Nintendo's Old HQ Is Being Turned Into A Hotel

Nintendo used to operate love hotel, so it's appropriate.

"You wouldn't know the three-story stone structure—a rarity in a country that historically favors wood—is anything special if you missed the plaque that reads, "The Nintendo Playing Card Co." The windows are dark. Some cardboard boxes are visible in the second story window. You also wouldn't know that the area houses several Yakuza strongholds, unless you'd talked to the locals. The area looks safe and sleepy by Western standards."

From https://kotaku.com/the-nintendo-theyve-tried-to-forget-gambling-gangster-5784314

I would definitely be interested in staying there next time I’m in Kyoto.

Looks rather small for it to be converted in to a 20 room hotel.
With restaurant bar spa and gym.

Thankfully I visited the place last September. A magical moment for sure.

Abit gutted that they are doing this, and not just left as a historical landmark, I visited it last year and it's a really quiet location and no-one around at all (we went in an afternoon). Great to see where it all started without tons of ppl around.

I accidentally stumbled past that place October 2019. I was on holiday in Kyoto and passed this place at night when I was walking back to my guest house after having dined at a great sushi locale.

It was totally by chance and I only noticed it because it was the only house that didn’t have lights. I took a closer look and it said Nintendo in Japanese. Google Maps was quick to inform me about the history and the importance of this completely empty building.

I thought what a shame it is to keep it empty and not even to turn it into a museum. Glad something is now happening with it.

It’s a heritage site! How can they let this happen?

Lot's of people like to point out the Love Hotel thing, but I don't think a lot of westerners really understand the idea. I think a lot of people confuse it for a brothel or sex house. They're just hotels for people looking to hook up and want some privacy for a few hours. Not like there were ever "official Nintendo prostitutes" or anything sketch like that.

I wish I had thought of it when I was in Kyoto 10 years ago, but completely forgot it was there. Ah well will have to go back to Japan at some point.

Fair play to them for turning it in to a Hotel, people will flock there, it's a good business idea.

@Heavyarms55 Yeah, I watched some thing a few years ago on recent love Hotels that are really trying to encourage sexual interest because a lot of young people were either asexual or just not trying to find partners. I guess things are different, now, but I think they've always been something for couples and never supplied any escorts.

@Heavyarms55 Actually the concept of Love Hotel is very common in other western places, such as Brazil.

What is a bar gym?

Lucky I went past before they changed it!

https://imgur.com/gallery/qnVaazM

I guess I know where I want to stay if I ever go to Kyoto. Wish they were turning it into a Nintendo museum instead.

Can't wait for Luigi Mansion 4: Love Hotel Madness!

"Welcome to the Nintendo Hotel! Do you have a reservation?"
"Yes, I don't like that fact we're still waiting for an offcial release in the West for Mother 3"
"Ugh... I mean.."
"Oh sorry. Yeh it's Charles Martinet - I've booked the Waluigi suite"

Important thing to note that it's been renovated from within to be a hotel. Allegedly outside restoring some of the facade, the outside of the building will remain intact.

I can't wait for Hotel Mario!

Wait...

@KitsuneNight I think the length on the side is long.

@Heavyarms55 No the idea of a Love Hotel isn't new to westerners. Taking a date, paid or otherwise, to a cheap motel for a few hours isn't exactly a concept only known to Japan.

A museum to the company's history would make a lot more sense.

This is horrible its a historic site it should be preserved as such.

What is it, worldwide, with hotels, spas, and gyms? Why is that suddenly what's being built absolutely everywhere all of a sudden? It's weird enough in one place, weirder when it happens everywhere at once.

@Jayofmaya Nintendo is always looking to create new ways to play, after all....

@SCAssassin Sincere thanks for pointing this out. I was under the impression that the whole building would be ripped down and a piece of history wiped from the earth, but the original article does state that the main building is to be repaired, along with some degree of new building.

I mean, I’d obviously prefer that it were preserved as a museum or something, but given that the interior has just been sitting dormant for god knows how many years, it finding new life as a hotel doesn’t seem the worse fate it could suffer. It also means the sleepy riverside neighbourhood presumably won’t be defaced with some horrible architecturally ill-fitting monstrosity of a hotel.

I'm glad something is being done to bring life to this special building. I dislike when structures are left to rot and aren't cared for.

The love hotel discussion reminds me of a certain Rocko's Modern Life episode.... 😏

Hopefully they keep the sign.

....But will it be haunted?

So is it Nintendo that's behind the project or did they sell the building?

Aw nuts and I want to visit Japan in 2021

Oh well

@NinChocolate I exactly felt the same! It's one of a kind. It should be a museum operated by Nintendo. It would be a fan magnet!

I hope they keep the building and manage it and open it as a hotel but still keep lots in please like the cards.

@Joeynator3000 If it will be, I imagine some Shining situation where people will check in to the hotel, they'll see an elderly man sitting at a table in the lobby claiming to be a manager on break. He would ask them if they want to play a round of Hanafuda.

It would only be afterwards when people ask about him that they realize there isn't any manager like that working there.

@patbacknitro18 The concept isn't new, the term "love hotel" is often confused however. I've seen it many times.

@Jayofmaya Yeah there are a lot of various things in Japan right now trying to talk people into making more babies to counter the aging population problem.

But they will all fail. Unless and until they address the massive cost of raising a child in Japan. That, combined with long work hours are the two main reasons people aren't having kids. The idea that young Japanese people aren't interested in "romance" is just silly. It's similar to the American people saying young people can't afford homes because they put avocado on toast.

@Heavyarms55 Perhaps it's why Mario never gets Peach. He just has too much to do and is strapped for cash. On a side note, I love avocado on toast.

@NEStalgia Ahaha but yet they always avoid any lewd content in their games xD

That would be the first hotel I would go to if I'm staying in Kyoto in the future. Really good to know they are turning it back to its historic root.

Hopefully they keep the nice stonework on the outside and the Nintendo plaque...

Sounds neat, I hope to visit one day. I just hope they don't have lines down the block for people waiting to get in.

(remembers reading about the building having a basement and that the basement had the the remains of the body of the founder of Nintendo)

"Love hotel" this, "museum" that; I'm gonna just point out the elephant sitting in the room: what about the skeleton of Yamauchi-san buried in the basement of the building?