Nintendo is showing us photos of their Kyoto store and I want to be there

Nintendo is going to launch a Kyoto storefront (at Kyoto Takashimaya SC) to expand its current lineup in Tokyo and Osaka on October 17 of this year, and they’re in the “full hype mode” stage of marketing at the moment. This round comes in the form of photos from the publisher’s official Nintendo Tokyo Twitter account, and the store really sells itself at this point.

In addition to Mario-laden structures like a giant pipe (complete with Mario’s head coming out of it) and a classic “Mario stage” motif, there are decals for Zelda, Animal Crossing, Pikmin (which I almost missed!), and Splatoon adorning the windows. While three of the four photos showcase the impressive and thematic outside of the store, one of them gives us a look at the merch that will presumably be on sale

At a glance, we spot:

• Giant pipe statues
• Plush mushrooms and Mario characters/enemies
• T-shirts
• Bags

Nintendo also gave us an official blog post, with a preview of more merch.

It’s not going to be an all-comers situation though, at least at first. Nintendo notes that “A total of 2,000 people will be invited to the pre-opening by lottery,” where you can score visits on October 13 and 14. If you’re local or plan on visiting Kyoto on those dates, you can apply for the lottery here.

Good luck! I’ll likely be there once the crowds die down the next time I visit Japan.