From May 22 to 24, BitSummit, Japan's largest indie game festival, was held with great success at Miyako Messe in Kyoto. INVEN visited the site in person to check out the latest and most vibrant indie games. However, I felt a lingering sense of regret at the thought of heading home right after exploring the bustling event venue. While looking for another spot that would make a gamer's heart race, I was thrilled to hear that there was a 'Nintendo Shop' right in the heart of the city.

So, on the final day of our coverage, I headed to 'Nintendo KYOTO,' located on the 7th floor of the Takashimaya Department Store at Kyoto-Kawaramachi Station, to satisfy that curiosity. The moment I stepped into the store, I immediately understood why it is called a 'heaven' for Nintendo fans. The shop was packed with merchandise from Nintendo's major core IPs that are loved worldwide, including the universally familiar 'Super Mario,' as well as 'The Legend of Zelda,' 'Animal Crossing,' 'Pikmin,' and 'Splatoon.'

True to Nintendo's home turf, the store was quite large, and there was a long line of people waiting to purchase Nintendo goods. While it was fun to look at the details throughout the store, I especially loved that they had thoughtfully set up a giant 'Mario Photo Zone' one floor up, where visitors can take cute souvenir photos.

It was a magical space where time flies by while you're busy looking around, and your wallet gets thinner in an instant as you fill your shopping basket. I’ve captured the vivid atmosphere of 'Nintendo KYOTO'—a place that makes time and money disappear—in these photos.