Over 100 Pokémon take over Tokyo’s Nihonbashi and Yaesu districts

Over 100 Pokémon take over Tokyo’s Nihonbashi and Yaesu districts. The announcement gives anime fans a fresh reason to pay attention, with the details coming from the report and its cited source material.

2026-09-08 23:45 EDT by Ken Iikura-Gross Can you find 'em all? Popular AR game Pokémon GO and the Mitsui Shopping Park announced on August 28 the "Encounter Legendary Poké mon: Legend Research" event in Tokyo's Nihonbashi and Yaesu districts. The event runs between September 9 and November 29, and it features 19 life-sized legendary Pokémon statues erected around Nihonbashi and Yaesu, particularly at the Nihonbashi Mitsui Tower, COREDO Muromachi 1, 2, and 3, COREDO Muromachi Terrace, and Tokyo Midtown Yaesu. Over 100 Pokémon are appearing in Pokémon GO within the event area. Image via Pokémon GO ©2026 Pokémon. ©1995-2026 Nintendo/Creatures Inc./GAME FREAK inc. Pokémon and Pocket Monsters are trademarks of Nintendo, Creatures Inc., and Game Freak In The Pokémon Legend Research event also includes a puzzle-solving mystery challenge at the Yaesu Nihonbashi Mitsui Tower, COREDO Muromachi 1, 2, and 3, COREDO Muromachi Terrace, and Tokyo Midtown Yaesu. Participants in the Pokémon Legend Research puzzle-solving mystery challenge must register at the Nihonbashi Mitsui Tower and purchase the puzzle-solving kit. A device that can access the event's website is required for the challenge. The puzzle-solving kit is priced at 3,300 yen (about US$21). The puzzle-solving event hours are 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on weekdays and 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on weekends. Final submission for the answers is due at 7:00 p.m. on weekdays and 8:00 p.m. on weekends. Niantic and The Pokémon Company International launched the Pokémon GO app in select countries including the United States in July 2016. Sco

What the announcement means

pely — a Saudi Arabia-owned mobile game developer and publisher — bought the game and its team in 2025.

Our opinion

More than 100 Pokémon taking over Nihonbashi and Yaesu is less a quiet promotion than a small-scale civic invasion, and frankly Pikachu has never respected zoning. The event shows how effectively Pokémon can turn a city into a playground, but the appeal depends on being there in person. For fans in Tokyo it looks like a worthwhile wander; for everyone else, the photos and official coverage will have to do the heavy lifting.