I knew it wouldn't be open during my visit, but I just had to see for myself.

Like many of you watching, I'm a huge Nintendo fan.

I remember playing Pokemon Blue before I could even read, and because I didn't know how to use the save function, I would have to restart the game each time.

So it was only natural for me to be curious about what the Nintendo Museum was going to be like, and I started digging through the internet.

I ended up finding some crazy Nintendo history and weird items they've made in the past.

So sit back and relax while I show you the potential of the new Nintendo Museum and everything else you'll need to know.

Even if you're watching this video after it's already open, stick around to learn some amazing history and how to access the museum during your next trip to Japan.

Did you know Nintendo was founded in 1899 in Kyoto?

This is the same year the Eiffel Tower opened in Paris, and Nintendo first started out manufacturing playing cards.

Right next to the museum, there's a lot of construction.

This used to be a huge bowling center that was knocked down.

For what purpose?

I don't know.

Maybe Nintendo will be able to incorporate this property into the museum as well.

Of course, since it is Japan, the museum is well accessed by transit, and you can pick up the train to and from downtown Kyoto at Ogura Station, only a 6 minute walk away.

Once the museum opens, I think the neighborhood here will transform, likely with new tourist oriented shops and restaurants opening in the years following.

It's great to see how much support Nintendo has from local and international fans on the Google review page before this museum even opens.

While previously, some thought the museum was slated to open by April 30th, job postings for workers at the museum indicate a starting date of June 1st, so early summer is more likely at this point.

Now, onto what to expect.

In doing my research for this video, I found that Nintendo museums actually have a pretty unique history, and what they've built in the past gives us a sneak preview for the upcoming exhibit.

In 2007, Nintendo actually had a similar mini-museum in Osaka.

Granted, it was only open for a few days, it showcased over 130 years of Nintendo memorabilia.

The exhibition was hosted at the Hankyu department store, commemorating 100 years of service, and it was mainly made possible due to this guy.

His name?

Isao Yamazaki.

Isao was a dedicated collector, whose home serves as a living museum of Nintendo's past.

He even wrote and published the first book about Nintendo's history.

He organized the exhibit using items from his huge vintage Nintendo collection that he's been amassing for over 30 years.

From classic playing cards made in the late 19th century, to quirky toys from the mid-1970s, he built up the exhibition in Osaka to be a nostalgic journey through Nintendo's early years.

But, on display, was only a fraction of what he owned.

His entire collection boasts over 8,000 items.

I really do want to give a shout out to Isao and another guy, Eric, who hosts the Before Mario Nintendo blog.

They are doing such a good job of archiving pictures of Nintendo products and writing up small little blurbs about it.

A lot of the pictures that you've seen in this video are from Eric's blog.

And also, Isao and Eric met up at the Nintendo Hotel recently in Japan.

More on that hotel later in the video.

Now, one highlight from Isao's collection is… The Nintendo Karuta Poster, a stunning artifact from the 1890s that showcases the attention to detail of Nintendo's early products.

Other prized items include a photograph with Nintendo's former president, Satoru Iwata, and a love tester made in 1969.

This love tester was the first Nintendo product to contain electronics.

It was marketed to adults and sold for 1,800 yen.

Using only one AA battery, the love tester measures the level of love between a couple.

But in reality, it really only measures the couple's conductivity or electric current between them.

It ended up not selling very well because Japanese people felt too embarrassed to buy it.

Other retro Nintendo products that might be included at the museum are… A Nintendo stroller.

Supposedly this stroller would pinch the parents when they tried to fold it up.

Copies of Nintendo and Disney playing cards.

A collaboration from the 1950s between these two magical companies.

There was also Nintendo and Disney rice seasoning from around the same time.

I couldn't find any of this on eBay, but maybe that's for the better at this point.

There's also the Nintendo Light Beam Gun.

And this was a precursor to the NES Famicom Zapper, and the wildly popular Duck Hunt game.

There's the Nintendo Rice Cooker.

And the Nintendo Ultra Hand.

Sound familiar?

The Ultra Hand has been featured in a few Nintendo games, including WarioWare, Mario Kart 8, Splatoon 3, and The Legend of Zelda Tears the Kingdom.

This toy, the Ultra Hand, was created by Nintendo legend Gunpei Yokoi.

He was the same guy that created the love tester I mentioned earlier.

His early inventions were credited with saving Nintendo from financial difficulty.

Then, he went on to create the literal D-Pad and the Game Boy.

At the Nintendo Museum, I would expect to see quite a lot of information about Gunpei.

A true Nintendo legend.

Fun fact, do you know what Nintendo means?

The name Nintendo is commonly assumed to mean, leave luck to heaven, or it can also be translated as the Temple of Free Hanafuda.

Hanafuda is a Japanese card game that rose to popularity when other forms of gambling were banned in 1882.

The game was popular with the Yakuza in Kyoto, and most manufacturers stopped making cards worried they'd be tied to criminals.

But Nintendo continued their production and rose to become the primary manufacturer for Hanafuda cards in only a couple of years.

Back to today, when visiting, I explore the neighborhood and around the museum a bit.

The museum is actually housed in the renovated Uji Ogura plant, a historic site where Nintendo previously manufactured playing cards, and later, video game consoles.

Elsewhere in Kyoto, you can find the Marufukuro Hotel, which is a hotel and lounge in the building where the Nintendo company originally got its start.

The hotel actually got its name because Nintendo was originally called Marufuku-ko Limited.

Keep an eye out for the playing cards plaque on the side of the building.

And I'm planning to stay here on my next trip to Japan.

Off the beaten path, there is also the Nintendo production plant and research offices, but you probably won't find much there aside from this ironically placed Rockstar sticker outside the offices.

Back by the museum, you'll find a Book Off, which is pretty much a used video game and pop culture store.

At this store specifically, I picked up some big stacks of Pokemon cards, a few copies of Super Smash Bros. Melee, and a guide in Japanese to the first Animal Crossing game.

If you see one of these stores throughout your visit to Japan, definitely pop in and see what they have for sale.

Finally, a tip related to Uji.

This is the neighborhood where the Nintendo Museum is located.

Uji is known for its matcha, and has some of the best matcha desserts I've ever tasted.

So when you visit the museum, be sure to taste some of the delicious matcha snacks.

I highly recommend Nakamura Tokichi Honten Cafe for high quality matcha powder.

I literally ordered everything on the menu here and it did not disappoint.

And another matcha recommendation, if you want to nerd out on how matcha is actually made, there is a 90 minute tour at the Marukuyu Matcha Factory, very close by to the museum.

This tour was so much fun, and is only about a 10 minute taxi ride, or 30 minute walk from the museum.

And believe it or not, it only costs 500 yen, and the whole tour was in English.

It doesn't seem to be very well known, because my tour group only had 3 other people.

And a little secret, you get your 500 yen back at the end of the tour to use at the gift shop.

Finally, if you are visiting Kyoto, be sure to check out the Nintendo Flagship Kyoto Store for some exclusive merch.

In the same building, you can do some more vintage shopping in the Mandrake on the 4th floor.

So, is the Nintendo Museum on your list to visit?

Where would you go?

And what are you hoping Nintendo includes at this museum?

Leave a comment below.

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