Gotta catch ’em all – Pokémon!
Japan is the home of Pokémon, so with three boys that are Pokémon fans, there is no way we can escape from checking out everything Pokémon on our trips!
Pokémon, short for Pocket Monsters, was first released as a game for Gameboy by Nintendo in 1996 and now, with Pokémon card games, anime TV series, manga comic books, Pokémon Go and Detective Pikachu movie, Pokémon is more popular than ever!
Pokémon Centres
Pokémon fans watch out! Pokémon centres in Japan have to be seen to be believed. If you are after Pokémon themed goods from Pikachu stationary to Eevee jewellery, Snorlax chopstick rests to Gunmar night lights, pokéball chocolates or one of hundreds of soft Pokémon toys then a visit to one or more Pokémon Centres can’t be missed!
Yep one or more Pokémon Centres because each one is different and has slightly different stock. The centres are found throughout Japan, and a number of them are in Tokyo. Check here for locations. Some stores have speciality Pokémon that can only be found in their store. The centre at Tokyo Skytree has plush Pikachu climbing Skytree tower while Tokyo station has Pikachu in a train guard uniform.
Pokémon Café
However, for the ultimate Pokémon experience, book a meal at the Pokémon café in Tokyo, an absolute must for any Pokémon fan.
The café is booked out well in advance (see hints for booking below) and is set up with pokéball plants and Pokémon characters throughout. We were shown to our seats and told to turn over our place mats to reveal our Pokémon character! Then we ordered our meal, drinks and dessert from the tablet on the table, which has English and pictures to help with choices. There are lots of meals for kids and everything is super cute! Many of the meals and drinks have the option to purchase the plate or cup with the meal (a new boxed one on leaving).
Pikachu himself makes an appearance, putting on a performance and showing his dance moves then visits all the tables for a photo opportunity!
If you haven’t had enough Pokémon by the end of your dining experience, there is a Pokémon Centre right next door so you can spend your last yen on more merchandise!
Look out for Pokémon pop up café’s as well, they tend to coincide with new game or movie releases.
Pokémon Café booking hints
Tables for the café must be booked in advance via their website (you’ll need Google translate for this page). Bookings open each day, 6pm Japan time, one month (31 days) in advance. Bookings were only able to be made for up to 4 people at a time, however this has now changed to 8. If you have more than 8 you will need to make two bookings. The café does note that you are the same party and will put you together.
When booking, we found the the times for different size groups varied by about 30 minutes. We didn’t want to be caught with different seating times for our two bookings, so I did the bookings simultaneously on two computers! Within 7 minutes of our booking day opening, the café was completely booked out (note it was New Year holiday time). I’d suggest doing a trial booking as there is no fee to book and then cancel. For a step by step guide see here.
When you book you will have an option to purchase additional items including Pokémon doughnuts. These were ready and waiting on the table when we arrived at the café and were a great treat to keep the experience going on our climb up Mount Takao the next day!
Pokémon Go!
Pokémon Go! is just as popular in Japan as it is worldwide. Die hard fans can still be seen congregating around places where rare Pokémon can be found, particularly in Tokyo.
One fantastic aspect of Pokémon Go is that Pokémon record where they are caught. The boys made a point of catching a Pokémon in each region of Japan, what an awesome (and inexpensive) souvenir!
Pokémon cards
Pokémon cards can be bought at all Pokémon centres and the kids thought the Japanese packs had a higher chance of specialty cards. The only problem is that they are written in Japanese so you won’t be able to use them in a tournament back in Australia.
To level up this experience (pun intended!) check out the Pokémon card trading centres where you can choose specific cards you want to buy for your packs. There are a number of card stores, however, visiting a store in Akihabara, famous for its electronics stores and more recently everything manga and anime, is a must! Be aware some of these cards can be very ¥¥ and even though the kids can’t read Japanese, they still seem to want them!
Pokémon fans, start saving your Yen now as there is so much you will want to take home! We started yen charts for the kids a couple of months before we left so they could earn yen to spend – best thing ever! This way the kids worked for their spending money and decided what they wanted to buy without constantly begging us!
