Nintendo TOKYO

Nintendo TOKYO is the first official Nintendo store in Japan, opened in November 2019 on the sixth floor of the rebuilt Shibuya PARCO department store. For a company whose characters - Mario, Luigi, Zelda's Link, Kirby, Pikmin and Animal Crossing's residents - are woven into the childhoods of millions worldwide, the absence of an official Japanese flagship had long felt like a gap. Nintendo TOKYO filled it in style, and admission is free.

The store is a bright, playful space designed to celebrate the full breadth of Nintendo's history and current line-up. Shelves overflow with official merchandise: plush toys, apparel, homeware, stationery, keychains and figures spanning the company's most famous franchises, alongside hardware, games and accessories for the current Nintendo Switch family. Much of the merchandise is exclusive to Nintendo's official stores or to this location, so collectors and fans routinely find items unavailable anywhere else, which is a large part of the store's enduring appeal.

Beyond shopping, the space functions as a shrine to the brand. Large-scale displays and statues of iconic characters serve as photo spots - a giant Mario, life-sized figures and themed installations that change with new game launches. Interactive and display units let visitors get close to the games, and the store frequently updates its decor and stock to tie in with major releases, keeping repeat visits fresh. The atmosphere is upbeat and family-friendly, and it is common to see visitors of every age, from small children to adults reconnecting with the games of their youth.

Shibuya PARCO itself has become a destination for pop-culture and gaming fans, because Nintendo TOKYO shares its floors with other flagship stores including the Pokemon Center Shibuya and the Capcom Store, effectively creating a concentrated hub of Japanese gaming culture under one roof. A dedicated fan can easily spend an afternoon working through all three. The building also houses fashion, art and dining, so non-gamers in your group won't be stranded.

A practical tip: because the store can become extremely crowded, especially at weekends, on holidays and immediately after big product launches, entry is sometimes controlled by a free numbered-ticket system. On such days, tickets specifying an entry time are distributed from the Spain Hill (Spain-zaka) ground-floor entrance of PARCO from the morning, so it pays to arrive early, collect a ticket, and spend the interval exploring Shibuya before returning at your allotted slot. International visitors can also take advantage of tax-free shopping on qualifying purchases with a passport.

Getting there is effortless given Shibuya's status as a major transport hub. The JR Yamanote Line - covered by the Japan Rail Pass - plus the Ginza and Hanzomon subway lines and the Keio Inokashira Line all converge here. From the famous Hachiko Exit and its scramble crossing, walk roughly six minutes uphill toward Spain-zaka to reach PARCO, then take the lift or escalators to the sixth floor. For anyone who grew up with a Nintendo controller in hand, it is a small but genuinely delightful pilgrimage in the heart of Shibuya.