Today, The Pokemon Company organized an opening ceremony for Pokemon Center Tokyo DX and Pokemon Cafe for the press, one day before the official March 14, 2018 opening to the public.

Pokemon Center operating officer Kamisato spoke to reporters during the opening ceremony. Kamisato said Pokemon Center Tokyo DX is the 25th Pokemon Center location they’re opening in Japan, and this year marks the 20th anniversary of the first Pokemon Center which opened in Japan.

The large influx of tourists from countries other than Japan have greatly contributed to the growth of Pokemon Center. Sales at various popular locations such as Pokemon Center Mega Tokyo have seen a 13% increase in 2017 as compared to the year before.

Pokemon Center Tokyo DX along with Pokemon Cafe will make up the largest Pokemon property in terms of space occupied, taking up a gargantuan 1322 square meters of floor space (actually, it occupies the entire 5th floor of Nihonbashi Takashimaya S.C. East).

This will be the first time The Pokemon Company will open an official and permanent Pokemon Cafe. The company, along with SLD, took great care to ensure a high standard for the cafe’s menu and environment. As of March 12, over 13,000 people have reserved a seat at the Pokemon Cafe, which only accepts reservations in advance. This is equivalent to 93% of the cafe’s capacity.

A special “memory walk” in Pokemon Center Tokyo DX showcases the history of the Pokemon video game and trading card game franchise. There’s also a screen which allows visitors to view the PokeDex in 9 different languages.

Kamisato expects many overseas visitors to visit Pokemon Center Tokyo DX, as the Ginza district, the future Tokyo Olympics Athletes’ Village, and many other places of interest are close to Pokemon Center Tokyo DX.

Japanese celebrity Ami Kikuchi takes the stage, as she begins to introduce the various Pokemon Cafe menu items and Pokemon Center Tokyo DX merchandise to the press. Kikiuchi is a Pokemon fan and loves to play Pokemon Stadium.

First look at the Pokemon Cafe menu, which would be available in English and Chinese.

A mini fan will be given to customers who purchase 5000 yen or more of merchandise at  Pokemon Center Tokyo DX.

“Pokemon is (a kind of content) people of all ages could relate to,” said Kikuchi. “As a new sightseeing attraction, I hope families and couples will enjoy their time, and recall and talk about the memories they had playing with Pokemon.”

Have a look at the Pokemon Cafe food:

And that concludes the opening ceremony. We will be providing more coverage and our impressions when both Pokemon Center Tokyo DX and Pokemon Cafe open tomorrow in Japan, so please stay tuned!