Pokémon Japan Championships 2026 Commemoration: PJCS 2026 Pokémon 30th Anniversary Special Event Held

This year, marking the milestone 30th anniversary of Pokémon, The Pokémon Company (Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Tsunekazu Ishihara) held the Japanese national championship 'PJCS 2026' Pokémon 30th Anniversary Special Event at Pacifico Yokohama Exhibition Halls A, B, C, and D on Friday, June 5, 2026. This served as a precursor to the opening of the 'Pokémon Japan Championships 2026' (hereinafter 'PJCS 2026'), which will be held on its largest scale ever on Saturday, June 6, and Sunday, June 7, 2026.

On the day of the event, 'champions' from various industries gathered as guests. These included the comedy duo Takurou, champions of the 'M-1 Grand Prix 2025'; Hifumi Abe, who has conquered the world in numerous judo tournaments in the men's 66kg category; and Hirona Nagahama, who won 1st place overall in the 'Kawaii x Trend' category of the 'FuRyu Kawaii Trend Awards 2025' and 1st place in the people category of the 'JC/JK Buzzword Awards 2025'. In addition to the unveiling of a Monster Ball-shaped stage and talk sessions by the 'champions' who have reached the pinnacle of their respective fields, an exhibition match to determine the 'Champion of Champions' was held using 'Pokémon Champions,' which was selected as a target software for the video game category for the first time. This heightened the excitement for the opening of the special tournament celebrating Pokémon's 30th anniversary.

Furthermore, to commemorate Pokémon's 30th anniversary, a special project and photo time were held where a total of 27 Pokémon that have appeared as starting partners in the 'Pokémon' series released so far gathered together for the very first time.

The event also looked back on the history of 'PJCS,' which celebrated its 8th edition this year. The 'Pokémon Japan Championships,' first held in 2018, overcame a cancellation in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 'Pokémon GO' category was held for the first time in 2022, followed by the 'Pokémon UNITE' category in 2023. And in 2026, the 30th anniversary of Pokémon, 'Pokémon Champions,' which was released this April, was adopted for the video game category, making it the first tournament to determine the Japanese national champion for this title.

The guests appeared in colorful outfits perfect for the unveiling, reminiscent of the image colors of the four 'PJCS' categories: Video Game (Green), Card Game (Red), 'Pokémon GO' (Blue), and 'Pokémon UNITE' (Yellow). Commenting on her charming outfit, Nagahama said, 'With the feel of the (Video Game category) Green Team, I think it maximizes my appeal! I came aiming to be a Pokémon Trainer from inside the game! (laughs)'. A large Monster Ball-shaped stage, one of the highlights of the 'PJCS 2026' venue, was also unveiled. With the call, 'Pokémon Japan Championships 2026 Special Event, start!', Takurou's Yutaka Akagi and Kimura Band, Hifumi Abe, and Hirona Nagahama pressed a button in unison, causing the curtain covering the stage to drop all at once. Along with the Monster Ball-shaped stage, a total of 27 Pokémon that became starting partners in the 'Pokémon' series—from 'Pokémon Red and Green' released in 1996 to 'Pokémon Scarlet and Violet'—made their appearance. This event marked the first time all 27 of these Pokémon gathered in one place. Seeing the numerous Pokémon lined up in front of the impressive Monster Ball stage, Akagi commented, 'I really felt the history.' Nagahama also spoke excitedly, 'I'm so incredibly happy! I want to hug them! I want to take them home with me! (laughs)'

When asked about Pokémon they have fond memories of, Abe commented, 'When I was a child, I played "Pokémon Diamond and Pearl," so I feel nostalgic for the Pokémon you can meet in the Sinnoh region.' Nagahama smiled broadly and said, 'I started playing games from "Pokémon X and Y," so I find the Pokémon from the Kalos region absolutely adorable! I especially love Fennekin so much. It was right in front of me earlier, and I was holding back the urge to go "Wow! I want to pet it!" (laughs).'

Furthermore, it was announced that starting with 'PJCS 2026,' the 27 Pokémon are scheduled to appear in various locations, including Pokémon Centers nationwide. Takurou, who perform live nationwide, offered advice as 'seniors who tour the country.' Akagi joked, 'In regional areas, you might have meals during breaks, but if you don't ask someone to go eat with you early on, you'll end up alone. So, if there's a Pokémon you want to go with, you have to tell them beforehand that you want to go eat together today.' Kimura Band immediately retorted, 'That's not advice at all!' and warmly cheered them on, saying, 'Anyway, I just want you to have fun!'

In the subsequent talk session regarding 'PJCS' and being a 'Champion,' the question was posed: 'What is something you particularly valued in order to become a champion?' Abe answered sincerely, 'Even now, I am always conscious of developing what I am good at.' Akagi followed up, saying, 'Daily discipline. It's about putting in effort every single day toward one match. Making material, concentrating, talking to myself. Also, Zen meditation, running...' Kimura Band quickly interjected with a retort, 'You don't do Zen meditation! Meeting the 27 Pokémon has made you start lying. You just want to sound cool saying running (laughs). He does put in daily effort.'

Additionally, a flip-board talk was held with the prompt, 'You are all already champions, but if you were to aim to be a champion in another genre, what kind of champion would you want to be?' Nagahama answered, 'A Drama Champion,' commenting, 'I want to aim to be a champion in the world of dramas and new expressions while staying true to myself. I want to challenge various genres, like being a detective or the heroine of a romance movie.' On the other hand, Kimura Band answered, 'A Route Guidance Champion,' stating, 'I think it would be great to know every route. I moved to Tokyo in April and there are still so many roads I don't know. The way taxi drivers can give directions looks cool, so I want to be able to say route guidance coolly (laughs).'