Permanent Pokemon Center opens at Nihonbashi Takashimaya Tokyo

Japanese fans can step into a whole world of Pokemon in a new experiential store in Tokyo.

The Pokemon Center brings the game franchise to life with a range of Pokemon merchandise on sale. This is the Japanese franchise’s third Pokemon Center, and by far its largest with 1300sqm of floor space. It is also the first to include a cafe, which offers a range of foods including themed curries and pancakes in the shape of the Pokemon character Pikachu.

Located inside the Nihonbashi Takashimaya Department store, it serves as another example of how traditional department stores are embracing new experiential concepts to make up for declining sales in traditional categories.

The store opened yesterday and a special promotion will run until April 22 offering shoppers giveaways, including assets to use in the smartphone-based Pokemon game.

Merchandise on sale at the Pokemon Center include soft toys and accessories.

Earlier stores are in Sapporo, which was recently upgraded, and at the Tokyo Skytree complex, which opened in July 2016.