Pokémon Characters Light Up Night Sky in Yomiuriland Drone Show, Show Off Nostalgic Scenes from 30 Years Ago

The Yomiuri Shimbun

17:11 JST, February 28, 2026

Pokémon were illuminated in the night sky during a drone show at the Yomiuriland amusement park, which straddles the cities of Inagi in Tokyo and Kawasaki, on Friday.

The show was staged to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Pokémon franchise.

The origins of Pokémon trace back to the “Pokémon Red Version” and “Pokémon Green Version” games, which launched in February 1996. Since then, Pokémon has been enjoyed around the world.

The show was planned by The Pokémon Company in Tokyo to express gratitude to Pokémon fans, and it was livestreamed on its official YouTube channel.

Music played as a total of 1,500 drones equipped with LEDs danced across the park’s sky, showing scenes from games from 30 years ago. The show concluded with a message saying that they “will continue to connect the world,” drawing applause from the audience.

Also on Friday, The Yomiuri Shimbun distributed a promotional edition of the newspaper commemorating the 30th anniversary at PokéPark KANTO, a permanent outdoor facility for Pokémon at the amusement park. Many visitors received the special paper, featuring a photo of themselves with Pokémon taken at PokéPark KANTO. The service is available through Sunday.

“I want to show this off to the children at the nursery school,” said Toshinobu Nakaseko, 34, a childcare worker from Meguro Ward, Tokyo. He said he has enjoyed Pokémon games since the first title.