How to purchase RPGs from the Japanese Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch 2

by

I’ll openly acknowledge – our usual scope doesn’t include topics such as this, but given the inclination among our team members, it would likely be me tackling this subject. If you’ve been keeping tabs on the release of the Nintendo Switch 2, you might have come across the Japan-exclusive SKU that is priced significantly lower than the global, multilingual version. There’s been a lot of confusion regarding the implications of this SKU for users intending to access the Japanese eShop on their Nintendo Switch 2 devices, which is particularly relevant to us given our current interest in games like Ys X: Proud Nordics that are slated for exclusive release in Japan for the Nintendo Switch 2.

Contrary to some rumors, Switch 2 units not sold in Japan can still access the Japanese eShop. To do this, users can create accounts that grant them access to the Japanese store and purchase games with minimal hassle. If you already have a Japanese eShop account linked to one of your old Nintendo Switch profiles, it will automatically transfer to Switch 2 during system migration. For those who don’t have a Japanese account yet, we’ll guide you through the process for the new Nintendo Switch 2.

As a fellow gamer, let me walk you through setting up a new Nintendo account for a Japanese region. First off, we’re going to create this account from scratch. You can do that by navigating to the sign-up page right here. Once there, enter your birthdate and start filling out the required details for your account. If you’re interested in making a Japanese account, remember to select Japan as your country of residence.

Now, for an email address, it’s crucial to have one that isn’t connected to any existing Nintendo accounts. If you have a Gmail, this step is straightforward – just add “+jp” before the “@gmail.com”, like example+jp@gmail.com. This way, Google will redirect emails to this new alias, but services such as Nintendo will treat it as a completely separate address.

Once your account is all set up, you can create a new user on your Nintendo Switch 2 and link the newly created account to it. This allows you to access the Japanese eShop by choosing it when opening the store. Enjoy gaming!

Things can get a bit complicated when it comes to buying games on the Nintendo Switch or Switch 2. Unlike older systems like the 3DS and Wii U, these newer versions don’t accept foreign credit cards directly in their Japanese eShops. However, there’s a way around this issue – you can buy game codes or eShop credit from other platforms instead! I usually go with Amazon Japan, but be aware that it may not always work smoothly for every account. Sometimes, adding a valid Japanese address to your account might do the trick, but there’s also a chance you’ll be unable to make digital purchases until you’ve completed a transaction using a Japanese address. It’s important to note that this isn’t always the case; I’ve been able to buy digital items on Amazon Japan since I used a mail forwarder service to import a PlayStation 4 Pro in the past, so my personal account hasn’t been blocked from digital purchases since then.

Whenever you decide to obtain credit (remember, there are alternatives like Amazon Japan, but you can explore other choices as well), you’ll have the flexibility to redeem them through the eShop on Nintendo Switch 2 or even more conveniently, the Nintendo account payment portal. I personally suggest opting for the latter over the console’s built-in eShop. If Japanese isn’t your native language, you can effortlessly navigate the webstore using your browser’s translation tools, simplifying the process of purchasing games. Although the Switch 2’s eShop is more user-friendly, it’s essential to mention that the original Switch’s eShop encountered significant performance issues that made navigation a real challenge.

Using the Virtual Game Card system on your Switch 2, you’ll receive notifications when a game you’ve bought for an associated account starts showing up, and it will automatically begin downloading once it reconnects to the internet. Although it involves a few additional steps compared to using a Nintendo account from your home country, setting up and utilizing a Japanese (or any other regional) account is surprisingly straightforward compared to similar systems on the Switch 2’s contemporary devices. Good luck with your digital imports!

Read More

2025-06-09 20:56