Latest news with #JunichiMasuda
New Straits Times
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
First permanent Pokemon theme park to open in Tokyo
THE popular Pokemon franchise will open its first permanent theme park in Tokyo in spring 2026, the Pokemon Company, a subsidiary of Japanese gaming giant Nintendo, said. Japan has welcomed a record influx of visitors in recent months, boosting demand for tourist attractions, including the Making of Harry Potter film-studio park that opened in Tokyo in 2023. Named PokePark Kanto, the new 2.6ha area will be located in Yomiuri Land, Tokyo's largest amusement park, the company said on Tuesday. "We want to create a space where Pokemon are always present and where people can have fun with them," its chief creative officer, Junichi Masuda, said in a video announcement. The park will have two areas: a Pokemon forest described as a spacious wilderness and an area for shopping and rides. Pokemon became a global hit after its 1996 launch as a role-playing game for Nintendo's handheld Game Boy console. Inspired by the Japanese summer childhood tradition of bug-collecting, players catch and train in battle hundreds of round-eyed "pocket monsters", 'creatures' ranging from mice to dragons. The franchise also includes movies, an animated TV show, and the 'Pokemon Go' augmented-reality mobile game.
Kuwait Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Kuwait Times
First permanent Pokemon theme park to open in Tokyo
A man and his child look at Pokemon characters displayed at Seokchon Lake in Seoul on April 26, 2024.--AFP The wildly popular Pokemon franchise will open its first permanent theme park in Tokyo in spring 2026, the Pokemon Company -- a subsidiary of Japanese gaming giant Nintendo -- announced. Japan has welcomed a record influx of visitors in recent months, boosting demand for tourist attractions, including a 'Making of Harry Potter' film-studio park that opened in Tokyo in 2023. Named 'PokePark Kanto,' the new 2.6-hectare (6.4-acre) area will be located within Yomiuri Land, the Japanese capital's largest amusement park, the company said Tuesday. 'We want to create a space where Pokemon are always present and where people can have fun with them,' its chief creative fellow Junichi Masuda said in a video announcement. The park will have two areas: a Pokemon 'forest' described as a 'spacious wilderness' and an area for shopping and rides. Pokemon became a global hit after its 1996 launch as a role-playing game for Nintendo's handheld Game Boy console. Inspired by the Japanese summer childhood tradition of bug-collecting, players catch and train in battle hundreds of round-eyed 'pocket monsters' inspired by everything from mice to dragons. The franchise also includes movies, an animated TV show, and the 'Pokemon Go' augmented-reality mobile game.—AFP
CNA
24-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CNA
A Pokemon theme park will open in Japan in 2026
Come 2026, there will be more reasons for you to visit Japan. On Tuesday (Jul 22), The Pokemon Company provided an update on its upcoming theme park PokePark Kanto – a venture that was first announced in 2023. PokePark Kanto is set to be the "first permanent outdoor Pokemon attraction" and will be housed within the Yomiuriland amusement park in Tokyo, Japan. Spanning over 26,000 sqm, PokePark Kanto will be made of two distinct areas: Sedge Town and Pokemon Forest. You'll finally know what it's like to explore a town in the Pokemon universe at Sedge Town. Here, you can visit iconic fixtures of the franchise, including the Pokemon Center, a Poke Mart and even a Pokemon Gym. The area will even have a fountain, as well as shops selling merchandise. If you want to witness Pokemon in their natural habitat, head to Pokemon Forest which spans nearly 500 metres in length. The area comprises many different terrains, including hilly paths, tall grass, tunnels and rocky trails – just like in the games. In a statement, Junichi Masuda, chief creative fellow at The Pokémon Company, said: "Pokemon has grown so much thanks to lots of support from many people. So we wanted to make a place everyone could come together and enjoy. "A space where Pokemon will always be and where people and Pokemon can have fun together. That wish prompted us to begin work on a world where Pokemon truly exist." PokePark Kanto is set to open in early 2026, with advanced ticket sales expected to begin late this year.
GMA Network
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- GMA Network
First permanent Pokemon theme park to open in Tokyo
TOKYO — The wildly popular Pokemon franchise will open its first permanent theme park in Tokyo in spring 2026, the Pokemon Company—a subsidiary of Japanese gaming giant Nintendo—announced. Japan has welcomed a record influx of visitors in recent months, boosting demand for tourist attractions, including a "Making of Harry Potter" film-studio park that opened in Tokyo in 2023. Named "PokePark Kanto," the new 2.6-hectare (6.4-acre) area will be located within Yomiuri Land, the Japanese capital's largest amusement park, the company said Tuesday. "We want to create a space where Pokemon are always present and where people can have fun with them," its chief creative fellow Junichi Masuda said in a video announcement. The park will have two areas: a Pokemon "forest" described as a "spacious wilderness" and an area for shopping and rides. Pokemon became a global hit after its 1996 launch as a role-playing game for Nintendo's handheld Game Boy console. Inspired by the Japanese summer childhood tradition of bug-collecting, players catch and train in battle hundreds of round-eyed "pocket monsters" inspired by everything from mice to dragons. The franchise also includes movies, an animated TV show, and the "Pokemon Go" augmented-reality mobile game. — Agence France-Presse
Yomiuri Shimbun
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Junichi Masuda: PokéPark KANTO, Where Pokémon Are Always There; Tokyo Facility May Evolve After Opening in Spring 2026
'PokéPark KANTO,' an outdoor facility centered on the Pokémon franchise, will open in spring 2026 within the Yomiuriland amusement park that straddles Inagi, Tokyo, and Kawasaki. In an interview with The Yomiuri Shimbun, Junichi Masuda, chief creative fellow at The Pokémon Company, who is leading the development of PokéPark KANTO, spoke about the facility and its main Yomiuri Shimbun: What inspired you to create PokéPark KANTO? Junichi Masuda: Next year will mark the 30th anniversary of the release of the first Pokémon video games, 'Pokémon Red' and 'Pokémon Green' (the latter sold as 'Pokémon Blue' overseas). Based on the original video games, the series has grown into a major franchise including anime and card games, creating a growing global fanbase. Whenever I've met fans at events in Japan and abroad, I've felt that it was wonderful how people were connected through Pokémon. As creators, ever since we made the first games, we have always valued communication through Pokémon. We wanted people to meet each other, trade Pokémon and become friends. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, people were unable to meet each other, and Pokémon events were almost completely canceled. At that time, I wanted to create a place where people could always gather. I wanted a space where people and Pokémon could enjoy themselves together. When I thought about how I could repay the fans who have loved Pokémon for 30 years, I thought, 'It would be fun to have a place where Pokémon are always there.'Yomiuri: Tell us about PokéPark KANTO Masuda: It consists of two areas: 'Pokémon Forest' and 'Sedge Town.' In the games, you travel through forests filled with wild Pokémon, so there's a real sense of relief when you finally arrive in a town and the atmosphere changes to one of safety. I think you'll get that exact feeling here. Pokémon Forest is a lush forest where Pokémon live. There are many Berries, attracting many Pokémon. As you walk through the forest, you will encounter many Pokémon, most of which are wild. We hope visitors will enjoy the adventure of feeling like Pokémon Trainers. Sedge Town is centered around Pokémon Trainers' Market where you can enjoy shopping for many kinds of merchandise. We want visitors to have fun like it's a festival, so we're planning a parade and greetings with Pokémon. There are two other attractions, which we also hope they'll also created a Pokémon Center, Poké Mart and Gym [modeled on those] that appear in the games. I was impressed when I saw the Pokémon Center. Yomiuri: What aspects did you focus on? Masuda: We deliberately separated this project from digital [technology] and focused on the idea of 'a world where Pokémon exist' and 'can be touched.' In Pokémon GO, when you hold up your smartphone, it looks like there are Pokémon in the real world. But when you reach out, they're not there. I thought that having Pokémon that are really there and that you can touch is something we haven't done before, so I wanted to give it a reason for choosing an outdoor setting is that wild Pokémon live in forests and other natural environments. They fly through the sky and move around freely. [In the forest,] you can feel the wind blowing and smell flowers, and Pokémon are there too. I thought that being in nature is very important for living creatures. We are pursuing the appeal of the outdoors. Yomiuri: What points would you like visitors to pay particular attention to? Masuda: Pokémon are living creatures, so just like humans, each one has its own unique character. There are over 600 Pokémon in PokéPark KANTO, and we have created a story for each and every one of them. For example, if it's shy, it might be looking downward a little. We want [visitors] to pay attention to what each Pokémon is looking at, where its gaze is mannerisms are all different too. If two are standing side by side, they might be friends. If they have their backs turned to each other, they might be fighting. I hope visitors will talk about it with their friends and let their imaginations run wild. We hope that visitors will enjoy this facility in a way that is different from previous Pokémon experiences. Yomiuri: What is your message for children? I think that children today don't have many opportunities to play in the woods or touch the soil. In the woods, their feet may get dirty, but I want children to enjoy that. Some Pokémon are so big that visitors have to look up at them, so I want the visitors to compare the size of Pokémon to their own body. There are also Pokémon that visitors can ride on. Yomiuri: What future plans are there for PokéPark KANTO?Masuda: PokéPark KANTO will not be complete when it opens. The Pokémon available at the facility may change depending on the weather or season, and some may even evolve in the future. Since they are living things, they are not always the same. I think that some parts of the facility may change little by little over the years. Once again, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to fans around the world who have continued to support Pokémon. I am truly grateful that we were able to create this facility to coincide with our 30th anniversary. I hope that visitors will find their favorite Pokémon and think, 'I'll come back to see them again.'Junichi Masuda Masuda was born in 1968 and is originally from Yokohama, Japan. As a founding member of GAME FREAK inc., he is one of the original authors of the Pokémon video game series. Masuda has been involved as a director, producer and video game composer for the Pokémon video game series since 1989. He has been in his current position since 2022. ©2025 Pokémon. ©1995-2025 Nintendo/Creatures Inc./GAME FREAK ®, and character names are trademarks of Nintendo.
