP | Shooting game; choose between 2 types of gun |
| Ultra Machine SP | Indoor pitching in a retro room |
| Ultra Hand SP | Bring the ball into the pipe without letting go |
| Love Tester SP | Great for couples; hold hands and test your love level |
| Game & Watch SP | Uses your shadow projection to play |
| Nintendo Classics | Play with Nintendo titles from back in the day |
| Big Controller | 2 man effort to operate the game controller |
Way before Nintendo published video games, people were playing with Hanafuda cards. This flower-themed card game was the company’s first product.
To take fans back to the beginning, the museum offers a handicraft workshop where you can make Hanafuda cards for ¥2,000/pax (~S$18). The hour-long session includes a specially made kit, and you get to select the designs for your playing cards.
If you’re not hands-on and still want to learn more about the game, you can opt for the playing session instead. It’s a 30-minute round for 2 players at ¥500/pax (~S$4.50).
The rules will be explained during the game, so there’s no need to worry if you’re a first-time player like us.
Note that you’ll have to make a same-day reservation on site for the workshops if you want to attend them.
Head over to the Nintendo Cafe if you’re feeling the hunger pangs after having all that fun. The place serves hamburgers, sides and drinks, and you can customise your burger with your favourite toppings.
Take some time to browse through their shop too before leaving. In addition to official Nintendo merchandise, the store also sells exclusives that are only available at the museum, so make sure you get your hands on those.
From nostalgic playing cards to the Switches, Nintendo has consistently brought their A-game to fans, and this museum is proof of that. We’re so excited that the museum is finally opening to the public, and we can’t wait to see what other surprises they have in store for us.
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Cover image adapted from: Nintendo
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