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July 01, 2026
 

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POKEMON

Nintendo’s Switch 2 was the best-selling console in the U.S. in March, driven by the surprise hit Pokemon Pokopia, as hardware spending jumped 69% year on year to $500 million.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 23, 2026
Pokopia flurry helps Nintendo’s Switch 2 top U.S. sales in March
Pokemon Pokopia, an entry in a budding genre of “cozy games” that eschew leaderboards and time pressure, swept to global success with little expectation ahead of its release.
Police investigate the scene where a staff member of a Pokemon store was fatally stabbed, in Tokyo's Toshima Ward on March 26.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal / FOCUS
Apr 6, 2026
Pokemon store stabbing spotlights importance of treatment for stalkers
Revelations that the offender had been arrested for stalking begs the question: Why could the murder not be prevented?
An ambulance parked in front of Sunshine City, a commercial complex in Tokyo's Ikebukuro district, on Thursday night following a stabbing
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 27, 2026
Pokemon shop employee killed by stalker in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro district
The suspected assailant, after attacking the 21-year-old victim, later took his own life.
People wait in line to play Capcom’s Resident Evil 2 during the E3 Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles in June 2017. Bloomberg.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Mar 16, 2026
How Pokemon and Resident Evil rewrote gaming history
1996 was a seminal year for gaming, an era of rapid iteration and change that stands in contrast to the tedious yearslong development schedule of today.
The rally of Nintendo shares comes as physical copies of Pokemon Pokopia have sold out at several major retailers in the U.S.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 11, 2026
‘Stealth hit’ Pokemon game sends Nintendo shares soaring
Early success for Pokemon Pokopia, released on March 5 to rave reviews and reports of store sellouts around the world, has relieved investors.
Visitors queue to visit statues of Pokemon characters displayed outside the Lotte World Tower in Seoul in April 2024.
BUSINESS / Tech
Feb 28, 2026
New Pokemon titles mark 30 years for Nintendo’s hit franchise
The company will be releasing two new Pokemon games in 2027 for Nintendo’s Switch 2 console, called Pokemon Winds and Pokemon Waves.
Sonic the Hedgehog, Castlevania's Alucard and the weak yet lovable Slime from Dragon Quest are just some of Japan's iconic gaming franchises celebrating midlife anniversaries in 2026.
LIFE / Digital / Longform
Feb 20, 2026
Japan’s gaming icons are getting midlife makeovers as they hit their 40s
Zelda, Pokemon, Dragon Quest and more mark major anniversaries in 2026 — a milestone year for the industry they built.
Collecting Pokemon cards is an expensive hobby — especially if you're interested in owning one of the rarest cards ever printed.
LIFE / Digital
Feb 16, 2026
Rare Pokemon card sets record with $16.49 million sale
One of just 41 such cards in existence, the Pikachu Illustrator card is now the most expensive trading card in history.
Pikachu and Eevee in a parade
BUSINESS / Economy
Feb 2, 2026
Gotta see ’em all: World’s first outdoor Pokemon park to open Thursday
Visitors can experience a walk in the woods featuring a variety of Pokemon, explore Sedge Town and purchase merchandise only available at the park.
Japan must act quickly to protect anime creators through stronger labor rights, transparency and fair compensation as AI threatens to exploit the industry’s creative work.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 18, 2025
Will artificial intelligence turn Japan’s ‘irreplaceable treasures’ into slop?
AI’s threat gives Japan a second chance to do right by the workers propping up the $21 billion industry.
PokePark Kanto, the first permanent outdoor attraction in the franchise, will open Feb. 5 in the Tokyo suburb of Tama Hills.
LIFE / Travel
Nov 13, 2025
PokePark Kanto set for February opening in Tokyo suburb
Tickets for the new Pokemon-themed area of the Yomiuriland amusement park will be offered via a lottery from Nov. 21.
Gamers play the Pokemon Legends: Z-A video game at the Ninentdo booth during the Gamescom video games trade fair in Cologne, Germany, in August.
LIFE / Digital
Oct 17, 2025
Pokemon brushes up decades-old formula with Legends: Z-A
Pokemon’s latest title, Legends: Z-A, trades turn-based fights for real-time clashes in a Paris-inspired cityscape.
OpenAI has rolled out a social app powered by Sora 2, its artificial intelligence video generator, which was quickly flooded with videos featuring iconic Japanese intellectual property.
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 7, 2025
OpenAI’s Sora 2 is drowning in Japanese ‘AI slop’
Iconic Japanese characters are prevalent across Sora 2, but legally, this places the company on shaky ground.
Pokemon said it has not given permission to use its upbeat theme music and imagery for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's deportation video posted on X and TikTok.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 26, 2025
U.S. Department of Homeland Security doubles down on Pokemon-themed deportation video
The Pokemon Co. said they had no involvement in the Pokemon-themed arrest and deportation video.
A McDonald’s Japan Pokemon card promotion triggered scalper frenzy, upset children and forced the company to rethink its Happy Set campaigns.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Aug 28, 2025
McDonald’s ‘Pokemon’ frenzy shows the collecting boom’s dark side
After a “Pokemon” trading card promotion went disastrously wrong, it’s been rebuked by the Consumer Affairs Agency and is rethinking future campaigns.
A boy looks at samples of Pokemon toys available with the McDonald's Happy Meal set in Tokyo earlier this month.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Aug 28, 2025
How to complain politely: Lessons from the McDonald’s Pokemon debacle
In Japan, the right phrasing can mean the difference between a request and harassment.
McDonald's Japan has canceled its plan to bundle "One Piece" trading cards with its Happy Set meals, after a similar Pokemon-themed campaign sparked a frenzy and uproar over uneaten food being discarded.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 21, 2025
McDonald’s Japan to skip ‘One Piece’ Happy Meal promo
The cancellation follows a similar Pokemon-themed campaign that sparked a frenzy and uproar over uneaten food being discarded.
A notice is displayed at a McDonald's restaurant informing customers of the end of the Pokemon card promotion, on Tuesday in Tokyo's Toshima Ward.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 12, 2025
McDonald’s Japan apologizes over frenzy linked to Pokemon card promotion
Many customers bought Happy Meals in bulk to get their hands on limited-edition Pokemon trading cards, only to discard the food and resell the cards online.
While mobile games such as Pokemon Go are at the core of Scopely’s business, the company is developing or considering acquiring PC and console titles.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 26, 2025
Behind the $3.5 billion Pokemon deal lies a consolidation strategy
While mobile games such as Pokemon Go are at the core of Scopely’s business, the company is looking into PC and console titles.
In the past two weeks, developer DeNA has raked in over $50 million for the Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket app, a free-to-play game that charges for premium features.
BUSINESS / Tech
Nov 14, 2024
Gotta collect ‘em all: New Pokemon trading card game becomes big hit
The novel yet nostalgic app has amassed over 30 million downloads worldwide in the first two weeks of its release.
Uruguay federation reportedly cancels charter flight after World Cup exit
Uruguay's Jose Maria Gimenez reacts after the team's loss against Spain at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday.
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
India’s gig workers pay the price for exposure to New Delhi’s hazardous air
Rohit Kushwaha waits for a customer as he delivers his last parcel of the day, in New Delhi in January. His work as a delivery driver has helped pay the family’s bills, but has had a significant impact on his health.
Life inside Japan’s largest prison for women
Western-style rooms spanning the size of four tatami mats with hardwood floors, a toilet and soft mattresses on bed frames are designated for foreign nationals and those with health conditions at Tochigi Prison.
Yen hits 40-year low against the dollar, breaking ¥162 level
Japan's currency broke ¥162 to the dollar on Tuesday in Tokyo.
Japan’s fertility system offers few safe paths for same-sex couples
A Tokyo Pride parade participant holds a sign that says "we want to be a married couple, not a couple."
Life inside Japan’s largest prison for women
Western-style rooms spanning the size of four tatami mats with hardwood floors, a toilet and soft mattresses on bed frames are designated for foreign nationals and those with health conditions at Tochigi Prison.
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
A French ship with close ties to Japan combines arts and sciences on the high seas
Romain Troublé, the executive director of Tara Ocean Foundation, speaks to visitors aboard the Tara during a rare port call in Tokyo in April.
In Kyushu’s far south, Senti.U sparks a culinary destination
Chef Yasuhiko Uchida was born in Saga Prefecture but has made his home in Kanoya, Kagoshima Prefecture, since 2012.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival
By Alex K.T. Martin

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