APokemonfan discovered a cool Easter egg on the streets during his two-week trip to Japan. The goal of the franchise has always beento capture and train all of its ever-growing array of Pokemon, but little did this player know that there’d be a real-world equivalent.
Releasing in 1996, the originalPokemonRPGs were instrumental in keeping the Game Boy’s sales afloat despite its outdated hardware, as well as launching the third bestselling video game franchise of all time. In addition to nine mainline entries released in pairs, the franchise has since spawned a long-running anime, a trading card game, a whopping twenty-four movies, the bestselling toy line in the world, and even a viral mobile game. Several creative promotions have also appeared, from a live musical, to a long-defunct traveling theme park, the latter sadly being a Japan-exclusive.
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In a recent post to r/pokemon, Redditor RichardButt1992 shared an image he took ofPokemon’s latest creative promotion in Kyoto, Japan. It depicts artwork of Pichu, Cleffa, and Igglybuff frolicking in front of a sakura tree, painted onto a sewer manhole cover of all things. Others were quick to point out that other sewer lids of its kind can be found all over the country, with one example depicting Ho-Oh soaring in front of a tall, Japanese temple during sunset. It would not be the first time the country has done something so elaborate to promote the franchise, with perhaps its most notable example beingthe Pokemon Cafe and its constantly updating menu.
According to another user, this stunt goes by the name of Poke Lids, complete with its own cute piece of lore. Apparently, Diglett has been tunneling around Japan, prompting a few artists to paint over the entrances to differentiate them from the sewers. The official site includes a map of which regions these covers can be found in, alongside a list of merchandise containing the same artwork, including pins, keychains, and notebooks. ByPokemonmerchandise standards, these trinkets are quite standard, and nowhere near as bizarre asthe Sprigatito-themed cat toysreleased earlier this year.
It is not uncommon for pop culture to bleed into real life through not just merchandising, but promotional stunts as well, with one of the most prominent examples in recent history being the time Nintendo promotedDonkey Kong Country Returnsby dumping millions of bananas into the Sydney, Australia’s Circular Quay. Japan is especially notorious for stunts like this, especially when it comes to video games that originated from their shores. In addition toPokemon, the country has promoted its other prides and joys in many ways, from exclusive merchandise to evenother restaurants like the Kirby Cafe.
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