We Visited PokéPark KANTO, the First Permanent Outdoor Pokémon Attraction

After we've seen Super Mario and adjacent the Minions immortalized astatine taxable parks, I’ve ever wondered wherefore Pokémon hasn't received the aforesaid treatment. We each cognize Pokémon is massive. I ideate children to adults each implicit the satellite would apt emotion to sojourn the satellite of Pokémon for existent — and possibly not ever leave. I’m 1 of them! Finally, during Pokémon’s 30th Anniversary year, PokéPark KANTO is permanently opening successful Yomiuriland Amusement Park conscionable extracurricular of Tokyo, Japan. And I’m 1 of the very, precise fortunate fewer who got to research the parkland earlier its authoritative opening connected February 6, 2026.

As we visited good earlier opening day, I’m not capable to stock the superfluous fig of photos and videos I took, but I tin archer you each astir my acquisition and a small of what to expect successful PokéPark KANTO. Again, the parkland wasn’t successful operating order, truthful the rides, shows, music, crippled booths, and nutrient offerings weren’t available. But honestly, I wouldn’t accidental immoderate of that is the gully of PokéPark KANTO—it’s simply exploring a abstraction with much than 600 life-sized Pokémon.

PokéPark KANTO is chiefly divided up betwixt 2 areas–Pokémon Forest, which is fundamentally a way successful a woodland inhabited by life-sized Pokémon statues meant to emulate surviving Pokémon; and Sedge Town, a tiny postulation of buildings and stalls meant to look similar what a municipality wrong the Pokémon satellite would look like, also inhabited by life-sized Pokémon statues. These statues don’t move, but they are astonishing to spot astir the country and are intelligibly made with care.

The authoritative representation of PokéPark KANTO from the official website.

[Before we continue, enactment I won’t beryllium going into nonstop item astir what I experienced similar which Pokémon I saw where, arsenic I’d similar to sphere the magic for anyone readying connected making a visit. However, I volition corroborate you perfectly volition spot Pokémon from each generation!]

You perfectly volition spot Pokémon from each generation.“

I emotion hiking successful nature, truthful I would person enjoyed a stroll successful the Pokémon Forest careless if it was enhanced adjacent further by the life-sized Pokémon replicas sprinkled passim the environment. This isn’t conscionable a quality locomotion with a tiny fistful of statues to beryllium connected the lookout for, though. The parkland designers didn’t clasp back—Pokémon filled conscionable astir each unfastened space, meticulously placed among trees, successful half-dug holes, astir blooming flowers, and more, with a immense assortment of poses and expressions. There’s a batch of volition astir wherever the Pokémon are placed and what they’re doing. Pay attention, and you’ll announcement small stories and interactions happening betwixt them.

Our radical arrived astatine Yomiuriland connected a cold, dreary, January afternoon, but that didn’t dampen the enthusiasm a azygous bit. Just astir everyone gasped with delight arsenic soon arsenic the archetypal authoritative country wrong Pokémon Forest came into view, brought to beingness with Pokémon and a situation somewhat enhanced by strategically “planted” faux vegetation. The way coiled betwixt antithetic unsocial areas, aptly named things similar “Pikachu and Eevee Forest” and “Ryhorn’s Take Down Hill,” and each caller country captivated maine conscionable arsenic overmuch arsenic the next. I couldn’t halt smiling arsenic I wandered, taking pictures of and with the Pokemon. There were adjacent Trainer’s Tips signs successful some Japanese and English, which lone added to the amusement.

How Strenuous is PokéPark KANTO’s Pokémon Forest, Really?

Previously, IGN reported connected immoderate beauteous strict PokéPark KANTO's Pokémon Forest information rules that bars radical who can’t locomotion up 110 steps without help, children nether 5-years-old, large people, and more, from entering Pokémon Forest specifically. Looking astatine my phone’s data, I took astir 1,500 steps betwixt the opening of the Pokémon Forest way to the entranceway of Sedge Town, and the authoritative website says the way is astir 1,600 feet long. My radical happily spent a precise meandering 30 minutes connected this path, wherever we had to beryllium ushered connected to proceed by staff. It wasn’t arduous, successful my opinion, arsenic idiosyncratic who aims to instrumentality 8,000 steps a time (and fails to instrumentality the clip to bash that arsenic often arsenic I’d like). Some parts of Pokémon Forest did person immoderate comparatively steep stairs, a tiny elevation to climb, and grassy footpaths, making it unluckily not a precise accessibility-friendly area. It besides had immoderate tripping hazards. I’m notoriously clumsy and accident-prone and made it retired of Pokémon Forest scott-free, too immoderate ungraded connected my pants from crouching down to instrumentality photos with Pokémon. Halfway done the path, there’s a dedicated country with benches beneath immoderate shadiness for anyone who needs a rest, too.

An creator practice of Pokémon Forest connected the authoritative website.

This Pokémon Forest is nestled betwixt the Pokémon Research Center (basically the entranceway of PokéPark KANTO) and Sedge Town, and it was decidedly the item of the sojourn for me.

The Pokémon Forest was decidedly the item of the sojourn for me.“

I bash interest astir the effect a ample assemblage would person connected this experience, especially. Being surrounded by gaggles of Pokémon successful the chaotic and hordes of radical whitethorn extract immoderate of the wonderment retired of it all, arsenic it mostly does to astir experiences. We cognize introduction is constricted to a definite fig of radical each day, but we inactive don't cognize what that fig is. A Pokémon Company spokesperson said they person thing to stock connected this taxable astatine this time.

Starting this summer, for anyone incapable to participate oregon uninterested successful Pokémon Forest, determination volition beryllium tickets that assistance introduction lone for the accessible Sedge Town, truthful everyone tin inactive acquisition immoderate of PokéPark KANTO.

The municipality itself had plentifulness of Pokémon scattered astir to support it lively on with activities similar rides, games, nutrient stalls, and the committedness of entertaining Pokémon Parades and performances.

As you tin spot inthe Sedge Town slideshow above, the Pokémon Forest way brings you to a fountain “town square” of sorts with a Pokémon Center and PokéMart. The fountain is made up of a Primarina statue and Water-type Starter Pokémon, and though we couldn’t participate the Pokémon Center oregon PokéMart, I did instrumentality a peek inside. The Pokémon Center had a antagonistic conscionable similar you would find successful a Pokémon game, with a Chansey acceptable to heal your Pokemon team. The PokéMart had pixelated items you’d usually acquisition astatine a PokéMart in-game, similar Potions and Poké Balls, connected shelves down the counter. The authoritative PokéPark KANTO website says the PokéMart is wherever you tin acquisition refreshments, and I did spot a fewer bottles of Monin marque flavored syrups, often utilized to spirit java drinks, down a antithetic portion of the counter.

The cute Pokémon-themed stalls weren’t each open, truthful I can’t accidental what each of them were for, but unit were grooming successful 1 with a Diglett, Dugtrio, and Wiglett-themed carnival ring-tossing crippled I had the accidental to try! Another stall showed immoderate PokéPark KANTO exclusive key-chains of Pikachu and Eevee for sale. There was besides an Altaria-themed nutrient place, possibly called "Altaria's Roost," with a tiny enactment of soups (700 yen), baguette sandwiches (1300 yen), and sides— spinach fries with caesar pick condiment (600 yen), and a greenish effect and seed kale waffle (900 yen).

The prima ocular attraction of Sedge Town is the ornate carousel, a thrust dubbed Vee Vee Voyage. It wasn’t adjacent operating erstwhile I was there, but nonetheless, was a spectacle. It featured some determination forms of Ponyta and Rapidash to ride, Eevee surrounding single-seat seaters attached to balloons, and its Eeveelutions surrounding 2 seaters. Sorry, Vaporeon is not ridable.

The different thrust successful Sedge Town is Pika Pika Paradise, different low-adrenaline children’s thrust featuring Pikachu “cars” to thrust successful and each of its “spiritual successors,” similar Pachirisu, Dedenne, and adjacent Mimikyu, astir arsenic decoration. This 1 looked akin to Disney World’s Dumbo the Flying Elephant ride, oregon Universal’s Islands of Adventure’s One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish ride, but connected a smaller scale. Of course, neither of those person Pikachu.

I envision this portion of PokéPark KANTO being lively with actors some successful and retired of Pokémon costumes performing successful the streets successful a parade and astir the quadrate (I did spot them rehearsing a fig retired of costume!); wherever you tin drawback a snack, instrumentality a spot and relax, partake successful the carnival-style games, oregon bash immoderate airy shopping. It’s honestly not a immense area, but there’s capable attraction to item to marque it an absorbing abstraction to conscionable beryllium in.

An authoritative representation of the Sedge Gym from the authoritative website.

There’s a full-fledged Pokémon Gym down the extremity of the way successful town, too. The entranceway has replicas of the iconic vague Pokémon statues astatine the gyms in-game, which I was truthful stoked to see. The gym is wherever determination volition beryllium Pokémon shows, including a amusement called Pika Pika Sparks, quality meet-and-greets, and perchance more. Again, the attraction to item present is delightful—the seats connected the bleachers are numbered, and a Pokémon icon matching that Pokédex introduction fig accompanies each one, up to 300. Cute!

Of course, there’s a merch shop, called Pokémon Daisuke Shop with items exclusive to PokéPark KANTO, similar peculiar Pikachu and Eevee plush, a assortment of Pokémon ears to wear, ride-themed tins filled with cookies oregon tea, and a batch more. The walls of the abstraction are decorated with nonrecreational (frankly, incredible) photos of the Pokémon replicas recovered astir the park, and the store successful wide felt lukewarm and welcoming. I privation I could person purchased more, but my slope relationship is grateful I couldn’t.

To entree the Pokémon Daisuke Shop, support successful caput patrons volition request an further (free) first-come first-served Limited-Access Ticket, “which tin beryllium requested via the authoritative PokéPark KANTO app aft entering Yomiuriland,” according to the authoritative website. These tickets are meant to modulate visitant traffic, and dependable akin to however The Pokémon Company handles the pop-up Pokémon Centers astatine the Pokémon World Championships. The Sedge Gym shows and meet-and-greets volition besides necessitate a Limited-Access Ticket, but these are awarded via a lottery system. Alternatively, an Ace Trainer’s Pass volition let you to presumption the amusement from a reserved seating country 1 time.

PokéPark KANTO creation from the authoritative website.

PokéPark KANTO isn’t arsenic immersive oregon high-budget as, say, Super Nintendo World wrong Universal’s Epic Universe, but I inactive had a large time, and that’s keeping successful caput I didn’t adjacent acquisition PokéPark KANTO arsenic afloat intended: with euphony oregon dependable effects oregon operating rides oregon shows to docket around. PokéPark KANTO doesn’t usage immoderate position tricks to support it contained wrong itself, either—I could inactive spot (and hear) the rides of Yomiuriland conscionable beyond the bounds of PokéPark KANTO. The abstraction relied a batch connected the preexisting earthy settings too, but the fantastically large fig of Pokemon statues themselves and the astonishing attraction to item inactive impressed me. And though there’s a batch to spot and savor and instrumentality in, determination aren’t galore “star attractions” (besides possibly the shows oregon parade I didn't see.) The acquisition itself of being astir to-scale Pokémon successful what appears to beryllium their earthy habitats, and successful a real-life Pokémon municipality implicit with a Pokémon Center, PokéMart, and Gym, is the main attraction. I'm assured that if you emotion Pokémon, PokéPark KANTO volition spark a consciousness of childlike wonderment similar it did for me, and I was much than blessed to walk 2 hours there. I’m definite with the parkland unfastened astatine afloat operational capacity, too, the acquisition would person lasted person to 3 oregon four!

For much accusation connected PokéPark KANTO similar tickets, location, and more, cheque retired our archetypal PokéPark KANTO announcement communicative oregon the authoritative website.