Our journey through Japan continues: In Ikebukuro we visited the largest Poké store in Japan. How does the Land of the Rising Sun deal with its most famous franchise?
Gaming and nerd culture are taken seriously in Japan. At least in some places. Cardboard cutouts or anime-style promotional figures can be found at every corner, and even some gaming brands are used for franchises and advertising.
One of the brands that has been booming in Japan for years is Pokémon. Our author Benedict visited the largest Poké store in Japan, the Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo in Ikebukuro.
Pokéballs on the Ceiling – A Poké Store in the Trendiest Shopping Mall
Pokémon is one of the most popular franchises in Japan. In my almost 6 months in the country, I haven’t noticed another brand that was more represented. It was only overshadowed when special events from other popular anime series or games were currently happening.
The Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo is a store in the Sunshine Center in Ikebukuro, one of the trendiest shopping malls in Tokyo. Accordingly, it attracts a lot of visitors, and it is quite crowded as well. Even the path to the shop in the center is marked with Pokéballs on the ceiling.
The center was founded in 1998 and is thus the first in the world. The reopening in Ikebukuro, however, took place only three years ago, after the original store had grown so much that a better location was needed.
Lots of Pokémon Merchandise in Little Space
“Grown” does not mean that the premises are large. As is often the case with all stores in Tokyo, the Pokémon Store is packed tightly to fit as many products as possible into a small space.
In terms of area, it is probably as big as two classrooms. However, it took me almost 2 hours to see everything and get a clear picture.
With the number of products there, hardly any had more than five items on the shelf. The selection is huge, and as soon as something is sold out, it is immediately restocked. Even in the early evening, when not much is going on anymore, five employees were still bustling through the aisles checking to see if everything was in stock.
Toys, Sweets, Clothing … Nothing That Doesn’t Exist
The range of items is overwhelming. I probably still can’t grasp and describe everything that was there. And that, despite the fact that I literally took a picture of every shelf. By the end of the photo series, I had forgotten what was in the middle.
However, there were some particularly crazy items that remained in my memory even without pictures. Besides the usual merchandise like plush toys, keychains, clothing, and stationery, there were also dishes, cups, chopsticks (Hashi) for children and adults, plates, and baking molds for Pikachu cakes.
But it really gets crazy on the way to the checkout. Conveniently placed for whiny and now excited children, there are entire shelves full of sweets right in front of the checkout: Cookies, gummy Pokémon, candies, and Yōkan, a jelly made from red bean paste. Why? Just because.
By the Way, Pokémon is Also a Game
Of course, the current Pokémon games X and Y and trading cards can also be purchased. In addition, there are matching handheld consoles in Pokémon style, sometimes bundled with the corresponding games.
For those who prefer Pokémon GO, which is also widespread in Japan, there are also accessories for their smartphones. Phone cases for the iPhone with Pokémon motifs or even directly in the shape of Pikachu for the Poké safari on the streets.
For fans of analog games, there are also board games, most of which I didn’t really understand. Although there is at least one version of Pokémon Monopoly, there are also frisbees and something that looks like a claw machine for home.
Enough Shopping? Then Time to Play or Look at Figures!
The Pokémon Center invites you to stay even when you have already spent enough time spending your money. At every corner of the store stand the newest or most famous Pokémon as huge figures (estimated 1.5-2m tall).
If that’s not enough, you can take a photo with the star Pokémon of the latest generation for a fee right at the entrance of the store. A small panorama is set up for this, where two employees give short instructions and point to the markings on the ground that the photographer and the photographed should stand on for the best results.
When you have had enough of looking, you can also do something active. Next to the entrance are several gaming machines where Pokken Tournament can be played. They were mostly well occupied.
Too Much of a Good Thing?
Although the store was well visited and packed with goodies, I didn’t feel overwhelmed. Not even from Pokémon did I seem to be getting a “drug overdose”, despite the continuously repeating commercials and jingles from small monitors.
It behaves in the Pokémon Center Mega Store like in other merchandise stores for other franchises in Japan: Everything revolves around one theme, but it is illuminated from so many angles that nothing gets repetitive.
Whether Fate, Monster Hunter, One Piece, or Pokémon, the fan stores manage to exploit their brand – in a positive sense. While some items may seem cheesy, I only saw a few that made me shake my head and think, “Who needs that?” So definitely recommendable for fans.
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