TOKYO, Japan — On Thursday, Tokyo’s first permanent Pokemon theme park with adorable rides and a forest section where guests may aim to “catch ’em all” debuted.
Tickets are already sold out for the next two months for Japan’s newest tourism destination, which is welcoming a record number of foreign visitors.
Statues of the electric mouse Pikachu and other franchise characters greet guests at PokePark Kanto, located inside Yomiuri Land, Tokyo’s largest amusement park.
One of Japan’s most popular cultural exports, Pokemon, started out as video games for Nintendo’s Game Boy console in 1996.
Inspired by the summertime bug-collecting customs of Japan, players capture and train hundreds of “pocket monsters” for combat.
Since then, anime shows, films, a trading card game, and the augmented reality smartphone app “Pokemon Go” have all contributed to the phenomenon’s global rise in popularity.
The two areas of PokePark Kanto are a town designed after those in the games for rides and shopping, and a mountainous outdoor area that is about half a kilometer (1,600 feet) long and filled with Pokemon figurines.
According to the park’s website, guests must be able to ascend 110 steps on their own in order to enter the wooded area.
Despite a sharp decline in Chinese visitors in December as a result of a diplomatic dispute between the two countries, a record number of tourists visited Japan in 2025.
Last month, Universal Studios Japan in Osaka, another large theme park, announced that it was also preparing Pokemon-themed attractions, though it did not provide details.
Officials expect the theme park to become a major draw for both domestic and international tourists, boosting Tokyo’s economy and reinforcing the city’s reputation as a hub for pop culture and entertainment.
Opening day saw thousands of excited visitors lining up to be among the first to experience the park. Fans shared their excitement on social media, with many calling it a “dream come true” and praising the park’s attention to detail and immersive design.
The Pokémon theme park plans to roll out seasonal events, special collaborations, and new attractions throughout the year, ensuring that there is always something fresh for returning visitors.
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