Seventh Japan Pokemon Center to be built post-March 11 disaster
New store is part of "Pokemon With You" disaster support initiative.
Ever since the March 11 disaster and tsunami in Japan, The Pokemon Company has been quiet in terms of expanding its Pokemon Center stores across the country. According to the official Pokemon website in Japan, the company announced that it will be opening a new Pokemon Center shop in Sendai City in the Miyagi Prefecture by the end of the year, specifically this winter.
The store itself sells official Pokemon merchandise, be it the video games, the collectible cards, the clothes, or the toys. This outlet will be built in the Aer skyscraper, one of the tallest buildings in the Tohoku region. The store's primary goal is to bring children together and help them deal with the disaster as part of the "Pokemon With You" disaster relief initiative. The initiative helps secure and raise funds for disaster victims.
This is the first Pokemon center to be built since the disaster. The Tohoku branch is also going to be the seventh Pokemon Center store to be built in the country, with the most recent store opened in Osaka last November. For more information on the franchise, check out GameSpot's coverage on Pokemon Rumble Blast and Pokemon Black and White.
lol I want one in Singapore! XD
Only 70? There should be one in every country.
So if I take my dying pet there, will they heal it free of charge?
very happy that pokemon is helping japan after the earthquake.
very happy that pokemon is helping out japan after the earthquake. but the opening will be after TGS!.
I might be 23 now but Pokemon will never cease to be an incredible part of my childhood and for that I say, keep expanding! (Also wouldn't mind if they designed a new set of Pokemon that actually looked as cool and unique as the first).
@Spahettificator - ha! the question is will those guys be able to say anything other than 'chansey' while helping customers ;)
@pokecharm And the male employees are hidden in Chansey outfits :P
I hope they post pics of what this looks like - maybe the staff will all be dressed like Nurse Joy or Officer Jenny :)
@Spahettificator Good one!
Lol when i clicked on this i really thought pokemon centers were helping post disaster.
They might say it's to bring children together and recover from the disaster, but we all know it's about money... I hate how they profit from the situation; It's not like they're giving away Pokemon merchandise.
Pokemon Center also opening in Boston, MA soon; a new reason on the short list to take the disgusting subway into town.
Ten years ago I might care.
What? there are Pokemon Centers in REAL LIFE?
Dang it the must be atleast one EVRYWHERE.
I would love one in Toronto.
How about building some in LA, NYC (Nintendo Store is cool, but I'd like to visit a Pokemon-specific store), Houston, and a few in Canada! (Maybe Winnipeg, Ontario, etc.)
nice, but it seems you have to go to the store so we can't help :(
Sweet, I want to go to Japan and see it!
Are the staff all Nurse Joy?
@dillonpeterliam US already had one a while back. They reformatted the store to be the Nintendo World Store so it would appeal to a wider crowd. It is in NYC
They should build some here in North America...
wish we had a few here in the states
I have visited two Pokemon Centers in Japan: one in Osaka and one in Tokyo. They are definitely geared towards the younger crowd, but they are pretty cool nonetheless. This new one looks like a great way to reinvigorate the kids of a traumatized region.
i wish we had one of those in canada...
Wish they had these in the US... (Yeah yeah, NY had one)
"Wtf is a Pokemon Center and why do they exist in real life?" (Is what I thought when I read this headline)
Well that's nice to hear. :)
They tried them in the US. New York had one, that they decided to convert into the Nintendo World Store. They were supposed to build one in LA too, but never did.
Its only a matter of time before they spread to EU or US, wonder what will be first? PS: Charizard FTW!
Excellent example of Brand building, this company will make billions
Just a thought, but if you want more sales, release Pokemon Gray please! Otherwise, great job, I was a bit mislead by Pokemon Centre across Japan, was like WTF o.O. Anyways great job.
Good on Nintendo for doing something to help the victims of this disaster out C:
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Pokemon Rumble Blast
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- Publisher(s): Nintendo
- Developer(s): Ambrella
- Genre: Action
- Release: Oct 24, 2011 (US) »
- ESRB: E10+








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