Happy Winter event gives us Pokémon like we’ve never seen them before.

Earlier this month, the Pokémon GO Eight Views of the Asakusa Routes event sadly wrapped up, bringing an end to the interactive fun that combined real-world art displays in Tokyo’s historic Asakusa neighbourhood with the gameplay of the Pokémon GO mobile game.

Thankfully, there’s a new event in Tokyo for fans, and this time it’s the famous — and crowded — Takeshita Street in Harajuku that’s getting Poké-fied for a limited time. 

▼ The event is called Pokémon Harajuku Takeshita Street Happy Winter 23/24.

This special collaboration between Pokémon and Harajuku’s Takeshita Street Shop Association runs from 16 December 2023 to 9 January 2024, during which time you can find plenty of decorative Pokémon elements in the area, including photo spots and Christmas trees.

The highlight, though, is the digital stamp rally, where you can collect 87 types of Pokémon. To catch ’em, simply download the free event app — available in Japanese and English — and then scan the QR code on these posters hidden throughout the street.

When you scan them, you’ll receive the Pokémon in the form of a digital stamp, which includes the date it was procured and the place on the street where you found them.

Some of the stamps are located slightly outside of Takeshita Street, but they’re not too far away so our reporter P.K. Sanjun and his daughter, who took part in the event, were able to catch all 87 Pokémon in about two hours.

Because Takeshita Street is known for its fashionable crowd, the Pokémon themselves also look unique, appearing in unusual poses.

▼ P.K. and his daughter were particularly enamoured by the flying Snorlax and laid-back Flabébé.

While Pokémon trainers will no doubt want to collect all the stamps, it’s not entirely necessary, as the event caters to all sorts of visitors so those in a rush can pick up one or two as they pass through the street or even return to catch more later. Those who collect six stamps will be entered into a lottery to win a prize, so there is an incentive to stay and search for at least half a dozen while you’re in the area.

▼ With photo spots like this one along the street, it’s easy to stay and explore for longer than intended.

P.K. saw a lot of fans, including many parents with their children, taking part in the event when he visited. Though he was a little worried initially that his daughter, being quite young, might become bored before they had a chance to collect all the Pokémon in the area, the time passed a lot quicker than they both expected, due to the fun nature of the event.

P.K. and his daughter, whom he photographed above during their visit, have long bonded over their love of Pokémon, and this event helped to further strengthen that bond. For P.K., that was worth more than any Pokémon he’s ever caught in his lifetime.

Whether you choose to search Takeshita Street for Pokémon on your own or with a like-minded fan or trainer, this is a fantastic event that’ll keep you entertained while you explore one of Tokyo’s most fashionable areas. It just goes to show that Takeshita Street is always a step ahead of the trends, even when it comes to Pokémon!

Reference: App Store “Pokemon Harajuku Takeshita Street HAPPY WINTER 23/24”
Photos ©SoraNews24 © 2023 Pokemon. © 1995-2023 Nintendo/Creatures Inc./GAME FREAK inc.
Screenshots Pokemon Harajuku Takeshita Street HAPPY WINTER 23/24 (iOS)
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[ Read in Japanese ]