Nintendo is one of the world's biggest video game development companies, having created several successful franchises. Because of its storied history, the developer employs a methodical system of software and hardware development that is mainly centralized within its offices in Kyoto and Tokyo, in cooperation with its division Nintendo of America in Redmond, Washington. The company also owns several worldwide subsidiaries and funds partner affiliates that contribute technology and software for the Nintendo brand.
Main offices
Nintendo (NCL) has a central office located in Minami-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan () and a nearby building, its pre-2000 headquarters, now serving as a research and development building, located in Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan (). Its original Kyoto headquarters can still be found at (). Additionally, Nintendo has a third operation in Tokyo, Japan, where research and development and manufacturing are conducted. All three offices are interconnected and have video conferences, often for communication and presentation purposes.
In 2009, it was revealed that Nintendo was expanding both its Redmond and Kyoto offices. The new office building complex of Nintendo of America in Redmond is and would expand its localization, development, debugging, production, and clerical teams. Nintendo announced the purchase of a 40,000 square-meter lot that would house an all-new research and development (R&D) office that would make it easier for the company's two other Kyoto R&D offices to collaborate as well as expand the total workforce on new upcoming console development and new software for current and future hardware. Additionally, Nintendo has various subsidiaries and offices worldwide that contribute to the company's global operations.
Nintendo owns several buildings throughout Kyoto and Tokyo, housing subsidiary and affiliated companies. One of the more famous buildings was the Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo building – previously known as the Nintendo Tokyo Prefecture Building – was jokingly called The Pokémon Building, formerly accommodated the complete Pokémon family which included The Pokémon Company, Creatures Inc., and Genius Sonority. It was also to home to HAL Laboratory's Tokyo R&D Center and Warpstar's Tokyo office until 2003, where they moved into HAL's office in the Nintendo Kanda Building in Sudachō in 2003, which previously housed Creatures Inc. until 2001. Genius Sonority would move out of the building to a new building in Kanda in 2005, while Nintendo would fully move out of the building when The Pokémon Company and Creatures relocated their offices to Kaigan and Gobanchō, respectively in 2007. The Asakusabashi building used to be the headquarters of NDcube until 2004, when they moved out to a nearby building.
In 2020, Nintendo revealed that they were going to unify all four of their buildings in Tokyo into just one. With this, several divisions and affiliated companies came to be together in the same building, including Game Freak, Nintendo's subsidiary 1-Up Studio and after 13 years, HAL Laboratory with its Tokyo studio and headquarters.
In 2021, The Nikkei reported that Nintendo was planning to expand internal development by renting an office facility adjacent to their headquarters and building a new development office around the site of their former headquarters. The latter plan was later revealed in April 2022, as Nintendo acquired land next to their headquarters to be used as another development office, which was slated to open in 2027, but was later moved to 2028. In June 2026, Nintendo announced that construction of the building will now end on March 2029, now receiving its official name, Nintendo Technology Development Center.
Buildings + Nintendo Research & Development Buildings Name Location Developer(s) Asia Nintendo Central Office Hokotate-cho, Kamitoba, Minami-ku, Kyoto, Japan formerly Nintendo EAD, SPD (and formerly R&D1 and R&D2), IRD, RED, SDD, Systems Research & Development (SRD) Nintendo Kyoto Research Institute Kamitakamatsu-cho, Fukuine, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, Japan formerly Nintendo EAD, R&D1, R&D2, R&D3, RED, SPD, Intelligent Systems (moved into a new building next near Nintendo Central Offices in 2013), currently Mario Club Nintendo Kyoto Development Complex Minamimatsuda-cho, Higashikujo, Minami-ku, Kyoto, Japan Was originally scheduled to open at the end of December 2013, but did not until June 2014. Currently houses the Entertainment Planning & Development (EPD), Nintendo Technology Development (TDD), and Business Development divisions, and the Kyoto office of Nintendo Systems. An additional office for SRD is also located here. Formerly Mario Club's Kyoto Minami office. Nintendo Technology Development Center Hokotate-cho, Kamitoba, Minami-ku, Kyoto, Japan Located next to their headquarters, the opening of the building was originally scheduled to happen in 2027, but has since been delayed to 2028 and once again to 2029. The building will have 10 floors, with 9 above and 1 underground, and will be used as a new research and development base for Nintendo’s software and hardware teams. Kyoto City Water Supply and Sewerage Bureau Hokotate-cho, Kamitoba Minami-ku, Kyoto, Japan Office building finished in May 2022. The building currently has its 6th office for Monolith Soft Kyoto and the 7th office for Mario Club. Nintendo Tokyo Office Nishikichō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan Located in a new office building named Kanda Square, that now contains divisions from Nintendo and different companies from four different locations in Tokyo, now reunited in one place to boost efficiency, with Nintendo themselves occupying the 8th, 20th and 21st floors, with the 8th floor housing their main office and their sales department. Replaced the former Nintendo Tokyo Office. Currently home to Nintendo EPD Tokyo, 1-Up Studio (20th floor) and the main office of Nintendo Pictures. The building also houses Game Freak on the 7th floor, as well as Nintendo Stars and HAL Laboratory's Head Office and Tokyo R&D Center on the 5th floor until 2026. Suzhou Center Suzhou, China iQue Infinite Studios Singapore Nintendo Studios Singapore America Nintendo of America Headquarters Redmond, Washington, US Nintendo Software Technology (NST) and Nintendo Technology Development (NTD) Europe Rue Réaumur Paris, France Nintendo European Research & Development (NERD)
Former offices Nintendo Tokyo Prefecture Building – Nihonbashi, Chuo, Tokyo, Japan – closed in 2007 Nintendo Kanda Building – Sudachō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan – closed in 2020, demolished in 2025 Nintendo Tokyo Office (previous) – Asakusabashi, Taitō, Tokyo, Japan – closed in 2020
Divisions
Entertainment Planning and Development (EPD)
The Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development division was created on 16 September 2015, as part of a company-wide organizational restructure that took place under Nintendo's then newly appointed president, Tatsumi Kimishima. The division was created after the merger of two of its largest divisions, Entertainment Analysis & Development (EAD) and Software Planning & Development (SPD).
The division assumed both of its predecessors' roles, focusing on the development of games and software for Nintendo platforms and mobile devices; it also manages and licenses the company's various intellectual properties. Shinya Takahashi, formerly general manager of the SPD division, serves as general manager of the new division, as well as supervisor for both the Business Development and Development Administration & Support divisions. Katsuya Eguchi and Yoshiaki Koizumi maintained their positions as Deputy General Managers of EPD, which they previously held under EAD.
Technology Development Division (TDD)
The Nintendo Technology Development division was created on 16 September 2015, as part of a company-wide organizational restructure that took place under Nintendo's then newly appointed president, Tatsumi Kimishima. The division was created after the merger of two of Nintendo's divisions, the Integrated Research & Development (IRD), which specialized in hardware development, and System Development (SDD), which specialized operating system development and its development environment and network services.
The new division assumed both of its predecessors' roles. Ko Shiota, formerly Deputy general manager of the IRD division, serves as the general manager, while Takeshi Shimada, formerly Deputy general manager of the Software Environment Development Department of the SDD division, serves the same role.
Business Development Division (BDD) The Nintendo Business Development division was formed following Nintendo's foray into software development for smart devices, such as mobile phones and tablets, in March 2014. They are responsible for refining Nintendo's business model for dedicated game system business, and for furthering Nintendo's venture into development for smart devices.
Game development subsidiaries
While most external first-party software development is done in Japan, Nintendo owns several overseas development subsidiaries, those being Nintendo Software Technology, Nintendo Technology Development, Retro Studios, and Shiver Entertainment in the United States, Nintendo European Research & Development in France, IQue in China, Next Level Games in Canada and Nintendo Studios Singapore in Singapore.
Although these studios are all subsidiaries of Nintendo, they are often referred to as external resources when being involved in joint development processes with Nintendo's internal developers by the Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development division, while the division itself oversees and is involved in the production of the games developed under the studios that lead their own games.