Pokémon just opened its ninth and tenth themed children’s park in Japan, this time centering the Pokémon Black and White water starter, Oshawott. The parks, which opened in Suzuka City and Toba City in the Mie Prefecture, are part of the company’s ongoing Pokémon Local Acts program.
As much as we love Pokémon in the West, our Pokémania will never compare to the huge influence that Game Freak’s nearly 30-year-old franchise has had on Japanese culture. The Pokémon Local Acts program began in April 2018 as a way to promote the “charms” of Japan’s various regions through the game series, specifically by assigning different prefectures their own Ambassador Pokémon, starting with the gen 1 Pokémon, Vulpix, for the Hokkaido region.
The water Pokémon, Oshawott, is known for its scallop shell, and the Mie Prefecture has excellent shellfish, so the two go hand in hand. According to The Pokémon Company, the “foremost aim” of the parks initiative is to “give children attractive places to play outdoors.” So, starting with the adorably pink Chansey parks in Fukushima, Pokémon has worked with local governments to bring these playgrounds to life across the country.
As much as I would like to claim that the new Oshawott parks are yet another sign of a Pokémon Black and White remake, I think these attractions, as well as the other Pokémon Local Acts activities, are a great way to show off the lesser-known parts of Japan to tourists through their favorite Pokémon. Sure, we can’t visit all the Pokémon regions in real life, but we can learn more about a real country and culture through the series’ values.
I hope I get to visit the Oshawott park, or any other Pokémon park, in the future. There are so many cute Pokémon that would make excellent ambassadors, so I can’t wait to see the program grow and evolve. While we might not get such intricate attractions outside of Japan, you can visit Pikachu and its friends as part of the Pokémon Go Road Trip around Europe very soon.
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