Pikachu and pals make a compelling reason to skip the bullet train while traveling in Japan over the next few months.
They say it’s not the destination that matters so much as the journey, and a visit to one of Japan’s highway rest stops will make that philosophy sound especially wise. Between delicious regional specialty foods, superb cleanliness, and cleverly convenient design points, the rest stops along the country’s expressways, called SAs (“service areas”) and PAs (“parking areas”) can sometimes be as memorable as wherever it is you’re driving to.
But it turns out there’s a way to make these mid-journey oases even more awesome: add Pokémon!
Several Pokémon are hitting the road this summer as part of a partnership with Nexco (Nippon Expressway Company), the company that manages Japan’s largest expressway network, stretching from one end of the country to the other. As part of the collaboration, 142 rest stops will be offering acrylic standees and 170 will have key holders, both featuring exclusive Pokémon artwork, in their gift shop areas.
Rest stops in central and west Japan will have other merch too, such as car side-window sunshades and safe-driving-reminder magnetic stickers.
54 rest stops will also have photo panels for visitors to snap pictures at and other Pokémon decorations around the facility, with some of them already offering advance previews.
▼ Ashigara SA in Gotemba, Shizuoka Prefecture
▼ Takarazuka SA in Takarazuka, Hyogo Prefecture
▼ Moriya SA in Moriya, Ibaraki
234 parking/service areas will also be part of a special Pokémon stamp rally. A stamp rally is a kind of promotion where you fill up a sheet of paper with stamps that can be found at different locations, then submit the paper for a chance to win a prize. Naturally, for this event different rest stops’ stamps will feature different Pokémon, and each of the stamp spaces on the paper is marked with a Poké Ball.
Collecting any six stamps makes you eligible to win one of 1,000 sticker books or metallic medals. If you go one step, or actually three steps, further and after your starting six collect three more stamps of Legendary or Mythical Pokémon species, you become eligible for one of 250 bento box and insulated drink bottle sets.
Though Japan is often thought of as primarily a train-based society, getting off the tracks and onto the expressway can be a great way to explore parts of the country that aren’t getting buried in the surging tourist numbers that many of the Shinkansen-accessible hot spots are these days. The prospect of Poké-fun and merch only sweetens the deal for this alternative way to travel in Japan, and the Pokémon/Nexco collaboration is scheduled to run from July 1 to September 30.
Source, images: PR Times
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