Nintendo has exciting news for fans in Japan: they've announced the opening of a new official store, Nintendo Fukuoka, set to launch at the end of 2025. This marks 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—it's the first store not situated on Honshu, Japan’s largest main island, but rather in Fukuoka City on the southernmost main island of Kyushu.

The announcement on X (formerly Twitter) sparked a wave of positive reactions from the Japanese community. Many congratulated Nintendo and expressed their hopes for more official stores across Japan. A significant number of users suggested that Sapporo, the largest city on Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island, should be the next target for a Nintendo store.

However, not all reactions were celebratory. Some were disappointed that Nintendo seemed to bypass Nagoya, the fourth largest city in Japan, located in central Japan. Nagoya, the capital of Aichi prefecture and a key manufacturing hub, has been struggling with a reputation of being "boring." This perception was highlighted in a 2016 survey by Nagoya’s government, where residents ranked their own city third in attractiveness, behind Tokyo and Kyoto. The city's location between Tokyo and Osaka often results in it being overlooked by events and tours, a phenomenon humorously dubbed the "Nagoya Skip" in the anime Yatogame-chan Kansatsu Nikki. The recent announcement of a new 17,000-person arena set to open in July has city officials hopeful that it will help curb the "Nagoya skipping" trend (source: Chukyo TV).

Nintendo Fukuoka 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 tourists, particularly from South Korea, and this number is expected to grow (source: Fukuoka Prefectural Government).

Nintendo’s official stores are more than just retail spaces; they are vibrant hubs where fans can purchase Switch consoles, games, accessories, and various Nintendo merchandise. Additionally, these stores host events and offer hands-on previews of new titles. Nintendo Fukuoka is poised to play a significant role in promoting the upcoming Switch 2 and bringing it to a broader audience.

Meanwhile, in the U.S., Nintendo recently opened its first West Coast store, Nintendo San Francisco. IGN had the opportunity to tour the store and even interviewed Nintendo of America's president, Doug Bowser, to delve deeper into this exciting development.