Nintendo and Kyoto: From Playing Cards to Video Games

Published October 15, 2026 at 11:28 AM JST | By Tokyo Paul

A Game Company With an Ancient Hometown

Mario, Zelda and the Switch are famous around the world, yet the company behind many of them began in a quiet Kyoto workshop more than a century before video games existed. Nintendo is one of Japan's most recognizable names, and its story is closely tied to the old capital. This guide follows the path from handmade playing cards to modern consoles, explains the traditional flower card game that started it all, and shows how visitors can connect that history with a trip to Kyoto and the Nintendo Museum in nearby Uji.

For travelers, this is a delightful reminder that Japan's creative industries often grow from craft traditions. The same attention to detail that once went into printing beautiful cards now shows up in the way Nintendo designs its games and gadgets. Kyoto, long known for traditional crafts, turns out to be a fitting birthplace for a company that treats play as something to be made with care.

Hanafuda: The Flower Cards Behind the Story

Hanafuda means "flower cards," and the traditional deck contains forty-eight cards divided into twelve suits. Each suit represents a month of the year and is linked to a flower or plant, with four cards in each. Playing cards first reached Japan with Portuguese traders in the mid-sixteenth century, and early Japanese decks copied their format. During the Edo period the government repeatedly restricted card games, and makers responded by creating more abstract designs. That creative adjustment helped shape the beautiful, nature-themed look of hanafuda that we know today.

Several games can be played with the deck. One of the best known is Koi-Koi, a game of matching cards and forming scoring combinations, and Nintendo itself has included it in some of its modern game collections. The images, from pine and plum blossoms to maple leaves and chrysanthemums, are an easy and charming way to learn about Japan's seasonal symbols.

From a Kyoto Workshop to a Global Company

Nintendo was founded by Fusajiro Yamauchi on September 23, 1889, in Shimogyo ward in Kyoto, where he produced handcrafted hanafuda cards. In 1950, Hiroshi Yamauchi became president, and over the following decades the company explored new directions in toys and entertainment. In 1965 the engineer Gunpei Yokoi joined, and he later created the pocket-sized Game and Watch series in 1980. That series sold more than 43 million units over its production run, and Yokoi also led the team behind the Game Boy, which arrived in 1988.

Shigeru Miyamoto joined Yokoi's team and went on to lead the development of Donkey Kong in 1981. He co-created Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda, giving the world two of its most beloved game series. The Famicom console launched in Japan in July 1983, and its overseas version, the Nintendo Entertainment System, arrived in North America in 1985. Much later, the Nintendo Switch arrived in March 2017 as a hybrid home and handheld console. Miyamoto first worked on the Color TV-Game consoles, and his famous plumber hero began life as a character called Jumpman in Donkey Kong before becoming Nintendo's official mascot. The Legend of Zelda was produced by Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka, and both series still define the company's creative spirit. Nintendo's headquarters stays in Kyoto, in the Minami ward, and the company still makes hanafuda cards in Japan, including themed sets, a nice nod to its roots.

Visiting the Nintendo Museum in Uji

The Nintendo Museum opened on October 2, 2024, in Uji, a city in Kyoto Prefecture just south of Kyoto city. It stands on the grounds of the former Ogura plant, a Nintendo factory that opened in 1969 and once produced cards and handled toys and consoles. The museum is designed to show visitors the history of the company's entertainment, from hanafuda cards to the Switch. Exhibits on the second floor display products from across Nintendo's history, including toys such as the Ultra Hand, the Love Tester and the NES Zapper alongside Game and Watch devices.

Visitors can also play hands-on activities, including classic games from consoles up to the Nintendo 64 and challenges that use oversized controllers requiring two players to cooperate. For an additional fee, a workshop lets guests make their own hanafuda cards or learn to play games with them. A cafe and a shop with museum-exclusive goods are open to ticket holders. The whole experience feels like a gentle walk through a family album of play. The site's history adds to the charm: the building stands where a factory once operated, later served as a warehouse, and was then transformed into a place for guests. The grounds even include a Pikmin Bloom special spot and a Pokemon GO PokeStop for fans who enjoy mobile games. There are currently no plans for Nintendo museums outside Japan, which makes this Kyoto-area visit especially unique.

Practical Tips for Your Visit

Planning ahead is essential. Tickets are sold by advance reservation through a lottery system on the official museum site, and you need a free Nintendo Account to apply. Winners pay after being selected, and tickets are issued in the name of the visitor, with ID checked on arrival, so the museum warns against unofficial resale services. Workshops require a separate same-day booking. Always check the official site for current ticketing steps, opening days and fees before you travel, since details can change.

The museum asks visitors to arrive by public transport. It is about a five-minute walk from Ogura Station on the Kintetsu Kyoto Line (east exit) or about eight minutes from Ogura Station on the JR Nara Line (north exit). Taxis, private cars, motorcycles and bicycles are not accepted at the site. Because Uji is also famous for green tea and its historic temple Byodo-in, many visitors combine the museum with a relaxed walk through the town and a cup of matcha, making a full and varied day trip from Kyoto or Osaka.

Plan your day around the lottery result and the train schedule, and bring a portable charger for photos. Remember that the cafe and shop are for ticket holders, so you can enjoy a snack and pick up souvenirs without extra stress. Little details, like trying a hanafuda game after seeing the cards, make the visit feel complete.

Quick Takeaways

Nintendo began in Kyoto in 1889 as a maker of hanafuda cards, a deck of forty-eight cards that celebrates the twelve months and their flowers. From those humble beginnings it grew into the creator of Game and Watch, the Famicom, Mario, Zelda and the Switch, and it still keeps its headquarters in Kyoto. The Nintendo Museum in Uji tells that story with real products, hands-on play and a hanafuda workshop. Reserve tickets early, travel by train, and leave time to enjoy Uji itself. It is an easy way to see how craft, play and creativity connect in one remarkable company.