Guide to Nintendo Museum in Kyoto: tickets, exhibits, souvenirs and more

On October 2024, Nintendo Museum opened in Uji City, Kyoto Prefecture. At this museum, visitors can see and play with Nintendo products and experience Nintendo's history. What kind of exhibitions is it? What about food? What kind of merchandise are there? I had the chance to check everything out at the preview event!

The nearest station is Ogura Station, which is about a 20-minute ride on the Kintetsu Kyoto Line from Kyoto Station. It takes about a 5-minute walk from the station to the museum. This location was originally the site of the "Nintendo Uji Ogura Factory." It is a place where entertainment has been created, allowing visitors to touch upon its history.

As you pass through the entrance gate, you’re greeted by iconic elements from the "Super Mario" series, such as pipes, mushrooms, and blocks! Surrounding this plaza are three buildings: Building 1, Building 2, and Building 3.

By the way, the admission ticket you receive at the entrance features an illustration of Mario! Your name is written at the bottom, and when you get it, it already has 10 coins on it. The system works by tapping your admission ticket to pay coins when you experience the exhibits inside the museum.

Here’s what it looks like from the opposite side. As indicated by the numbers on the buildings, the one on the left is Building 1, the one in the back right is Building 2, and the one in the front right is Building 3. Building 1 features exhibits and interactive displays, Building 2 is a merchandise shop, and Building 3 includes a café & playroom as well as a craft room.

Now, let’s start by taking a look at Building 1!

At the entrance, you’re welcomed by five Toads. If you gently tap their heads, they start talking! And if you touch the heads of all five, they’ll sing together in a chorus!

The exhibition area is circular, allowing you to walk around it. It showcases many of the hardware and software products Nintendo has produced and sold over the years, as well as items from its early days, such as the hanafuda (a traditional Japanese card game) and toys that were sold when the company was first founded.

The amazing thing about this exhibition is that it offers a nostalgic experience for those who know Nintendo's history, while providing entirely new discoveries for those who aren’t familiar with it! It truly is a place where people of all generations can enjoy and appreciate the history of Nintendo.

After enjoying the exhibits at your own pace, it's time to get moving a bit! The "Nintendo Museum" features eight interactive displays, and each one is incredibly fun! You can play each of them using coins, and there’s no need for reservations. Each experience is designed to be short and enjoyable.

Hyakunin Isshu is a traditional Japanese card game, and here, you can experience a giant version of it using a smartphone! The smartphone acts as the reader, and your task is to search for the cards with the corresponding second verse from the set of cards spread out on the ground. You earn points based on how quickly you grab the correct cards!

On the giant screen, the world of Mario unfolds. You can choose between the "Zapper," which is easy for rapid shooting, or the "Super Scope," which makes aiming easier, and then take aim at enemies like Goombas, Koopa Troopas, and Piranha Plants! But be careful—if you accidentally shoot Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, or any of their allies, you’ll lose points!

In an area resembling a batter's box, you can experience a game that recreates the "Ultra Machine," an indoor pitching machine released in 1968! The game involves hitting ping pong balls that are pitched from the machine with a soft bat. The area is designed to resemble a room, and when the ball hits the windows or furniture, fun effects are triggered, adding to the enjoyment! 

Using the "Ultra Hand," which extends when you close the handle, your task is to grab the balls rolling down the lane! The goal is to carry them to the pipe without dropping them. The effects change depending on the size of the pipe and the ball, adding a unique touch to each attempt.

You can also experience the "Love Tester," which measures the compatibility between two people. By holding hands, you’ll take on various tests to deepen your connection and see how well you match!

A large screen recreates the classic "Game & Watch." You’ll control the game using your own shadow displayed on the screen!

In the "Nintendo Classic" area, you can play some titles released on the Famicom, Super Famicom, and Nintendo 64 consoles. As someone who played on the Nintendo 64 back in elementary school, this area was truly exciting for me! I had so much fun playing!
 
 
 
 

The game I chose was Pokémon Stadium 2. I absolutely loved the mini-games in it! I had a great time enjoying games like "Lickitung's Sushi Spin," "Jigglypuff's Finger Dance Class," and "Toughening Battle," all within a 7-minute session for just 1 coin. It was such a blast!
 
 
 
 

Using giant controllers from the Famicom, Super Famicom, Nintendo 64, and Wii, you play the game cooperatively with another person. Even if you're familiar with the games, using such large controllers makes it surprisingly challenging!

Hanafuda is a game that Nintendo has been making since its founding, and it’s considered a cornerstone of the company’s history. While learning the rules can be quite challenging, the Nintendo Museum offers two workshops where you can enjoy the game even if you don’t know the rules. These workshops are located on the second floor of Building 3!

Using a special kit, you can create your very own Hanafuda cards! You choose your favorite design, then color the four Hanafuda cards, fold the paper, and assemble them.

I chose the "Kiri" (paulownia). Using a stencil technique, I layered a perforated sheet on the base paper and carefully applied color with a brush. It was tricky to find the right balance—if the color was too light, it wouldn't have the strong contrast typical of Hanafuda, but if it was too dark, the outline of the drawing would disappear. It was a bit challenging, but I lost track of time and got completely absorbed in the process!

Once the paint is dry, you simply fold black tissue paper around the edges to frame the design, and it's complete! While waiting for the colors to dry, you clean your brush, dispose of any leftover sheets, and tidy up after yourself. You can take your finished cards home in a special case. I followed the sample colors, but you’re free to use your own, so you can create an original Hanafuda set if you'd like!

Time required: Approximately 60 minutes
Participation fee: 2,000 yen

In the playroom, you can enjoy one of the classic Hanafuda games, "Hanaawase" (Flower Matching). Don’t worry if you don’t know the rules! Before the game starts, the rules are clearly explained on a monitor, so everyone can join in and have fun.

In this game, you arrange and move the Hanafuda cards on a sheet in front of you, but the system supports everything with image recognition and projection technology! The score calculation is fully automated, so even kids can enjoy it. As long as you’re within the time limit, you can play as many times as you like.

Time required: Approximately 30 minutes
Participation fee: 500 yen per person (the experience is for pairs)

The Craft Room and Playroom both require reservations. After entering the museum, you can check availability and make a reservation at the information desk located next to the entrance of Building 1. It’s a good idea to make your reservation first, before diving into the exhibits!

After finishing the exhibits and interactive displays in Building 1, you'll find the souvenir shop, Bonus Stage, just ahead! This shop is located in Building 2, but you can access it directly from the entrance of Building 1, where the Toads are waiting. They make perfect souvenirs for yourself or gifts for your friends.

The shop is filled with exclusive merchandise you can only find here! It’s a great place to pick up unique items that you won’t find anywhere else.

The limited edition items at the "Nintendo Museum" have a tag featuring the "Nintendo MUSEUM" logo.

In addition to the exclusive items, there were also many other goods! Even if you're not a big gamer, you're sure to find items you'd want to take home. For those who love gaming, there are even more fun and enjoyable items to choose from!

Inside the museum, you can use cash, various credit cards, transportation-based e-money, and QR code payments.It’s very convenient!

The only café in the museum is HATENA BURGER, located in Building 3. Upon entering, you receive a menu and a dedicated QR code, and you order directly through your smartphone.

As the name suggests, the main offering at HATENA BURGER is hamburgers. The recommendation is to go for a full customization! You can choose from 3 types of buns, 10 different main ingredients, 10 toppings, and 7 sauces to create your very own personalized burger. It’s a fun and delicious way to enjoy a meal!

Here’s the fully customized burger I made:

Black buns
Beef patty
Soft-boiled egg
Fried tofu
Cheddar cheese
Sukiyaki sauce

With three toppings to choose from, it’s a hearty and filling burger! The menu also includes unique Japanese and Kyoto-specific ingredients, like fried tofu, grilled mackerel with miso, Manganji peppers, Kujo green onions, and shiba-zuke pickles, offering a truly local twist.

The entrance tickets are completely reservation-based. You can apply through the official website, and a lottery is held each month. A Nintendo account is required for the application, so be sure to create one before applying.

The entrance fees are as follows:

Adults (18 years and up): 3,300 yen
Middle and high school students: 2,200 yen
Elementary school students: 1,100 yen
Preschool children: Free
*Note:

High school students aged 18 should purchase the "middle and high school student ticket."
Children in elementary school and younger need to be accompanied by an adult. When purchasing an elementary school student ticket, you must also purchase at least one adult (18 years and up) ticket.
Preschool children with disabilities can enter for free. Other disabled individuals will be charged the same as elementary school students. One accompanying person can also enter at the elementary school student rate. Please present your "disability certificate or Mirairo ID" upon entry.*

I’ve played through a variety of Nintendo consoles since I was a kid, like the Game Boy, Nintendo 64, Game Boy Advance, and Nintendo DS, so I was able to really immerse myself in nostalgia and think, "Ah, this brings back memories!"

But after touring the entire museum, I realized that even those with little gaming experience would enjoy it. The interactive displays are fun for everyone, even if they don’t have much knowledge or experience with games. There are plenty of engaging features that will get kids excited too! The merchandise and café are both cute and delicious, making it much more of an all-age experience than I expected.

It’s also just a short walk from the station, and you can easily reach it by a direct train from Kyoto Station, so it’s a perfect spot to combine with a Kyoto sightseeing trip.