Think you have to choose between giving money to charity and buying cool new stuff with your favourite characters printed on them? Think again, my friend! Pokémon will launch a super-cute new line of products on March 8, with all proceeds going to kids affected by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.
Like the awesome POKÉMON with YOU train, the bright and cheerful line of products aims to bring smiles to the faces of children affected by the Tohoku disaster.
The new line is titled hanasaku ashita e, meaning “to a bright (literally, ‘blossoming’) future.” Along with t-shirts, mugs, and stationery items, you can get your hands on this limited edition Pikachu tile for 2,000 yen (US$20).
This colourful tile design is a collaboration with the Minatomachi Ceramika workshop in Onagawa, Miyagi Prefecture. The workshop, which makes bright patterned Spanish tiles, was founded by a group of local women in 2012 with the objective of restoring the colour that the town had lost in the disaster.
The hanasaku ashita e range is the latest charitable venture from Pokémon, which not only includes that amazing train, but also a special POKÉMON with YOU wagon. Almost three years on from the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, it’s estimated that between 100,000 and 250,000 people are still living in temporary accommodation. The POKÉMON with YOU wagon is a Poké-vehicle that provides a fun and safe play space for kids in temporary accommodation in the Tohoku area.
The new range of charity goods go on sale from March 8 at the eight Pokémon Centers across Japan. Prices start from a few hundred yen for postcards and stationery, so if you’re in Japan, find your nearest Pokémon Center and do your bit!
▼ The new handkerchief design. Keeping clean has never been this cute!
▼ Keep your pokéballs close at hand in this nifty pouch (front and back images shown).
▼ This A4 plastic file is a snip at only 250 yen.
Click here for Pokémon Center access and opening hours in English.
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