Nintendo will provide free repairs for eligible products owned by residents in areas designated under Japan’s Disaster Relief Act following the Kumamoto earthquake, while also donating ¥50 million to the Japanese Red Cross Society for relief and recovery work.
The earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture on July 28, 2026. It caused widespread damage to homes, roads and rail infrastructure, disrupted essential services and forced thousands of residents into evacuation shelters, according to Essential Japan.
Free repair program
Nintendo’s repair initiative runs from July 28, 2026, through February 1, 2027. It applies to repairable Nintendo hardware and accessories, regardless of warranty status, subject to the company’s standard repair conditions and the condition of each product.
Eligible products include Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch systems, among others. Products for which Nintendo has ended repair acceptance are not eligible.
Customers using Nintendo’s online repair service must include a note stating that the request relates to the Reiwa 8 Kumamoto Earthquake, along with their repair application number, before sending the product to Nintendo’s service center by cash-on-delivery. Customers who do not use the online system must include the same disaster reference note, as well as their name, return address, phone number, product details and a description of the fault.
- Repair period: July 28, 2026, through February 1, 2027
- Eligibility: Residents of areas covered by Japan’s Disaster Relief Act
- Covered items: Eligible repairable Nintendo hardware and accessories
- Donation: ¥50 million through the Japanese Red Cross Society
Relief donation and local context
Nintendo said the ¥50 million donation will support emergency relief efforts and longer-term recovery work in affected communities. The announcement follows a ¥100 million donation from The Pokémon Company to relief funds supporting Kumamoto Prefecture and organizations assisting people affected by the disaster.
The latest earthquake has also revived memories of the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes, which claimed hundreds of lives and damaged almost 200,000 homes across the prefecture.
People seeking further help with the repair process can use Nintendo’s official repair support page for additional guidance.
