Nintendo Store
Thank you, Mario! For once our princess isn't in another castle, she's right here in Tokyo.
Gamers be warned, the Nintendo Store in Tokyo’s Shibuya neighborhood has a near limitless supply of stuff you never knew you needed. Like what, you ask? Well, for starters, The Legend of Zelda coffee mugs with a life bar that depletes as the drink inside cools down. Nintendo knows that coffee is the real life force.
Photo by: Peter Austin Link, looking #thicc.
Life-size statues of Zelda’s Link, Animal Crossing’s Isabelle, Splatoon’s female Inkling, and of course Mario, are surrounded by special goodies you can’t get anywhere else. Better empty your bank account and bring an extra-large suitcase.
They even sell whiskey tumblers emblazoned with the Hylian crest, because rescuing princesses warrants a drink or two.
The one and only dedicated Nintendo store in Japan is the centerpiece of Cyberspace Shibuya, located in the Shibuya Parco shopping complex. With a floor dedicated to the likes of Capcom, Pokemon, Shonen Jump, and more, Cyberspace Shibuya is an otaku’s dream.
It’s a me, Mario!
Photo by: Peter Austin Wa-hoo!
As you may expect, Mario is a dominant theme throughout the store. From notebooks, plushies, and keychains to dinner sets and tote bags, no possible souvenir is left behind.
For those adults with an unhealthy obsession with The Legend of Zelda, how about a pair of socks or a business tie with Link on it? They even sell whiskey tumblers emblazoned with the Hylian crest, because rescuing princesses warrants a drink or two.
Photo by: Peter Austin The store has more than just Zelda and Mario goods!
Of course, Nintendo also has plenty of stuff for fans of the less famous games. From Splatoon alone there are Shibuya Crossing styled t-shirts, towels, pins and even a skateboard deck. For something more practical, they stock a whole array of Animal Crossing kitchen goods, including an oven glove so cute you won’t want to actually use it.
Pick up a cuddly Pikmin to throw at your friends, just don’t do it in the store. If you can’t bear to pick a single character, go for the Nintendo Tokyo Collection which has them all.
Nintendo Switch it up
Photo by: Peter Austin Play til your heart’s content.
Even with all of this, the store still has space to dedicate to the Nintendo Switch, with a trial area for you to get your fix. Try out the latest games and drool over all the Switch models on display.
Pikachu and Mario make one hell of a mashup in the shop’s Pokémon x Mario Maker 8-Bit Scramble collection. Here you’ll find loads of Pokémon models made with 8-bit Super Mario blocks. The reverse of this killer mash-up can be found next door in the Pokémon Center!
Find more spots for your Japanese pop-culture pilgrimage in our anime and manga section.
Topics: anime and manga, otaku, shopping, video games
