Nintendo’s hometown finally gets its own Nintendo superstore.

When Japan’s first-ever dedicated Nintendo shop opened back in 2019, it made sense that it was opening in Tokyo, since it’s the biggest city in the country and its number-one tourism destination. And when the second Nintendo store opened, it made sense that it was in Osaka, since that’s the same city where you’ll find Universal Studios Japan and its Super Nintendo World expansion.

But for Nintendo fans, it’s probably always felt a little sad that there’s no Nintendo store in Kyoto, the city where Nintendo was founded way back when it was a playing card manufacturer, and where the video game publisher continues to be headquartered today. That situation is going to be rectified soon, though, with next week’s grand opening of the Nintendo Kyoto shop, and if the sneak-peek of the store is anything to go by, it’s going to feel special even for those who’ve already visited the Tokyo and Osaka branches.

For starters, it looks like there’s going to be a massive statue of Mario’s head peaking out a warp pipe greeting you as you arrive. Nintendo’s leading man also shows up in a second statue hanging on to a level-clear marker flagpole, and judging from the layout, it appears as though you’ll be able to snap some photos with the superstar (though, ostensibly, staying off the flagpole yourself).

The Nintendo stores’ official Twitter account is also promising exclusive-to-Kyoto merch in the above tweet, such as the Mario-red T-shirt. And of course, Kyoto-specific or not, the store will be packed with all sorts of character goodies from the company’s most popular franchises.

Nintendo Kyoto is located on the 7th floor of the newly renovated Kyoto Takashimaya SC department store, which is itself connected to the Kyoto Kawaramachi subway station right in downtown Tokyo, just over the river from the Gion geisha district. Special reduced-hour pre-open events (with attendees already chosen via lottery) are taking place on October 13 and 14, and for the rest of us the official Nintendo Kyoto grand opening happens on October 17.

Source, top image: Nintendo
Featured image: Twitter/@N_Officialstore
Top image: Nintendo
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