A Nintendo Pilgrimage [part 7 of 7]: My Unforgettable Week in Kyoto

A Short Stop in Osaka Before Heading Home

After the incredible days in Kyoto in the first week of October 2024—including two visits to the Nintendo Museum and many other memorable moments—we had one more day left before our flight home.

As the airport is a little way south of Osaka, we decided to spend that last day in Japan's second-biggest city.

While in Osaka, we had to visit Den-Den Town, of course—the electronics, games, and anime shopping area, similar in concept but smaller in scale than Tokyo's Akihabara.

Super Nintendo World

Another must-visit destination was Super Nintendo World in Universal Studios Japan (USJ).

It was my second time at USJ, having also visited in 2023.

Once I made it into Super Nintendo World—which was crowded as always—darkness had already set in.

A Nintendo Pilgrimage [part 6 of 7]: My Unforgettable Week in Kyoto

Meeting and Honoring Two Cornerstones from Nintendo’s Past

Although our main objective in Kyoto was to attend the opening of the Nintendo Museum on Wednesday, October 2nd, the entire week turned out to be filled with bonus moments.

On Tuesday, we had already enjoyed time at Nintendo’s former headquarters and the founding Yamauchi family residence—now transformed into the Marufukuro hotel.

Then on Thursday and Friday, we had the great privilege of meeting one of the key figures behind Nintendo’s rise and honoring another.

Two Legends from Nintendo's R&D Department

Before we get to those moments, here’s a brief detour for those less familiar with the people behind some of Nintendo’s most iconic products.

I recently came across the photo below, taken 36 years ago. It shows Tetris creator Alexey Pajitnov and his business partner Henk Rogers during their first joint visit to Nintendo’s Kyoto offices.

Just a year earlier, Mr Rogers' company Bullet Proof Software had published a Famicom version of Tetris, and he had now secured the deal that would allow Nintendo to publish the first handheld version of Tetris, on the brand-new Game Boy.

Kyoto 1989
(Source: Tetris Forever documentary, Digital Eclipse 2024)

In the photo, Rogers and Pajitnov are joined by four key Nintendo executives (from left to right): Genyo Takeda, Gunpei Yokoi, Hiroshi Imanishi, and Satoru Okada.

Gunpei Yokoi (横井 軍平), head of Nintendo Research & Development team 1 (R&D1), had been instrumental in shaping the company’s success since joining in 1965. His creations include the Ultra Hand (1966), Ultra Machine (1967), Love Tester (1969), Laser Clay (1973), Ten Billion (1980) and many others. Under his management the team also delivered the Game & Watch series (1980–1991) and the Game Boy (1989).

Satoru Okada (岡田 智), who joined Nintendo in 1969, served as Yokoi’s right-hand man for over twenty-five years. He was crucial in turning Yokoi’s ideas into fully realized products.

(Source: Tetris wikipedia page and Super Mario Land wikipedia page)

In 1989, Nintendo’s R&D1 team delivered both the Game Boy hardware and two of its early smash hits: Super Mario Land and Tetris, with Yokoi producing and Okada directing.

Satoru Okada – From Right-Hand Man to Leader

When Gunpei Yokoi left Nintendo in 1996 to start his own venture, Koto Laboratory, Satoru Okada stepped up to lead Nintendo’s hardware development team, now known as Nintendo Research & Engineering.

Under Okada’s leadership, the team launched the Game Boy Color (1998), Game Boy Advance (2001), and Nintendo DS (2004). After 43 years of service, Okada retired in 2012.

Nintendo R&D power duo: Satoru Okada and Gunpei Yokoi
(Source: 4gamer.net)

When I released my Before Mario book in 2014, I was deeply honored that Mr. Okada agreed to write the preface.

He also generously signed several copies.

Though the Nintendo Museum doesn’t name any of the individuals behind its many groundbreaking products, Satoru Okada’s contribution to the company's succession of ideas -  as presented on a wall in the museum - is more than substantial.

A Wonderful Dinner in Kyoto

Back to 2024 and our Kyoto travel report—we could hardly believe it ourselves, but there we were, sitting down for dinner in downtown Kyoto with Okada-san, who had kindly accepted our invitation.

Over some delicious food, we enjoyed a lovely and interesting conversation about Nintendo’s history and Okada-san’s current activities in retirement.

A Nintendo Pilgrimage [part 5 of 7]: My Unforgettable Week in Kyoto

The Nintendo Museum - Final Hour of Our Visit

After immersing ourselves in the main exhibits of the Nintendo Museum (see previous parts of this trip report here and here), closing time approached—and one very important task remained: choosing what to buy at the museum store.

As we left the interactive area on the lower floor, we passed through a corridor lined with display windows containing historic Nintendo artifacts. These included console prototypes, old marketing materials, and photographs of game and card production processes over time.

Sadly, this area also has a strict "no photography" policy, so the few images shown here come from Nintendo’s official press kit.

The displays are organized in reverse chronology, moving further back in time as you walk. The final showcase is especially memorable: a large wooden cupboard with sliding doors and dozens of drawers labeled for different hanafuda card sets.

This cupboard originally stood in Nintendo’s former headquarters on Shōmen-dōri in Kyoto—now the Marufukuro hotel—making it a fitting conclusion to our journey through Nintendo’s history: back to where it started.

Mounted nearby is a framed piece of calligraphy that once hung in Nintendo main office at the time, and has now found a home in the museum. It features two of the three kanji from the company’s name—「任」and「天」—expressing the idea of trusting fate and “leaving luck to heaven.”

Exit Through the Gift Shop

And now, the moment of truth for our wallets. Stepping into the gift shop—cheekily called the "Bonus Stage"—we were immediately overwhelmed by the options.

A staggering 145 unique items were available (yes, I counted), all exclusive to the museum. Buying one of everything would set you back ¥335,885 (yes, I counted that too).

Since opening day, the selection has grown even further, with more items added in 2025.

Some products feature the Nintendo Museum logo—glasses, hats, cookies, and more.

A Nintendo Pilgrimage [part 4 of 7]: My Unforgettable Week in Kyoto

Touring the Nintendo Museum collection - Let’s Get (Inter)active

After finishing our exploration of first part of the Nintendo Museum, we headed downstairs to the lower level.

This section of the museum is dedicated to interactive exhibits—eight in total:

• Shigureden SP
• Ultra Machine SP
• Ultra Hand SP
• Love Tester SP
• Game & Watch SP
• Zapper & Scope SP
• Big Controller
• Nintendo Classics

Along with the workshops, this is where visitors can get hands-on with Nintendo’s past.

Most of these exhibits include the "SP" label, short for "Special," a nod to enhanced or modernized versions of classic items (much like the Game Boy Advance SP).

The lower level also includes a number of additional displays that complement the product showcase upstairs, adding context to the interactive experiences. Photography is allowed on this floor.

Shigureden SP

At the center of this area is Shigureden SP. The name refers to Shigureden, a museum opened in 2006 by then-Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi in Kyoto’s Arashiyama district, which was centered around Ogura Hyakunin Isshu cards. Like Hanafuda, these are traditional Japanese playing cards and among Nintendo’s oldest products.

The game’s objective is to match card pairs containing fragments of classical poetry faster than your opponent. A card is shown on your handheld screen, and you must find its match on a giant digital display embedded in the floor.

The setup resembles the original Shigureden installation (now closed), although in this version Nintendo DS consoles have been replaced by mobile devices.

Next to Shigureden SP is a large display dedicated to Nintendo’s rich legacy in playing cards.

The exhibit showcases a wide array of designs, shapes, and sizes produced over the decades. The cards are presented in chronological order, from left to right.