Nintendo’s Kyoto Renaissance
Nintendo is leveling up.
Cover photo: Aerial view of the Nintendo Museum under construction, in Uji City, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan (2023). Via The Verge (cropped).
Intro
With a market cap of 8 trillion yen (approx. 48 billion USD), Nintendo (任天堂) is one of the world’s largest video game companies. Its latest console, the Nintendo Switch, has sold nearly 130 million units since launch in 2017.
So, where are Nintendo’s headquarters? Many might guess Tokyo, alongside Japan’s top companies, numbering some 3,000. In fact, Nintendo’s main offices remain in Kyoto, where the game-maker was founded in 1889.
The company has since evolved from humble card manufacturer to the developer of electronic hardware and software, including beloved intellectual property (IP) such as Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and Pokémon, the world’s biggest media franchise.
Aside from a perfunctory Pokémon Center (merch shop) — first opened in 2016 — Nintendo has not made its presence obvious in the old capital, more closely associated with geisha and temples than video games. This has changed in recent years.
Kansai Embrace
In neighboring Osaka, Super Nintendo World debuted at the theme park Universal Studios Japan (USJ) in 2021, and Nintendo opened its second general merch shop in the city last November.
In 2022, developer Plan Do See tapped famed architect Tadao Ando (安藤 忠雄) to transform Nintendo’s 20th century headquarters into the luxury hotel Marufukuro, where guests can immerse themselves in vintage Nintendo style. Though, according to hotel representatives, Nintendo was not involved in the renovation.
I had guessed those developments would be the extent of Nintendo’s influence in the Kansai region, but it has since announced new projects in Kyoto. To start, Nintendo will unveil a 100 meter (328 feet) long Mario graphic at the Shijo-dori (Fourth Avenue) underground walkway on October 5th. Nintendo will also open its third Japanese brick-and-mortar shop in Kyoto’s Takashimaya department store on October 17th.
Golden Age of IP
Nintendo’s local developments are part of the company’s global plans to expand beyond video games, in effort “to expand the number of people who have access to Nintendo IP”.
Nintendo has been notoriously guarded about original IP, but — like Hello Kitty’s creator, Sanrio (サンリオ) — Nintendo is venturing into licensing deals, as evidenced by recent films Detective Pikachu (Warner Bros.) and The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Illumination); the latter of which crossed the billion dollar mark at the worldwide box-office.
“We’re actually evolving into being an entertainment company with gaming as a nucleus of the overall business model,” says Doug Bowser, president of Nintendo of America.
Instant Classic
While Nintendo has opened itself to collaboration, it is maintaining a tight grip on its image. Kyoto’s most exciting development is the forthcoming Nintendo Museum, set to open in March of next year.
Marking a new era, the institution promises a look at the company’s storied past, including “a wide variety of Nintendo products from the company’s history.” The facility will also offer “experiences” that have yet to be revealed. Located in a disused card and console factory in Uji, just south of Kyoto City, it will undoubtedly be a must-visit site for international tourists.
