Pokemon Announces New Theme Park

Pokemon is officially getting into the theme park business. Today, The Pokemon Company announced it was forming a new company with Yomiuri Land Co. and The Yomiuri Shimbun called PokePark KANTO LLC to build a new theme park within Yomiuriland, a large amusement park in Tokyo. PokePark Kanto is described as "a theme park where visitors can enjoy the Pokémon experience in a lush natural environment through various events" according to a press release announcing the joint venture. Yomiuriland, for reference, is billed as the largest theme park in Tokyo, although that could be because other parks are technically located outside of Tokyo.

Yomiuriland and The Pokemon Company have collaborated before, with the Pokemon WONDER outdoor adventure attraction already at the park. The Pokemon WONDER course is a nature area where visitors can search for 50 species of Pokemon made of acorns and leaves. Still, the announcement that The Pokemon Company is choosing to partner with Yomiuriland instead of Universal Studios Japan is something of a surprise, especially given that Universal and Pokemon also has a partnership that has only recently begun to show in various characters appearing throughout the park. 

No timeline has been given for the creation of PokePark Kanto, so it could be quite some time before the new park is officially launched. For reference, Nintendo and Universal first announced plans to build a Super Nintendo Land in Universal Studios Japan in 2016, but it did not open until 2021 (although that was partially due to delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.)

Assuming that PokePark Kanto is a full theme park area, it should create what many Pokemon fans have longed for – a permanent location where fans can celebrate their love of Pokemon. While Japan has many Pokemon Center retail stores, Pokemon events, and even Pokemon festivals, there's still a deep worldwide desire to celebrate the Pokemon franchise at a more permanent home.