
Just how long is it supposed to take to hatch those eggs?
Pokémon Go has officially become a worldwide sensation. It’s not only fun, it’s also a great way to get outside and interacting with others.
You’ve probably already gotten and hatched a few eggs, one of the goodies you can get from swiping nearby Pokéstops. They come in three varieties: two kilometers (1.24 miles), five kilometers (3.1 miles), and ten kilometers (6.21 miles). The more you walk while the game is in use, the more eggs you can hatch.
But exactly how fast, on average, can you hatch a five kilometer egg? In more rural areas, where you probably travel a lot by car, it can be tough to get those five kilometers in just one day unless you go out of your way to do it. In cities where public transportation and walking are more common–say, in Tokyo–you might even be able to hatch one of those babies a day just by going about your daily business.
▼ So, why five kilometers? Twitter user @Toku_Hero points out this interesting factoid.
多分日本人の87%が「ポケモンがスマホで遊べる」という認識で、まさか「モバイルバッテリー常備が必須で一日5km徒歩が当たり前」なIngressをベースに作られたゲームと理解してない人が多い方に50ピカチュウ
— Toku_Hero (@Toku_Hero) July 20, 2016
“I think about 87% of Japanese people just think of Pokémon Go as a mobile game. I’d bet 50 Pikachus that most don’t realize that it’s based on Ingress. Ingress was created based on the idea that as long as you have your battery fully charged, it’s easy to walk five kilometers in a day [for the game].”
That’s right. Remember Ingress? It’s the hit game by Niantic and Google that preceded Pokémon Go. The idea was to reach portals placed at real-life locations and connect them to each other. Just like Ingress, Pokémon Go is based on a real-life map.
▼ That’s when another Twitter user responded to @Toku_Hero’s discovery with something equally profound.
一時間歩いておよそ4kmです。「皆さん、ゲームの為に毎日75分間歩きますか?」と質問されてるようです。
— holycowboy2099 (@holycowboy2099) July 20, 2016
“The average person can walk about four kilometers in one hour. [Niantic] is basically asking, ‘Can you walk for 75 minutes a day to play a video game?'”
There you have it. Along with having fun, Niantic wants you to get moving by playing their games. But, hey, we’re not complaining! (Okay, maybe our feet are.)
Here’s what some other internet users thought of the discovery:
“I envy students. I want more free time…”
“I’ll walk as much as it takes to get my favorite Pokémon.”
“It’s pretty difficult to walk that much in the blazing heat, snow, or heavy rain…”
Despite all odds, how many eggs can you hatch in a day? Try timing your personal 5K and put yourself to the 75 Minute Challenge!
▼ “There had better be a rare Pokémon in this egg…”
Sources: Jin 115, Wikipedia, Twitter/@Toku_Hero, Twitter/@holycowboy2099
Images: Flickr/fdecomite, Flickr/Andrew Bowden


How to hatch your Pokémon GO eggs without taking a single step
Another way to hatch your Pokémon GO eggs without taking a step: pay this company to walk for you
How to hatch your Pokémon GO eggs without any walking by using a handheld massager【Video】
Pokémon GO Plus may be hiding an awesome secret bonus for users, our field test discovers
Five ways we’d like Niantic to fix Pokémon GO
Starbucks Japan closing only Shinkansen platform branch for popularity-triggered renovations
You can assemble a well-balanced team of Pokémon, them eat them, thanks to Japanese cake chain
Sailor Moon’s Artemis is part of the Artemis II NASA mission control team[Video]
A Kyoto factory vending machine sells gourmet mystery meals at bargain prices
Can a downtown Tokyo super sento bathhouse beat a hotel for a one-night stay?
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Japan named most sleep-deprived country for fourth year in a row, according to survey
Man arrested for threatening a shrine in Kyoto because they used AI art
Totoro sequel anime Mei and the Baby Catbus will screen at Ghibli Park this winter
Tokyo’s best museum for foreign travelers finally reopens after being closed for four years
Pokémon lacquerware series expands for Year of the Horse with new handcrafted design[Video]
Two food hacks take Japan’s convenience store fried chicken to amazing new sandwich heights
Tokyo subway and almost all Tokyo train lines now accepting credit card tap payments
Totoro Fund line of beautiful artwork and apparel lets you help the real-world Totoro Forest
Fading Tokyo – Searching for signs of the Showa era as local neighborhoods evolve[Photos]
Famous Tokyo cherry blossom spot installs view-blocking screens to fight overcrowding[Video]
Tokyo turns its phone booths into free Wi-Fi hotspots, and here’s how to use them
Studio Ghibli adds new My Neighbour Totoro 2026 Corn Gift to its anime store for Mother’s Day
Japan now has a special desk for people who work at home with a pet cat[Photos]
Uniqlo announces new T-shirts for One Piece, Naruto and more for manga publisher’s 100th birthday
Train station platform ramen store closes its doors on half a century of history in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the country
Studio Ghibli releases Catbus pullback keychain that runs like the anime character
Krispy Kreme releases Super Mario doughnuts in Japan for a limited time
Japanese onsen egg maker from 100-yen store Daiso needs to be on your shopping list
Nine great places to see spring flowers in Japan, as chosen by travelers (with almost no sakura)
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Pokémon GO adding team-up battles to finally deliver on one of its earliest promises
Pokémon GO Plus accessory already amassing heaps of complaints – even before it’s released
Here’s how the awesome new Pokémon GO mobile game will look on your smartphone
Clip-type massagers: The newest way to hatch your Pokémon GO eggs without walking【Video】
How many of these Pokémon GO memes can you relate to?
Pokémon Gold and Silver Pocket Monsters finally added to Pokémon GO!
6 reasons why Pokémon GO might make a comeback, according to P.K. Sanjun
A totally new Pokémon GO experience using both sights and sounds opens in Tokyo
Exercise-hating Pokémon GO player discovers another way to find and hatch Pokémon without walking
Pokémon GO player captures an incredibly rare two shot photograph of Pikachu and Satoshi
Updates on Nintendo’s revolutionary Pokémon Go: Gyms, teams, location-specific Pokémon and more
We catch up with world’s first Pokémon Go master, Nick Johnson, in Tokyo
Pokémon GO now doctor-approved thanks to Tokyo University study
Survey reveals why Japanese players quit Pokémon GO, and it’s likely not for the reason you think