If you’re often lamenting the fact that you don’t live in Japan so you can have access to all those awesome Japanese games available on the Nintendo Switch or the ones coming up on the horizon, fret not. If you didn’t already know, the Switch is region-free, and there’s actually something very simple and very cool you can do right now to access Japanese games and demos, much like the upcoming Monster Hunter XX demo that’s launching in Japan next week on August 10. It’s a very straightforward and easy process to complete, and you don’t even have to take much time out of your day to do it. You can create your own Nintendo Account for use with the Japanese eShop in a snap, and here’s how you can do it.
Create A New Nintendo Account
This one’s easy. Make a brand new Nintendo Account, but when creating it make sure you choose the Japanese region instead of your own, for this time. Go to the My Nintendo website and get started from there, and simply follow the onscreen prompts. This part should be very self-explanatory, especially if you made an account before with your regular Switch, and you should have already done so if you’ve got your own sign-in name for your system.
Log In On Your Switch
When you turn on your Switch, it’s time to make a new user account. Select an icon, then use the account you just created on the My Nintendo website and link your Nintendo Switch account with your Nintendo ID. Make sure you choose Japan for the correct region again. Continue the setup and you should be finished!
From now on, all you’ll have to do to log in to the Japanese eShop is choose the specific user you linked to your Japanese account and head to the eShop icon to start downloading. You can also purchase Japanese games if you have the funds available, though you will be charged for making international transactions.
And that’s about it! Now you’re ready to start downloading and playing various demos and games from the Japanese eShop that you didn’t have access to before. Happy gaming!
