Reenergized partnership project will start in Japan, then spread to Universal Studios parks in other countries.

Back in 2021, an announcement was made that the Pokémon franchise would be coming to the Universal Studios Japan. Pikachu and his pals wouldn’t be at the Osaka theme park every day, but they would be showing up in limited-time bursts in the form of adorable Pokémon parades and stage shows.

▼ Pikachu and Gengar during their USJ DJ gig

In just a few weeks, though, the very first permanent Pokémon-themed amusement park facility, Poképark Kanto, is scheduled to open. Instead of a stand-alone park, Poképark Kanto, which has rides, shops, and other Pokémon-themed attractions, is a section inside Tokyo’s Yomiuriland amusement park, though one that’s probably going to have enough drawing power that’ll it’ll even attract guests who have no interest in Yomiuriland’s other areas.

So that’s it for the Pokémon/Universal Studios Japan partnership, right? Pokémon has clearly chosen to pursue a bigger, more ambitious deal with Yomiuriland, and so it’s burned the bridge with USJ…

Except, nope, that’s not what’s happening at all. With its cast of hundreds upon hundreds of friendly, adorable creatures, sometimes it’s easy to forget just how powerful the Pokémon franchise is, powerful enough to maintain simultaneous working relationships with competing rivals. So even though Yomiuriland is building hype for Poképark Kanto’s grand opening on February 5, Universal Studios Japan has just announced that it’s deepening its partnership with the Pokémon Company and is currently developing new, more immersive experiences for Pokémon fans.

“Building off the experiences of previous collaborations with the Pokémon Company, we are thrilled to announce the beginning of our project to create Pokémon experiences with an unprecedented level of interactivity,” says Universal Studios Japan. The “interactivity” part is especially important, as it implies that whatever is in the works goes beyond the passive entertainment of watching Pokémon parade down a cordoned off street or dance up on a stage away from guests. It also, intentionally or not, creates a contrast with Poképark Kanto’s Pokémon Forest sub-section, which looks to be a nature walk/exploration area with Pokémon statues, where the fun ostensibly stems more from seeing Pokémon than actively engaging with them.

No specifics for the reenergized partnership between Pokémon and USJ have been revealed, but the companies have said that while the new attractions will debut at Universal Studios Japan, after that they’ll make their way to Universal Studios theme parks outside Japan too.

Source: PR Times
Top image: PR Times
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