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Nintendo originally started out as a small “hanafuda” playing card company in 1889 at the hands of Fusajiro Yamauchi . The business expanded in the following years leading the company to find its first headquarters in Kyoto in 1933, and then abandon it a couple of decades later, in 1959.
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However, the building has not disappeared into thin air and, on the contrary, it still exists. Indeed, it is now fully operational again, but not as a further headquarters of the Big N, but as a luxurious and not exactly cheap hotel , so expensive that it is not really accessible for most enthusiasts due to its costs. The Hotel Marufukuro has opened its doors and thus marks the return to full activity of the structure after a long period of inactivity.
IGN Japan visited the hotel, noting how the building has largely remained faithful to its origins: the plaque with the name Marufukuro is still the original one of almost a century earlier, while on others it is still possible to find references not only to Nintendo and his production of cards, but also to Yamauchi himself. The plates are also so old that the texts can still be read from right to left , just like in Japan of the past.
Much of the exterior is the same as in the 1930s, while the interior is divided into four different areas (complete with a restaurant, lounge area and a library) recognizable, not surprisingly, by the names of the Poker cards: spades, hearts, diamonds and flowers. As mentioned, however, access to the hotel is not exactly for everyone: a single night stay costs the beauty of 108,000 yen , therefore equal to 880 dollars . If you are still curious, the official website will give you a taste of the Hotel Marufukuro and all its comforts.
In the meantime , Super Nintendo World has turned one year , having officially opened its doors on March 18, 2021. Also, don’t miss our special on the book Ask Iwata , which reveals a lot of background on the mentality of the late president of Nintendo.
