Nintendo prepares Uji museum linking its playing-card and video-game history

Playing cards and controllers in an exhibition

A museum before its public opening

Nintendo is preparing to open a museum in Uji, Kyoto, Japan, on 2 October 2024. The venue occupies a former playing-card factory and product-repair site near the company’s headquarters. Its pre-opening presentation brings Nintendo’s earlier products together with the video-game devices for which it is now widely known.

Nintendo began in 1889 as a maker of hanafuda playing cards. The museum’s collection extends across its subsequent product lines, including the Wii console and handheld Game Boy. Less familiar objects include the Mamaberica baby stroller and Copilas printer. Interactive experiences include sharing an oversized Family Computer controller to play Super Mario Bros.

Displays, workshops and timed admission

The August opening announcement sets out side-by-side product displays and interactive experiences enhanced with modern technology. A craft-and-play workshop connects the exhibition with Nintendo’s card-making origins: visitors can make hanafuda cards and learn the game’s rules. The workshop requires a reservation on the day and a separate fee, alongside admission to the museum.

Tickets are allocated through a randomly selected drawing and admit visitors on a specified date and at a specified time. Selected applicants then pay for their tickets. Inside the museum, the café offers custom-order hamburgers and special drinks, while the shop carries character merchandise and museum-exclusive items. Both facilities are available only to ticket holders. The August programme comprises:

Historical product displays.
Interactive play experiences.
A hanafuda craft-and-play workshop.
A café and museum shop.

From a production site to a gallery

The Uji plant was built in 1969. In 1988 it became the Uji Ogura Plant after construction, extension and renovation of the current Uji Plant in Makishima-cho, Uji. The older facility manufactured playing cards and hanafuda cards and also served customers through product repairs. Its production and service roles preceded the museum conversion.

Those functions moved to the current Uji Plant in November 2016. Nintendo then considered how to use the Ogura site. The company announced the gallery conversion on 2 June 2021, after considering Uji’s redevelopment plan for the nearby Ogura Station area. The proposed gallery was intended to share the company’s product-development history and philosophy through exhibits and experiences.

Nintendo corporate wordmark

A wider entertainment business

Nintendo’s activities beyond its core gaming business include retail stores and the use of its characters in theme parks and films. Those projects accompany its game hardware and software business.

At the September 2024 preview, the Switch had an installed base exceeding 140 million units. Nintendo was due to disclose details of a successor during the financial year ending in March 2025.