PokéPark KANTO to be Established in Yomiuriland

The Yomiuri Shimbun

6:00 JST, December 12, 2023

The Pokémon Company, Yomiuri Land Co. and The Yomiuri Shimbun will form a new company on Tuesday called PokéPark KANTO LLC to build a Pokémon-themed entertainment venture in the Yomiuriland amusement park.

The new business enterprise aims to establish “PokéPark KANTO,” a theme park where visitors can enjoy the Pokémon experience in a lush natural environment through various events.

Yomiuriland is located in Tama Hills in the Kanto region and straddles the cities of Inagi in Tokyo and Kawasaki. “Pokémon Red” and “Pokémon Green,” the first Pokémon video games, which went on sale in 1996, are set in a fictitious area named the “Kanto region.” Drawing on this idea, the names of both the new company and its business venture use the word “KANTO.”

Yomiuri group companies and The Pokémon Company have already collaborated in various fields. In 2009, The Yomiuri Shimbun began running an educational column for children titled “Pokémon to Issho ni Oboeyo! Kotowaza Daihyakka” (Let’s memorize a proverb encyclopedia with Pokémon!) in its morning edition. In 2014, “The Pokémon Ryuosen” — a Pokémon gaming event named after the Ryuo, the most prestigious championship in shogi — was held for the first time.

The “Pokémon WONDER” outdoor adventure attraction, which launched in 2021, allows visitors to search for Pokémon within the natural landscape of Yomiuriland.