Pokémon’s 30th anniversary celebration is ramping up for some big announcements later this month, but one of my favorite facets of it may be the new theme park that just opened in Japan.
When I first saw pics of PokéPark Kanto, I thought it looked a little cheap, with a bunch of Pokémon statues lining a forested area. But the videos coming out of Japan today make it look like an absolute blast, whether you’re a child or a grown-up child (like me) who grew up on the series.
Japanese social media was flooded by the most adorable pictures and videos, and I can’t get enough of it. It’s all so wholesome and cute. There’s a Pikachu stage show called PikaPika Sparks where a bunch of people in electric rat costumes dance around, and it’s amazing.
But that’s just a small part of what PokéPark Kanto has to offer. As you walk around the area, performances take place featuring all sorts of Pokémon-costumed theme park workers, and there are countless little Pokémon scattered about everywhere for you to take pictures with.
And merch. Oh, the merch. This place is going to make absolute bank. There’s mini plushies of just about every original 151 Pokémon you can think of, Mickey Mouse ears-like headbands featuring Eeveelution ears, clothes, drinks, Pokémon-themed food, and more. And I want to buy all of it.
Below I’ve shared some of my favorite PokéPark Kanto posts that I’ve found on Twitter/X this morning alone:
I love this adorable Vulpix:
And there’s even a theme park employee dressed as Nurse Joy who can heal your friends:
Needless to say, this theme park is going to be a smash hit, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see more pop up. This first iteration in Yomiuri Land in Tokyo has a waitlist to even get in, so be prepared to wait for quite a while if you’re looking to book a plane ticket.
