- Pokemon's first official outdoor theme park opens in Japan in February 2026
- PokePark Kanto will be located within Yomiuriland amusement park near Tokyo
- The park covers 26,000 sqm and features over 600 Pokemon characters
Good news awaits fans who grew up loving characters like Pikachu, Charizard, and Squirtle, as the world's first official outdoor theme park dedicated solely to the Pokemon franchise is set to open in Japan next year. The Pokemon Company has confirmed the construction of PokePark Kanto which will operate within Yomiuriland, an amusement park nestled within the Tama Hills, west of central Tokyo. The expansive park will cover an area of 26,000 square metres and is planned to feature over 600 Pokemon characters for visitors to enjoy.
The new Tokyo theme park will be thrown open to the public in February 2026, just in time for Pokemon's 30th anniversary, according to a report in the BBC. Tickets will be sold through an initial lottery and pre-sale system from 21 November 2025.
The park will be divided into two main zones: the Pokemon Forest and Sedge Town. The former will be a woodland trail with over 600 Pokemon placed in natural terrain, with some Pokemon figures suitable for children to sit on or “ride”. The latter would be a small, walkable settlement featuring performances and themed attractions. The park would also feature a Pokemon Center, the animated series' iconic healing hub, alongside shows and character appearances.
This isn't the first official Pokemon park to be built; back in 2005 and 2006, temporary pop-up PokeParks came to Nagoya, Japan, and Taiwan, which were only short-term attractions.
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History Of Pokemon
Pokemon was invented by a Japanese man named Satoshi Tajiri and his friend Ken Sugimori, who is an illustrator. In 1989, Satoshi opened a gaming company before coming up with the idea of Pocket Monsters, better known as Pokemon. He pitched the idea to Nintendo and though the console maker was initially circumspect, it came around to the idea.
For six years, Satoshi worked with legendary video game maker Shigeru Miyamoto to bring his fantasy world to life. In Februrary 2996, Pocket Monsters was released in a Red and Green version for the Game Boy in Japan. The game went on to sell millions of copies, and by 1998, it was released in the US.
While the game and trading cards were already popular, the franchise's popularity would soar further when Pokemon was turned into an animated TV series in 1997. The series followed the life of Ash Ketchum (who was previously named Satoshi) as he tried to become a Pokemon master, alongside his affable companion, Pikachu.
