Pikachu Takes Over Tokyo: Parades, Jets and the Pokémon Center

Few characters travel as far as Pikachu. Born as a small electric mouse in the Pokémon games, Pikachu is now a worldwide mascot for Japanese pop culture, and Tokyo is where that shows best. Every summer the Pikachu Outbreak event in Yokohama fills the streets with dozens of dancing Pikachu performers, and crowds line the waterfront to watch the parade.

Pikachu has even taken to the sky. All Nippon Airways flew Boeing 747s painted with Pikachu and friends, turning ordinary domestic flights into a flying celebration of the franchise for passengers of all ages.

Back on the ground, the Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo in Ikebukuro is a pilgrimage site for fans, packed with plush toys, trading cards and exclusive merchandise that you will not find anywhere else.

From parades to planes, Pikachu shows how a small character can carry big themes of friendship, perseverance and adventure, the same spirit that makes Japanese anime loved around the world.