PokéPark Kanto

Poké Park KANTO is a life-size immersive world recreating the video game and anime’s universe. Its opening on February 5, 2026 near Tokyo coincides with the 30th anniversary of the Pokémon franchise. While not exactly the 1rst official Pokémon park in the world, as a short-lived attempt was made in Nagoya for a few months in 2005, then in Taiwan in 2006, it is nonetheless the 1rst permanent park dedicated to the pocket monsters, established thanks to the collaboration of The Pokémon Company and Yomiuri Land Co. Until then, the only way to meet the cute monsters was to track the temporary events taking place in Tokyo or in Yokohama such as the Pikachu Outbreak Festival for example.

PokéPark KANTO is now taking a 2,6 hectares space inside Yomiuriland, a conventional attraction park with thrill rides, an aquatic center in summer and beautiful illuminations in winter.

Immersion in a world of Pokémon

PokéPark KANTO is an enclosed space located in the east of Yomiuriland park: the entrance of the mini-park is set at a plaza adorned with life-size statues of the Kanto area’s starter Pokémon: Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle, as well as the popular Pikachu and Eevee.

The plaza is also gives access to the souvenir shop Pokémon Daisuki Shop (mandatory reservation through the official app on the "1rst come 1rst served basis," once a day only) and the Poké Research Lab. The latter is the real start of the experience, as Professor Oak’s research facility is in fact the gate to the 2 playing areas: the Pokémon Forest and the little Sedge Town (Kayatsuri Town). There, visitors are given a Pokédex-like illustrated research notebook and ushered towards one of the 2 areas depending on their pass.

The tunnel-like entrance makes a realistic transition that provide an instant visual immersion. The sound effects are also very important: the park is resonating with Pokémon soundtracks and musics consistent with the places they are aired, especially in Sedge Town, and the pocket monsters’ characteristic sounds, cries and growls can be heard throughout the park.

Playing Pokémon Go also allows to make the most of the park’s exploration throughout the year: special Pokémon are available on a seasonal basis in all of the PokéPark space. The Pokémon list is available on the Pokémon Go game’s official website.

Pokémon Forest

The Pokémon Forest is home to more than 600 different Pokémons, including those originating from the Kanto area. They are shown in "realistic" situations: some are hiding in the trees, other are playing along a walking path. There are even Pokémon waiting to ambush visitors at the exit of a tunnel, and a herd passing through the same pathway.

The plausibility of the situations and of the Pokémon’s attitudes is based on the work done by the authors of Pokecology (to be published in English). Thus, the Pokémon are shown in a quasi-scientific way with very likely animal behaviors.

The staging craftily exploits the land’s reliefs and recreates several "natural habitats" that are likely to be home to specific types of Pokémon. The area itself is about 500 meters long, but it can easily take 1 to 2 hours to walk around it as there is so much to discover. Moreover, it is possible to touch the statues and take pictures with them. The size of the Pokémons is truthfully rendered, as can be seen with the gigantic Onix, and some of the biggest specimen can accommodate a rider for a picture.

However, there are a few restrictions to keep in mind:

• The area is not a leveled playground, there are steep slopes and an 110 steps stairway, so people with reduced mobility cannot access easily, and entry is even prohibited to children under 5 years old.
• Depending on the pass type, entering the forest is limited to specific time slots that must be reserved upon purchasing the pass. Being late may result in being denied entry in the forest.

Sedge Town

Sedge Town, called Kayatsuri Town in Japanese, is a typical small town of the Pokémon games. It is open to every visitor of the Pokémon Park KANTO, and in addition to the many Pokémon living there, it also offers various kinds of entertainment, starting by the classic:

• Pokémon Center, where Nurse Joy and her Chansey take care of the Pokémon brought by their trainers;
• Poké Mart, for trainers to get their supply of snacks and drinks exclusively sold at the Poképark KANTO;
• The Sedge Gym arena, where Pika Pika Sparks! dance shows are performed several times a day at the tune of Pokémon musics (access by a lottery, once a day and per show).

The Pokémon Trainers’ Market is the biggest part of the city, with small chalets lining up along a large alley and selling souvenirs, various Pokémon merch and take away food and drinks.

Like the Pokémon Forest, the little town is teeming with Pokémon statues, skillfully made and staged, and with a great care for detail. However, the true stars are Pikachu and Eevee who parade several times a day in The Pikachu and Eevee Bubble Carnival. The small troop of comedians cosplaying the Pokémons and dancers full of energy frequently enliven the city between Sedge Gym and Primarina fountain.

Pikachu and Eevee are also the main characters of the park’s only 2 rides: Pika Pika Paradise and Vee Vee Voyage (charged separately, to pay on site).

Lastly, Meet & Greet sessions with Pokémon are offered at the Pokémon Playhouse (upon reservation in the app, 1rst come 1rst served basis, once a day only).

Online ticket purchase

As soon as it opened on November 2025, the PokéPark KANTO online ticket shop was overloaded and simply trying to register for the lottery to get a ticket could require several hours wait.

As it is often the case with Japanese licensed parks, the visit must be planned 2 months in advance and luck must be on your side. The purchase of admission tickets to the PokéPark KANTO can only be made on the park’s official website following 2 procedures varying when ordering from Japan or from overseas:

• From Japan, one must create an account on the PokéPark’s website, with a verification procedure requiring to have a valid Japanese phone number. Then, one must enter a lottery to try and get an Ace Trainer’s Pass, the other pass being available on a "1rst come 1rst served basis", but the wait can be long. The whole process is conducted in Japanese only and is also accessible in the official app.
• From outside Japan, the pass are sold on a "1rst come 1rst served basis" until there is no more tickets available (the number of tickets may vary according to what has already been allotted in the lottery in Japan). The whole process is conducted in English, and ticket sales open at 6 p.m. (Japan time) for a visit date 2 months ahead.

How much is a ticket to the PokéPark Kanto

There are several types of pass, whose prices vary according to the days and the seasons:

• Ace Trainer’s Pass, the most comprehensive one, that costs from ¥14,000 to ¥16,500 per adult. It grants access to the Pokémon Forest and Sedge Town without time slot reservation. It includes special Meet-and-Greets, a seat for one of the shows at Sedge Gym, the use of the priority lane for the rides and attractions, and original Pokémon goods;
• Trainer’s Pass, that costs from ¥7,900 to ¥9,400. It grants a 1-time access to the Pokémon Forest at a specific time slot, and unlimited access to Sedge Town on the same day.

The Town Pass should be available soon for visits starting in summer 2026 and its price should range from ¥4,700 to ¥5,500. It only offers access to Sedge Town upon reservation of an entry hour and is mostly intended to those who could not access the Pokémon Forest (persons with reduced mobility and children 5 years old and younger).

There are a few things to remember when purchasing a pass for the PokéPark KANTO:

• All PokéPark KANTO passes include admission to Yomiuriland park (but not necessarily to its attractions);
• 1 person can only buy 2 tickets at once (a limit to keep in mind especially when planning a family trip to the park);
• Access to the Pokémon Forest is prohibited to 5 years old and younger children;
• Sedge Town is open to everyone regardless their age or their mobility (children up to 3 years old enter for free);
• Passes are non-exchangeable and non-refundable.

A lively park true to the Pokémon franchise

Our experience at the PokéPark KANTO was overall very good and we highly recommend it for hard core fans and even visitors that are just curious. The possible weaknesses are due to the fact that the park is victim of its success:

• Purchasing a pass can be difficult;
• There are a lot of waiting lines in the park, to the souvenir shops, some attractions and to buy food;
• There is not enough tables to accommodate lunchtime comfortably, and eating standing or sitting on low walls can be quite cumbersome.

As for the food sold in the park, don't expect an extraordinary culinary experience, even though latte art Pokémon drinks are really cute and instagrammable.

Regardless, fans of the Pokémon franchise will enjoy a very good theme park 🎡, welcoming for families with children despite the restrictions of the Pokémon Forest. Sedge Town is particularly lively, permanently immersed in the music of the various games and anime. In addition to the Pikachu and Evee parades, many other Pokémon roam the park and sometimes stop for a picture.

The staff is friendly, and most of its many members speak rather good English, which helps non Japanese speaking visitors to feel at ease.

We recommend arriving at the PokéPark KANTO as early as possible as there is so much to explore. Entry time in the Pokémon Forest is allotted at the time of purchase and is non-negotiable. However, once in the forest, it is possible to take your time, all the more as some of its areas cannot be reentered, and there no real time limit to stay (the staff however makes sure that visitors keep moving).

Moreover, the park’s official app is required to fully enjoy the park, starting by using it to register the pass after purchase and for a smoother entrance at the gate. The app is only working in Japan but is available in English. It allows to book or enter the lottery for all of the park’s events and therefore for the planning of your day as soon as arriving at the PokéPark KANTO.

Lastly, this official Pokémon park is also of an easy access from Tokyo and allows to discover Yomiuriland at the same time, which is the biggest attraction park of the Kanto area.