Ramen with a side of lawsuit? Someone is trying to open a “Mario Ramen” joint right across The Nintendo Museum in Japan 

In a bold move that you could call either genius or downright reckless, someone seems to have decided to open a ramen shop named “M.A.R.I.O Ramen” right in front the recently opened Nintendo Museum in Kyoto, Japan. 

@Kyotopi_jp, an X account that specializes in sharing information about Kyoto events and cuisine, recently discovered the new establishment and shared images online. The noodle shop doesn’t seem to be open for business yet, but its large signboard proudly spells out M.A.R.I.O Ramen (in a familiar red and white color palette), and it’s likely only a matter of time until its doors open. 

It probably goes without saying, but the restaurant shows no signs of being affiliated with Nintendo in any way – if the “please don’t sue me” periods in the word “Mario” are anything to go by. 

Given the notoriously strict reputation of Nintendo’s legal department, Japanese users are already waiting with bated breath to see what kind of fate the audacious noodle venture will meet for daring to rattle Nintendo’s cage. As M.A.R.I.O Ramen is strategically located almost literally under Nintendo’s nose, people are guessing that its owners are attempting to attract museum-goers by presenting like an official Mario-themed establishment, which could possibly have legal implications. 

On the other hand, others have given the ramen joint the benefit of the doubt, offering the possibility that the new shop may be a Kyoto version of Mario Ryuu Ramen, a landmark noodle house located in Nara. However, a quick Google search reveals that the Nara-based business spells the “Mario” in its logo in hiragana, and also includes the kanji for “ryuu” at the end, which makes it completely distinct visually from the “M.A.R.I.O Ramen” that’s about to open in Kyoto. The fate of the bold ramen shop remains to be seen, but for now – it’s playing a dangerous game.