This article is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this article to add missing information and complete it. Reason: most sections arestubs

Pokémon in Japan
Flag of Japan
Language	Japanese
Continent	Asia
Original animated series airdates
EP001	April 1, 1997
AG001	November 21, 2002
DP001	September 28, 2006
BW001	September 23, 2010
XY001	October 17, 2013
SM001	November 17, 2016
JN001	November 17, 2019
HZ001	April 14, 2023

ThePokémon (Japanese:ポケットモンスター, officially abbreviated asポケモン) franchise originated inJapan in 1996 with the release ofPokémon Red and Green Versions. Most Pokémon media is created and distributed in Japan and then localized and further distributed in other countries of the world.

Pokémon video games

MostPokémon games are released in Japan prior to being released elsewhere, although many games are never translated out of Japanese, including games forNintendo consoles and Japan-only consoles. Most games produced byThe Pokémon Company International are not translated into Japanese, such asCamp Pokémon. Japanese-language games are exported to East Asia and Southeast Asia.Event Pokémon are released regularly at various events and atPokémon Center stores in Japan as well. FromPokémon X and Y onwards, core series games have released in most other regions simultaneously with Japan.

Most Pokémon arcade games are released exclusively in Japanese arcades, rarely receiving a release in North America or Europe. Conversely,Pokémon Puzzle League was never released in Japan, and several early computer games were never released in Japan either. These includePokémon Masters Arena,Pokémon Team Turbo,Pokémon Play It!,Pokémon Play It! Version 2,Pokémon Team Rocket Blast Off,Pokémon Poké Ball Launcher, andPokémon Seek & Find.

While English voice acting in Pokémon-related video games is typically done in theUnited States, there are some instances of it being done in Japan. These includePokkén Tournament's English dub as well as all the announcer lines inSuper Smash Bros. andSuper Smash Bros. Melee, including the Pokémon-related ones.

Pokémon animation

ThePokémon animated series debuted on April 1, 1997 onTV Tokyo with the debut ofPokémon - I Choose You!. Prior to thePorygon incident, new episodes were aired every Tuesday evening at 7 PM. From 1998 to 2016, new episodes aired almost every Thursday evening at 7 PM. Since 2016, new episodes have aired starting at 6:55 PM. All dubs of the Pokémon animated series are based on the original Japanese series, as episodes generally air in Japan months in advance of the first international showings.

ThePokémon movies are regularly released theatrically byToho each July in Japan, being one of the few remaining countries where this is the case.

TV Tokyo

Main article:TV Tokyo

TV Tokyo has aired new episodes of the Pokémon animated series on Thursday evenings since 1998. On Sundays, a Pokémon variety show has aired on TV Tokyo—these include theWeekly Pokémon Broadcasting Station,Pokémon Sunday, andPokémon Smash!.Oha Suta, a kids show that also airs on TV Tokyo, occasionally airs Pokémon-related news and content.

Kids Station

Main article:Kids Station

Kids Station airs reruns of Pokémon episodes including those from earlier series.

Other video streaming

As of April 2020, the latest episode ofPokémon Journeys: The Series can be streamed for free for a week starting at 12:00 noon the Monday after broadcast on the officialPokémon,TV Tokyo, and theCoroCoro YouTube channels,Niconico,TVer,GYAO!, andNet mo TeleTo. Earlier episodes are available onPrime Video,Hulu,anitele,Paravi,Hikari-TV, and Niconico via paid subscriptions.

Episodes from past series of the Pokémon animated series are available on Hulu, Amazon Prime Video,Netflix, and Hikari-TV. The Pokémon animated series was first made available on Hulu on August 1, 2012.

DuringPokémon the Series: Sun & Moon, new episodes were made available for a limited time immediately after the initial broadcast on Hulu andParavi. On Prime Video, new episodes were made available indefinitely several days after the initial broadcast.

Pokémon manga

MostPokémon manga is serialized inCoroCoro, and is published byShogakukan. Many manga are published exclusively in Japan, and are not localized for other countries.

Pokémon Trading Card Game

ThePokémon Trading Card Game was originally published in Japan byMedia Factory with the release ofExpansion Pack in 1996, and continues to this day. Some cards are sold or distributed exclusively in Japan, and are not localized into other languages.

Pokémon merchandise

Pokémon merchandising has been handled byTakara Tomy. Many pieces of Pokémon merchandise are exclusive to Japan and are not sold at retail internationally.

Japan is currently home to all eleven, full-fledged, permanentPokémon Center stores, operating throughout Japan. NinePokémon Stores are also located in Japan.

Community

Pokémon Wiki is the Japanese-language member ofEncyclopædiæ Pokémonis.pokepale!,Pokeani, andPokésho were popular Japanese Pokémon fan sites.

Pokémon is considered the most popular in Japan, putting it ahead of the United States.^[1]

Events

Many promotional events have been held in Japan for Pokémon video games and other media. These events included playable game demos, distribution ofevent Pokémon, and other incentives such as promotional cards from theTrading Card Game.

Pokémon Festa was held annually from 2002 to 2008.

Japan is one of two countries to have hosted thePokéPark, an amusement park dedicated to Pokémon which was open in 2005.

External links

• The official Japanese Pokémon website
  • YouTube
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LINE

References

Related articles

• List of Japanese Pokémon names
• List of Japanese opening themes
• List of Japanese ending themes

This article is part ofProject Globe, aBulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon franchise around the world.

• Articles needing more information
• Pokémon around the world