With October finally arriving, the Nintendo Museum is finally about to open in Japan! This place is dedicated to the history of Nintendo while also being an interactive experience that people can have fun in. That said, even with this being a place to “enjoy,” getting into it is not as easy as you might think. First and foremost, this isn’t a “fully open” museum in the context of what you might expect when you hear that word. Meaning you need to reserve your spot to get into the place. Oh, but if you’re not a citizen of Japan, you have one more thing you need to bring.
Specifically, as shown in the tweet below, if you’re from outside of Japan, the only piece of “official documentation” that is accepted is a passport. That’s right if you fly to Japan to go see the museum, you don’t just need your passport to enter the country; you need it to enter the museum! If you forgot to bring it with you after you left it at your hotel or another location, they can refuse your entry into the place:
We’ll admit that this is a bit odd, as we don’t know the last time we heard such a requirement for any kind of museum like this. Then again, the Nintendo Museum is meant to be a rather unique place, and it’s clear The Big N doesn’t just want “anyone” to get into it. That’s likely why they have the ticket/reservation process and want to ensure that people who “read the rules” are getting in.
If you recall a conversation with Shigeru Miyamoto recently, he noted that the museum was constructed to truly showcase Nintendo’s history while also influencing the next generation of its staff. Miyamoto was even so bold as to say that the museum wasn’t truly ‘for the public’ but to be a kind of teaching aid for the new staff that The Big N gets.
Don’t worry, though; you can still go and have fun once you enter the place. In fact, there was a special VIP event recently, and some videos have already been released of what you can expect inside from a fan’s perspective:
Yep, that does look fun! So, while you may have to jump through a bunch of hoops to get to the museum, once you’re inside, it might just be one of the most unique and fun experiences you have all year.