Touchdown in Kyoto
After months of anticipation, my Japan trip began on October 1st, 2024. And the very first day already brought a number of highlights.
A direct flight from Amsterdam took thirteen hours to reach Kansai Airport in Osaka Bay.
From there, a short train ride brought me to my destination for the week: Kyoto!
With some time to spare before checking into my hotel, I headed to the Nintendo store.
The Kyoto Nintendo Store—one of only three in Japan at the time (the others being in Osaka and Tokyo)—offers a wide range of exclusive merchandise.
I managed to restrain myself, knowing there would be more shopping opportunities ahead at the museum store.
A Night at Marufukuro
Next stop: the Marufukuro hotel.
There I was joined by Florent and Fabrice, who had traveled to Kyoto separately. We would spend much of the coming days together.
Marufukuro, the renovated former headquarters of Nintendo, is built on the site where the company was founded in 1889—a fitting place to spend the night before the Nintendo Museum’s opening.
For Florent and Fabrice, it was their first time inside the historic building. I had stayed there once before, about a year earlier, but was thrilled to return.
The hotel has preserved much of the original décor and furnishings, while also offering all the modern comforts expected from a five-star stay.
After check-in, we gathered in the hotel library to relax and catch up.
The library houses many artifacts from Nintendo’s past.
One such item: original stamps once used to mark tax stamps on Nintendo playing card packs up until the 1980s.
Fabrice also brought a remarkable piece he has just acquired: an 1894 Kyoto guidebook featuring the earliest known Nintendo advertisement.
That evening we were joined by Isao Yamazaki, the fourth member of our group. Although we had met before in different combinations, this was the first time all four of us were together—a special occasion made even more meaningful by the location.
Our shared interest in Nintendo’s history has brought us together nearly twenty years ago, leading to numerous collaborations. All three books we’ve published on Nintendo history are part of the library’s collection.
Dinner time
Dinner that night was a multi-course meal at the Marufukuro restaurant. We were joined by Nintendo legend Takaya Imamura and Isao’s friend Nakamura-san.
Imamura-san, a game designer, manga artist, and educator, worked at Nintendo from 1989 to 2021. He’s known for his contributions to iconic series including Zelda, F-Zero, and Star Fox.
We had a great time chatting about Nintendo, and the food was outstanding.
After dinner, Nakamura-san pulled out his pencils for some impromptu sketching.
When he asked how I wanted to be drawn, I requested a portrait of myself as Tingle—a character he created.
We wrapped up the memorable evening with a group photo in the hotel’s central hall. Included in the picture is Hashimoto-san, owner of the famous Tokyo game-themed bar "84," who was also in Kyoto for the museum opening.
The Day of the Opening
October 2nd—the museum’s opening day—started early.
We enjoyed a fantastic breakfast, just as beautifully presented as the dinner the night before.
After checking out, we left a message in the guest book.
As a souvenir of our stay, I bought a deck of Nintendo hanafuda cards in the small hotel gift shop.
Although we would’ve liked more time at Marufukuro, we had a mission: make it to the museum on time.
From Marufukuro, we walked to Gojō Station and caught a train to Ogura Station in southern Kyoto.
Upon arrival, we noticed something special: the station sign included "Nintendo Museum" in katakana (ニンテンドー ミュージアム).
The museum is clearly the main draw in this area, and signs help guide visitors.
Just five minutes on foot from the station—and there it was: the Nintendo Museum, our main destination for this trip.
To be continued! Part 3 coming soon.
[Part 1 of this trip report can be found here.]
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