Japanese Government Worried About Pokemon GO

Let's be real: A lot of really unfortunate incidents have been blamed on Pokemon GO. The immensely popular app has prompted stampedes, alleged beatings, robberies, car accidents, shootings, and all sorts of other unsavory shenanigans since its release. Still, gamers are willing to overlook those troubles, passing them off as little more than isolated incidents. However, in Japan, it seems like their government is legitimately worried about Pokemon GO.

Pokemon GO has yet to roll out in Japan, or in any eastern country for that matter, so local fans are desperate to have Pokemon GO hit their app stores. In an article by The Associated Press, 16-year-old Souta Horime said he hoped Japan had its release soon so he could catch up to other trainers already. And, as Niantic confirmed Pokemon GO will be released in Japan soon, the country's government is prepping citizens for whatever fallout could come from the game.

In a statement, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said the government hopes trainers will adhere to safety guidelines issues by the country's Center for Incident Readiness and Cybersecurity. The agency published a flier that lists 9 tips for players, asking trainers to exercise caution, be wary of scams, carry portable phone chargers, and to stay alert for signs of heatstroke.

Motomasa Takahashi told AP that he'd be mindful while playing the game after having seen all of the accidents associated with Pokemon GO so far. As for Noaki Sakuraba, the local said he was was anticipating Pokemon GO's launch in Japan as it should go over more smoothly than its previous debuts considering the release's delay. By the time the game hits Japan, hopefully, most of the app's server issues and bugs will have been fixed.

After all, Japan does have high expectations when it comes to technology. Serkan Toto, an video game consultant in Tokyo, said that, "Nowhere in the world are the mobile gamers, the end consumers, as critical as in Japan. In the U.S., people are accustomed to slow networks, to server outages." As such, it makes sense that Niantic would want to vet the app thoroughly before they introduce it to a very critical audience. And, when you consider that Pokemon originated in Japan years ago, gamers are going to feel a certain type of way if their expectations aren't met.