The Pokémon Company (Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Tsunekazu Ishihara) opened PokéPark Kanto, the first permanent outdoor Pokémon facility, on Thursday, February 5, 2026, and held a grand opening ceremony on the same day.
During the ceremony, Kenjiro Ito, CBO of The Pokémon Company and Chairman of PokéPark Kanto LLC, Retsu Mizoguchi, President of Yomiuriland Co., Ltd. and President of PokéPark Kanto LLC, and Junichi Masuda, Chief Creative Fellow of The Pokémon Company, took the stage to share their thoughts on the opening of PokéPark Kanto and discuss the facility's appeal.
Following the speeches, Kawasaki City Mayor Norihiko Fukuda, Inagi City Mayor Katsuhiro Takahashi, along with Pikachu and Eevee dressed in carnival costumes, joined the stage for a spectacular ribbon-cutting ceremony. The ceremony celebrated the memorable moment of the birth of Pokémon's first permanent outdoor facility together with many stakeholders.
Opening Ceremony Speeches Highlighted Thoughts on PokéPark Kanto, the Facility's Appeal, and Future Prospects
At the grand opening ceremony, PokéPark Kanto LLC Chairman Ito stated: "We are extremely pleased to welcome Pokémon's first permanent outdoor facility this year, marking Pokémon's 30th anniversary, and on this special day. We have been imagining Pokémon trainers from around the world experiencing what can only be done here, interacting with Pokémon, and bringing joy to their faces as we prepared for this day. Moving forward, Pokémon will continue to work hard to produce experiences that truly delight everyone."
PokéPark Kanto LLC President Mizoguchi commented: "This month marks exactly 30 years since Pokémon was born. We are very happy to be able to open PokéPark Kanto, the first permanent outdoor Pokémon facility, in Yomiuriland's forest in this commemorative year. We want to welcome Pokémon fans from Japan and around the world with the best hospitality, so that their experiences with Pokémon become treasured memories."
The Pokémon Company's Chief Creative Fellow Masuda shared: "Over these 30 years, Pokémon fans around the world and everyone who has supported Pokémon have loved Pokémon so much that we were able to create this PokéPark Kanto. The first thing we thought about was creating a world where Pokémon actually exist. We created this while thinking about each Pokémon's story - what kind of life do they lead, where do they live, what do they eat? We hope you will come and see what a world where Pokémon exist looks like. We hope you'll discover your favorite Pokémon while imagining their stories and go on adventures with them."
Mayors and Pokémon Characters Join for Spectacular Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony!
Celebrating the Memorable Opening Moment with Many Stakeholders
Following the host speeches, Kawasaki City Mayor Fukuda and Inagi City Mayor Takahashi took the stage. Pikachu and Eevee, dressed in carnival costumes, then appeared. During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, all participants cut the ribbon together to celebrate the memorable opening moment of PokéPark Kanto. After the ceremony, a photo session was held, making it a spectacular event.
PokéPark Kanto began general operations on Thursday, February 5, 2026, and looks forward to welcoming many visitors.
PokéPark Kanto Related Websites
- Official Website: https://www.pokepark-kanto.co.jp/
- Official X: https://x.com/PokeParkKANTOjp
- Corporate Website: https://corporate.pokepark-kanto.co.jp/
PokéPark Kanto Grand Opening Ceremony Overview
Date: Thursday, February 5
Venue: PokéPark Kanto (4015-1 Yanokuchi, Inagi City, Tokyo 206-8725, inside Yomiuriland amusement park)
Speakers:
- The Pokémon Company CBO and PokéPark Kanto LLC Chairman: Kenjiro Ito
- Yomiuriland Co., Ltd. President and CEO and PokéPark Kanto LLC President: Retsu Mizoguchi
- The Pokémon Company Chief Creative Fellow: Junichi Masuda
- Kawasaki City Mayor: Norihiko Fukuda
- Inagi City Mayor: Katsuhiro Takahashi
- Pikachu
- Eevee
The Yomiuri Group's Connection with Pokémon
The Yomiuri Shimbun started serializing "Learn with Pokémon! Proverbs Encyclopedia" in its morning edition in 2009 and has since developed various projects with The Pokémon Company, including "idioms," "idiomatic phrases," and "dialects." They have also held the "Pokémon Ryuoh Championship," a Pokémon battle tournament bearing the name "Ryuoh," the highest title in the shogi world.
The Pokémon Company, Yomiuriland Co., Ltd., and The Yomiuri Shimbun Tokyo Head Office established "PokéPark Kanto LLC" in December 2023.
→ For the facility PokéPark Kanto, there is a half-width space between "PokéPark" and "Kanto."
→ For PokéPark Kanto LLC, there is a middle dot "・" between "PokéPark" and "Kanto."
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Pocket Monsters, Pokémon are trademarks of Nintendo, Creatures Inc., and GAME FREAK inc.
