The Pokemon Company has announced the creation of a series of Chansey-themed parks in Japan’s Fukushima Prefecture as part of its overarching Local Acts Initiative. This December, the first of these planned parks will open in Namie Town, with three more parks set to open in 2022.
The Pokemon Company has assigned a variety of Pokemon to some of Japan’s prefectures, including Hokkaido, Iwate, and Fukushima, as part of its Local Acts Initiative. This initiative aims to combine local landmarks and the famous company through events, one-of-a-kind items, and even Pokemon-themed manhole covers. These Pokemon ambassadors have been put in place to promote tourism by highlighting both well-known and lesser-known sites in the country.
This recent announcement will bring Pokemon fans closer than ever before to Chansey, one of the rare Pokemon that can heal itself. These parks will feature a variety of Chansey slides, swings, and other typical playground features.
Following the success of the first Chansey playground in Namie Town, the Pokemon Company plans to build three more parks in Koriyama City, Yanaizu Town, and Showa Village. The next park’s construction will begin in the spring of 2022 and will continue from there.
Since Chansey was named the ambassador for Fukushima, Japan’s third-largest prefecture, in February 2019, fans of that Pokemon have been able to buy special themed goods from The Pokemon Company.
These themed parks are most likely a foreshadowing of things to come for Japan’s ambassador Pokemon. Currently, Geodude, Lapras, a pair of Sandshrews and Vulpix, and Slowpoke can be found in a number of Prefectures. The announcement of these Chansey-themed playgrounds is a positive sign for the Pokemon Local Acts of Initiative. This initiative appears to work similarly to Pokemon Go in that it emphasizes getting people outside and involved in both the real world and the Pokemon universe.
This commitment to building four parks in Fukushima indicates that The Pokemon Company will continue to invest in bringing attention to notable locations and features of localities throughout Japan. The Pokemon franchise is still popular, and using an instantly recognizable brand to highlight important local landmarks is a strong attempt to increase tourism to these areas.
Having said that, The Pokemon Company’s creation of parks across Fukushima isn’t without benefit to the company. The more people who recognize the Pokemon brand and associate it with specific locations, the better for the company. However, at the end of the day, there will be four more playgrounds for residents and visitors to enjoy.
