THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
June 18, 2021 at 07:00 JST
An artist’s impression of Nintendo Co.’s tourism facility, tentatively named the Nintendo Gallery, which will open in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture, in fiscal 2023 (Provided by Nintendo Co.)
KYOTO—Nintendo Co. is setting up a museum to showcase its transition from the maker of “hanafuda” traditional Japanese playing cards to the company behind some of the most successful video game consoles.
The facility, tentatively named the Nintendo Gallery, will open in fiscal 2023 on the grounds of the company’s disused Uji Ogura plant in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture. The plant sits on a 10,433-square-meter site.
“We hope the tourism facility will attract visitors by featuring exhibits and offering experiences,” Nintendo said in a statement.
Detailed plans have yet to be determined, but the company’s popular home consoles, such as the Family Computer, known internationally as the Nintendo Entertainment System, and its successor, the Super Family Computer (Super NES), are expected to be on display.
The Uji Ogura plant, built in 1969, once manufactured these consoles. The plant made hanafuda and ordinary playing cards and provided repair services for consoles until these functions were transferred to another factory in Uji in 2016.
Uji Mayor Atsuko Matsumura said the city plans to maximize the ripple effect of the new tourism facility.
“Nintendo is a world-renowned company and the facility will be appealing to video game fans,” Matsumura said. “I hope visitors will also learn about other attractions of Uji.”
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