Japan is famous for many things, such as Nintendo, Shibuya’s famous scramble crossing and shopping.
So what happens when you combine those things together?
You get the Nintendo store, and today we’re taking the family to experience it.
Is it a worthwhile excursion in Tokyo?
We're going to Nintendo store!
Yeah!
OK, here we go! Oh boy, Dude, oh boy!
[Life in Japan Theme Song]
My goodness, there's a lot of people here today, huh? We've got to go up six floors.
Opening in 2019, just in time for the pandemic, this is Nintendo’s first official store.
While the timing wasn’t great, the results seem to have turned out alright.
Oh, I think I see the Nintendo store.
I'm not sure, but I think I see it.
We were surprised to find so many people at the store, and had to wait in line to get tickets just to go into the store.
We're lining up to get the tickets.
We're lining up to get the tickets. There's a lot of people wanting to get in, huh?
Yeah.
The place where you go to pay is the longest line.
It's too long! Too long.
It's too long.
One, two, three.
Each kids had ¥2500, about $20, to spend if they wanted to,
so they were curious to see if they could find something they wanted.
Fortunately we didn’t have to wait long to go in.
We're going in!
Oh, this is the ticket.
They have a time limit. We have 30 minutes.
The staff collected our tickets, and then we were in. The store was certainly a popular place to be on a Sunday afternoon.
Here we go!
Joshua, I know where the Pokemon is!
Oh do you? Is that what you're going to go look at? OK
We're going to go.
Look at this Joshua. Do you know who that is?
Yea, Splatoon
Look who it is!
I know, Link. Is that cool?
Daddy, we did that at Airi's house!
We did that game at Airi's house, it was so fun.
What is it?
It's Wii Sports.
Everyone immediately started checking things out.
This is what link has.
What do you think about our little friends here?
Mommy, can we go over there to that Pokemon store?
Look, there's a Pokemon store over there, we'll go there afterwards.
Afterwards.
Navigating the sea of people was challenging enough,
but seeing it from Sarah’s perspective really makes you appreciate the challenge of the kids tryings to shop here.
Did you see anything cool yet, Anna?
There are a number of things available for ¥2500 or under, but the coolest things were above that price point.
Isn’t that just shopping for you?
I don't know about this...
Look at how expensive it is!
I wonder how expensive this will be?
¥3,800
Look! It's for all your rupees...
Anything interesting [for ¥2,500]? No.
But there certainly is some cool and novel things, things you probably can’t find anywhere but the Nintendo store.
Dude, there are some big mushrooms there.
Oh, you know this, don't you?
Are these different though?
Creativity toolbox, that's cool.
Daddy look!
Oh my stinky stink!
It's ¥8,800. No way I could buy that.
Giving our kids a budget to work with in the beginning meant that they were checking all the prices to see if they could swing it or not.
How much is it?
If the price went above ¥2500, they would have to use their own money to cover the difference,
something which they were’t too keen on doing.
I wish you guys could touch it.
Dude, did you see all the games over here?
They got a lot of them, huh?
Here's some oldest Nintendo Switch controllers right here.
That's old ones.
Do you think Joshua would like this?
Oh! Cool bat.
A Mario bat, Dude! With Mario on it.
OK, I'm going to put this back here.
Right there.
Now we're going to go over... Hey, look, look over there
Look right here. Joshua, look!
Oh my! Look right here.
Look at all the colors of controllers they have.
There's organs, dark blue, green,
Dark pink, kind-of-purplish,
Light blue, yellow and what is this color? Red?
All of these colors...
And gray—that's not...
Which one's your favorite, Sarah? Yellow.
Yellow?
I want this! This game's so fun!
Look! Paper Mario!
Which remote did you have a long time ago?
I had this one here for the Nintendo 64.
That was one of the first one's that I had.
Just this? Or did you have more?
I played on that one but I didn't have that one.
OK, you played on that but you never had one.
Daddy, you need to test this. It's so fluffy.
That is a fluffy, fluffy dude, huh?
The store is full of fun merchandise that Nintendo fans are sure to appreciate, but whether or not it’s worth it is up to you.
Look at this.
That's cool Sarah! Do you like it?
No. No?! Ha ha!
Anna, was there anything over there? Kind of?
Oh! That's cool.
¥880
Is it?
Alright, we're going to go over to the Pokemon store! The Pokemon store!
Oh I should get mommy a Mario— oh! Look at this!
Just imagine mommy carrying this bag.
Do you think this is life-sized Mario, guys?
No Yea
Is that how big he really is?
Just imagine mommy carrying this bag.
Oh, well that's kind of cool.
Look at this one right here!
Ah!
After perusing the options, everyone was ready to see the Pokemon store.
Yea we're going to go to the Pokemon store!
There are a number of gaming brands represented in this mall, but the most exciting one for the kids at the moment is Pokemon.
Oh look, it has the details... Charizard and others.
How cool is that, Sarah?
Are you excited now? Yep.
Leafia
Oh, this is going to be so exciting.
This really looks so fun!
Oh my goodness sakes alive!
I can't buy anything! You can buy that one.
You can buy that one.
Sarah look!
Do you have one that's a favorite one that you don't have yet?
There's a one that I want over there.
Oh, is there?
OK, well we're going to go around. We'll go around.
Hey Sarah and Joshua, did you see?
You create your own Pokemon shirt.
Oh, that would be really fun.
Is that cool or what?!
Even though the Pokemon store was totally packed, it didn’t take long for the kids to find something they really wanted.
Pokemon cards!
Look Mommy, Pokemon cards!
They're expensive.
Oh, did you find some cards, Dude?
EX cards.
I think if I have left over money from a stuffed animal I'm going to get this.
Oh yea?
Look at that! Look at that!
It is so cute!
Look how cute!
Becca, do you approve?
I like this one, but it's ¥10,000 (~$75)
These are some crazy looking Pokemons!
Are you familiar with them? No.
No?
I want this kind. This kind.
This one has a tail.
She wants this one but small, let's help her find it.
And so the search was on for Sarah’s little Pokemon, but would we find it?
If it was't here I don't need it.
If we find someone who works here we can ask them.
No, it's ok, it's ok.
I just like it but it's so expensive and I have to use my money for the rest of it.
Maybe Joshua would have better luck?
It's like a baby Pokemon.
The twins, on the other hand, didn’t find anything that they really wanted
and preferred to save their money for something else,
which I thought was a wise choice
What'cha guys getting? Oh cards?
And a Pokemon, very cool.
We picked up our souvenirs.
Alright, let's go guys?
Let's go!
The great thing about Shibuya is that if you don’t find something you like in one store, another great store is just around the corner.
This is cool, look! They have a huge rock-climbing wall here.
Now that would be cool.
Baby and kids, 3rd floor. 3rd floor.
Oh! That's a 130, I think a 120 would be too small on him.
Is it too big though? No!
Not at all.
And with a little more shopping, Becca found something she wanted… even though it was over ¥2500.
Anna choose to hang on to her money for now.
Well our trip today, we thought we would end up getting stuff from the Nintendo Store,
But we didn't.
We got a couple of things from the Pokemon store and then, of all places, Mont Bell.
Wow, things went well that way, huh Sarah?
Mostly Mont Bell.
I'm so Genki, awww!
Charizard, say "hi!"
What are you guys doing here?
We're doing school.
And I got a new Pokemon.
Oh yea, that's the new one?
Are these the cards you got, Sarah? Yea.
Let's see, there's a lot of them!
Any special ones, you think?
This is the "specialist" one.
It's the "most special" one, huh?
It's an EX
EX
Our verdict on the Nintendo Store?
It’s worth visiting if your a Nintendo fan,
but only if you have free time in your agenda when in Tokyo.
But you definitely should check out another video to see more about Life in Japan.