A Pokemon gathering that was set to take place at the controversial Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo is no longer happening, as The Pokemon Company (TPC) canceled and apologized for the event. The Pokemon event that was scheduled to take place at the Yasukuni Shrine was themed around the franchise's popular trading card game.
Given the popularity of the Pokemon TCG, events have long been a way for players to come together. Although Pokemon TCG events hosted by The Pokemon Company are held periodically, anyone with official Pokemon Play credentials can host local events at various locations, including card shops and venues. These events can range from a Pokemon TCG expansion launch to a competitive tournament of different sizes. With the recent arrival of Pokemon TCG's Ascended Heroes expansion, trainers will have various opportunities to participate in events and trade cards with their peers.
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Pokemon Apologizes for TCG Event Incident
Although the Pokemon TCG and its many expansions are popular for collectors and scalpers alike, a meetup that was scheduled to happen in Japan has already been called off. On January 30, The Pokemon Company released an apology for a Pokemon TCG gathering that was scheduled to take place at the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo. Via machine translation, TPC said, "We sincerely apologize for the various reactions and opinions that have been generated as a result of this publication." TPC added that information about an event at the Yasukuni Shrine was posted "due to a lack of due diligence." TPC said that the listing was made on the event search page of the "Pokemon Card Game Trainers Website", which, "operates a system that posts information about events hosted by individuals with Pokemon Card Game certification."
Following its cancellation of the Yasukuni Shrine event that was listed, TPC said, "To prevent a similar incident from happening again in the future, we will thoroughly review and strengthen our event information checking system and approval process, and strive to prevent recurrence." Located near the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, The Yasukuni Shrine is a historical Shinto shrine where people who died in wars between 1869 and 1954 are memorialized. The names and origins of the people honored within Yasukuni Shrine can be found within its registry, called the Book of Souls. This includes soldiers who fought for Japan during the first and second Sino-Japanese Wars and World War II. Although over 2.4 million individuals are named throughout the shrine, 1,066 of them are convicted war criminals from the Pacific Theater of World War II, who fought for Imperial Japan at the time.
Between its history and the various political figures that have visited it throughout the years, the Yasukuni Shrine is considered a highly controversial place in Japan and outside it. Given how much attention the shrine gets, the planned Pokemon TCG event drew backlash in China. Following China's response, The Pokemon Company quickly removed the Yasukuni Shrine event from its calendar. Although China and Japan have previously teamed up to enforce piracy laws, the two countries are currently at odds over the political status of Taiwan.
Pokemon's Plans for 2026 Remain Unchanged
TPC said that its philosophy of "connecting the world through Pokemon" will be paramount in ensuring future events are placed in more acceptable locations throughout the world. As for the future of the Pokemon franchise, fans will not have to wait long for new information. The 30th anniversary of Pokemon will be held throughout 2026, and at least two Pokemon video game titles, Pokemon Pokopia and Pokemon Champions, will be released sometime this year.
However, all eyes will be on February 27, when Pokemon Day will be observed. Given that a Pokemon Presents broadcast usually happens on Pokemon Day, it will likely be no different this year. With rumors of Pokemon's next mainline game generation continuing to gain momentum, it remains to be seen what surprises Pokemon has in store for its fans across the world.