PokePark Kanto Review: My Honest Experience + Tips
Last Updated on April 23, 2026 by Kay
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What is PokePark Kanto like in person, and is it worth visiting?
PokePark Kanto, Japan’s first Pokémon theme park, just opened in early 2026, and trust me when I say it is hugely popular (with Japanese locals, at least). But is it worth the hype, especially for visitors from abroad?
In this detailed review, I’ll share my honest experience visiting PokePark Kanto so that you can decide whether it’s worth your time and money. I’ll also share some essential tips that every visitor should know before they go so that they’re prepared and can have a smooth, stress-free visit.
Table of Contents
Getting Tickets for PokePark Kanto
PokePark Kanto, Japan’s first Pokémon theme park, is located in western Tokyo, specifically inside a theme park called Yomiuriland. When you purchase a ticket for PokePark Kanto, you also get free entry to Yomiuriland (but you have to pay for rides if you want to go on them).
You can only purchase tickets for PokePark Kanto through their official website, and you need to do this two months in advance. This means you can’t just show up at PokePark Kanto and expect to get in — you won’t.
Getting tickets can be challenging, especially since you’re competing with a Pokémon-crazed population in Japan. General sales begin after the lottery period for Japan residents, so it can be quite competitive if people who missed out in the lottery are trying to book at the same time.
The booking process can also be a little frustrating because there may be limits on how many tickets you can reserve in one transaction. When I tried to book, I found that I could only book for two people (when I wanted to book for three), so it’s worth being prepared in case you need to make separate reservations.
I’ve also heard that the website crashes a lot for guests living outside of Japan who try to purchase tickets. Not sure why that happens, but it’s a little sus. I live in Japan and I had no trouble.
Ticket prices vary depending on the date and pass type, with prices ranging from around 4,700 yen to 16,500 yen. Weekends and public holidays tend to be more expensive, while Tuesdays and Wednesdays are usually on the cheaper side. Prices may also rise during peak travel seasons, such as April, when cherry blossom tourism brings more visitors to Japan.
There are three main ticket types or passes: Town Pass, Trainer’s Pass, and an Ace Trainer’s Pass.
The Town Pass is the cheapest option and gives you unlimited access to Sedge Town only.
The Trainer’s Pass includes entry to the Pokémon Forest at a designated time, along with unlimited access to Sedge Town.
The Ace Trainer’s Pass is the most premium option and allows entry to both the Pokémon Forest and Sedge Town at any time. It also includes extras such as special meet-and-greets, reserved seating for the Sedge Gym Show, one-time priority access for the two rides, and exclusive merchandise.
Unsurprisingly, the Ace Trainer’s Pass is the most popular and sells out almost immediately, as there is a limited number available. However, I’m not sure if it’s worth it since it does not give you access to the Pokemon Playhouse or the Pokemon Daisuki Shop. For those, you need a limited-access ticket.
It’s also worth noting that food, drinks, merchandise, and any extra paid experiences inside the park are not included in the ticket price. All of these can make the day more expensive than you expected, so it’s a good idea to budget for more than just the ticket itself.
My Experience at PokePark Kanto
I managed to snag two Trainer’s Passes for PokePark Kanto two months before my visit, one for me and one for my Pokemon-obsessed daughter (age six). I wanted the Ace Trainer’s Pass, but it was completely gone when I accessed the website. The Trainer’s Pass gave me access to the Pokémon Forest at noon (the earlier time slots were gone).
Right after I got the QR code for my tickets via email, I downloaded the PokePark Kanto app (this will be your lifeline while you’re in the park) and registered my information so that I would be ready once at the park.
What many people might not know is that Yomiuriland, where PokePark Kanto is located, is far from central Tokyo. I’m talking almost an hour by public transport from Shinjuku Station, and you have to take a cable car!
The morning rush hour trains in Tokyo are no joke, especially in west Tokyo (I know this from having lived in Tokyo for six years), which is why I decided to stay at HOTEL MOLINO SHIN-YURI. This hotel is located less than 30 minutes by bus from Yomiuri Land, and the bus will take you straight to the gates, no cable car needed.
Although PokePark Kanto opens at 10:00 AM, we got there at 8:40 AM, before Yomiuriland even opened (9:00 AM), so that we could snag limited access tickets for shows, greetings, and the special merch shop, Pokemon Daisuki Shop, as these are limited in number. If you have the Ace Trainer’s Pass, you luckily don’t need to arrive early, as all these things are included.
Guests who have tickets for PokePark Kanto need to go through a designated gate, which is easy to find, as there are plenty of signs and employees showing you the way.
When we arrived, there was already a huge line of people, and they kept coming! This made me really nervous, and I was worried we wouldn’t be able to get tickets for anything. Just like us, everyone was wearing sneakers and comfortable clothing since there would be a lot of walking involved, especially for those going to the Pokémon Forest.
The gates for Yomiuri Land opened promptly at 9:00 AM. I had my QR Code ready on my Pokémon Kanto app, so getting inside was very smooth and fast.
After my ticket was scanned and I passed through the gates, it was 9:06 AM. I stood to the side and, using the PokePark Kanto app, I applied for limited access tickets for the following:
- Pokemon Fureai (Playhouse) House (Pokemon meet-and-greet)
- Pokemon Daisuki Shop (special merch store)
- Pika Pika Sparks! show at Sedge Gym
Pokemon Playhouse and the Pokemon Daisuki House show are first-come, first-served, but the Sedge Gym show is via lottery.
Thankfully, I got tickets for all three! However, they were all for the late afternoon, which made me realize that there is a chance that you won’t be able to get anything if you arrive too late.
Below is a screenshot of what the limited-access ticket application page looked like in my PokePark Kanto app. I had already applied for the Pokémon Daisuki Shop and the Pokémon Playhouse, and was just about to apply for the Sedge Gym show.
This is what it looks like when your application goes through and you’ve secured ticket(s):
It can be a little overwhelming trying to figure out when is a good time slot to get so that nothing overlaps, so I wish the app were a little better at helping schedule everything. To give a ballpark of how much time you need for each, I suggest:
- at least one hour for Pokemon Forest (we were done in 30 minutes)
- around 30 minutes for Pokemon Fureai (Playhouse) House (Pokemon meet-and-greet)
- about an hour for Pokemon Daisuki Shop (special merch store)
- at least 30 minutes for Pika Pika Sparks! show at Sedge Gym
Note that you don’t need to pay for these tickets; they’re completely free.
There’s a bit of a walk from the gates to Pokepark Kanto, and you’ll pass through a majority of Yomiuri Land’s amusement park. If you like, you can buy tickets to go on rides, or you can go straight to PokePark Kanto. We chose to go straight to the park.
There are three parts to PokePark Kanto: PokePark Entrance Plaza, Sedge Town, and Pokémon Forest.
PokePark Entrance Plaza is home to Pokémon Daisuki Shop as well as the entrances to Sedge Town and Pokémon Forest.
You don’t need to scan your QR code ticket to get inside the PokePark Entrance Plaza.
Here, people were lining up to take photos with the PokePark Kanto sign and the Poke Ball (or Monster Ball). I don’t suggest waiting in line to do this because there will be a lot fewer people in the afternoon, and you can see the Poke Ball light up.
There was also this adorable display outside the Pokémon Daisuki Shop that featured classic Kanto Pokémon popping in and out like Charmander, Eevee, and of course, Pikachu.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by everything in PokePark Entrance Plaza, so we spent a few minutes marveling before heading to the huge line for Sedge Town.
Sedge Town, as well as the Pokémon Forest, wouldn’t open until 10:00 AM. So I guess during this time, you could go on rides in Yomiuriland while another member of your party waits in line. However, since it was just my daughter and me, we waited in line.
Is there any benefit to waiting in line before Sedge Town opens? Well, you’ll just get into Sedge Town earlier and have more time in the area. Maybe next time I won’t wait in line beforehand, although the people behind us seemed like they were regulars based on all the Pokémon Kanto merch they had.
When the gates for Sedge Town opened, everyone entered very smoothly and quickly, which was surprising given that there was a bag check and tickets needed to be scanned. By the time we got in, it was 10:09 AM.
There are lots of Pokémon located throughout Sedge Town, which are really fun to spot, and they talk as well! Staff will also greet you first thing in the morning when you enter Sedge Town, which brought a smile to our faces.
I think another benefit of lining up and getting into Sedge Town early is that you can see Pikachu and Eevee right away as they were waiting to greet guests. My daughter got photos with both.
It can be overwhelming trying to decide what to do and where to go in Sedge Town. There are lots of little shops located throughout selling food and merchandise.
We decided to take photos with some of the Pokémon statues located throughout since there weren’t many people inside yet. It’s definitely a great place for photoshoots, especially if you want to pretend like you’re battling with Pokémon.
After taking tons of photos, we bought tickets for the Pika Pika Paradise ride, which cost 1200 yen for adults and 800 yen for children from the shop pictured below:
It’s pricey, but the ride was super adorable, and I liked that we didn’t have to wait in line to go on it.
Make sure to look carefully at each Pikachu since each car has a different Pokémon buddy sitting on Pikachu’s head.
When we were done with the ride, we ran into Snorlax, who was taking a walk around the park. Snorlax won’t stop for photos, but you can stand next to it and get a shot.
After this, we decided to get some headbands, which I honestly feel like we should have bought before we went on the Pikachu ride. Oh well! There are several shops selling various headbands, such as the one pictured below, ranging from Eevee and its evolutions:
To Plusle and Minun (which would be super cute for couples), Sprigatito, and Minccino:
Special Pikachu and Eevee headbands with little flower and Poke Ball decorations on them:
As well as hats featuring other characters:
So, needless to say, there’s a lot of Pokémon headbands to choose from!
After we got our headbands, we spent some time walking around and taking everything in while snapping some shots. We noticed some people lined up for Pokémon shirts, but I decided we could get them later. (However, I discovered later that sizes sell out, so get them earlier rather than later!)
I decided to get tickets for Vee Vee Voyage, the adorable Eevee-themed merry-go-round. I honestly think it’s the cutest thing in the park! Just like the Pika Pika Paradise ride, the tickets are sold by time slots. Our ticket was for 11 AM, so we had a bit of time before we could ride it.
Here is what the stall that sells the Vee Vee Voyage tickets looks like:
By this time, it was almost 11 AM, and my daughter was hungry, so we decided to look for some food.
There aren’t many food options in the park. The menus on the boards are all in Japanese but there are English menus at the counter.
The Eevee Cafe has latte art featuring Eeveelutions, as well as popsicles and cream breads that remind me of manju:
If you’re a fan of Snorlax, there’s a shop selling a Snorlax popcorn bucket, as well as super cute Pokemon-themed bottled drinks.
Personally, I was interested in this shop that had soup and sandwiches:
However, my daughter wanted an onigiri from the Pikachu Onigiri Shop (located opposite the Eevee Cafe).
There are several places with tables where you can eat, either behind the Onigiri Shop (just past the Pika Pika Paradise ride):
Or at the far end of the park near Vee Vee Voyage:
You can also eat inside Sedge Gym when there’s no show, but there aren’t any tables:
As you can see in the image above, Sedge Gym is also a great place to sit down for a break if you feel tired, too hot, or too cold.
My daughter liked her onigiri, and it filled her up so much that she asked me to eat the piece of charcoal karaage that came with it. I have to say that the charcoal karaage was pretty “meh”. I wouldn’t get it again.
Afterwards, we considered getting a colorful starter Pokémon drink from the store pictured below, but since there was a line, my daughter decided she didn’t want it after all, and instead we went on Vee Vee Voyage.
Looking back, I should have just gotten the drink because less than two hours later, everything was sold out! (And as you can see in the image below, cookies were already sold out by 11:10 AM.)
Vee Vee Voyage is the most adorable merry-go-round I have ever been on. It features Eevee and its Eeveelutions, but also Rapidash. I wish it weren’t so expensive to ride because I would gladly go on it again. But I’m not mad because having to pay extra to ride it each time means we didn’t have to wait in line and could choose whichever Eevee and its evolutions we wanted to ride!
After going on the Eevee ride, we walked around again and found a shop offering a little Pokémon card activity. We got enlarged Pokémon cards with a cutout where the picture of the Pokémon would be. Our task was to find the Pokémon that belongs to the card in the park and take a picture of it with the card framing it.
As you can see, the cards are in Japanese, but there are photos of the Pokémon so you’ll know what to look for.
The photo can be a little tricky to take, but I found that if you have your zoom set at 0.9x, the picture won’t be blurry.
After taking the photos of the Pokémon, we went back to the booth where we got the cards from and showed the staff our photos. We were then gifted these awesome stickers, and we got to keep the cards!
(It can be a lot to carry, so I recommend having a reusable shopping bag or backpack with you.)
At this point, it was noon and time to go to the Pokémon Forest. I asked a staff member, and they told me that you don’t need to arrive at the Pokémon Forest exactly at your reservation time, so we decided to go to the Pokémon Center first.
The Pokémon Center is where you can meet Nurse Joy and have your Pokémon healed. If you don’t have any Pokémon plushies on hand, you can purchase one from some of the shops on the main street (they have Pokémon Fit ones, as shown in the picture below) or simply “heal” your Pokémon headband (which is what I did).
Guests are let in by groups every ten minutes, so there’s usually a line outside. You cannot bring food or drinks in, and you cannot leave the line when you’re waiting and rejoin your friend or family member.
Nurse Joy will ask in Japanese if you have a Pokémon to heal, so if you do, raise your hand. She will split everyone into two groups and then take each person’s Pokémon in the first group to heal.
When they are fully healed, she’ll hand your Pokémon back to you and then move on to the next group. If you’re in the first group, you’re free to leave once your Pokémon is healed.
It’s nothing particularly special, but I loved Nurse Joy’s sunny disposition and thought the experience was adorable. And if it’s your birthday, you’ll get a special celebration (which is shown in the video above).
When we left the Pokémon Center, we ran into Growlith while making our way out of Sedge Town to Pokémon Forest, and he was happy to take a photo with us.
As mentioned earlier, you need to head back to the PokePark Entrance Plaza to enter the Pokémon Forest. When we exited, we had our hands stamped so that we could re-enter Sedge Town. Our entry time was at noon, and we arrived at 12:20 PM, so I was surprised to see a huge group of people waiting to get in.
Thankfully, the line moved very quickly. One reason for the line was that everyone receives a research notebook and their tickets need to be scanned. The research notebook contains information about a few Pokemon, such as Eevee, and explains about where to find them, their attacks, and behavior.
You really don’t need to refer to it to enjoy the Pokemon Forest.
After this, they let in one small group at a time so that people can enjoy entering the area and taking photos without feeling rushed.
I thought the Pokémon Forest was beautiful, especially all the cherry blossom trees throughout. However, it did feel rather small.
Considering the warnings about needing to be in good health, etc., I expected something larger and the terrain perhaps more wild and challenging. But it felt like a little park that I typically take my daughter to.
Here’s what to expect when it comes to the stairs. As you can see, it’s not that bad at all, especially since it goes down. There weren’t any stairs heading up.
There are lots of Pokémon statues scattered throughout Pokémon Forest, and as you go through the forest, you encounter different types of Pokémon like Rock or Grass.
They make sounds, as shown in the video above, but that’s about as interactive as it gets. I thought the Pokémon were fun to spot but it wasn’t particularly exciting. I did find some of the “life-size” Pokémon such as Onix, impressive, though.
It took us 30 minutes to see the Pokémon Forest, and I was so surprised by how quickly it ended that I thought I had missed something. Personally, I thought the Pokémon Forest was the most disappointing part of the park. If you’re a group of adults and want to save some money, skip this.
My six-year-old, however, LOVED the Pokémon Forest.
The exit of the Pokémon Forest is thankfully connected to Sedge Town (note that when you leave, you can’t return), so afterwards we looked around a little more and then headed to the gym to see the Pikachu and Eevee parade. It was so cute, with bubbles and everything!
If you have an Ace Trainer’s Pass, you can sit down in a special area on the ground right in front of Sedge Gym.
We then lined up for a whopping 30 minutes to purchase pin badges, which are super popular due to being collectable items. They cost 1600 yen, but you won’t know which Pokémon you get. It’s limited to one purchase per person.
We got Venonat and Voltorb, which my daughter wasn’t too thrilled about.
Thankfully, we could exchange them for free at any shop that displayed pin badges (make sure you have your receipt!):
You can only exchange for the pin badges they have on display, and although some shops have different badges, there’s a lot of overlap.
We also got these special stickers from one of the shops after asking for them, so try to see if you can get one, too! (They have 1st Visit and Birthday stickers.)
After exchanging the pin badges, we had some time to kill before the Pika Pika Sparks show, so we decided to take a look around Yomiuri Land. Next to the exit of Sedge Town, there’s a path leading up where you can see some Pokémon battling, so we took a look at that before leaving.
I liked the small details here, like the ground breaking under the weight of Tyranitar and Garchomp.
Inside Yomiuri Land, we bought tickets for one ride (Pteranodon and the Great Adventure in the Sky), which my daughter enjoyed, as we needed to adjust the height of our basket as we soared in the sky in order to get coconuts.
After the ride, we had a weird hot dog on a stick, which was horrible, and then headed back to PokePark Kanto.
We had to go through security check again, which was a pain, but it was quick so we made it right in time for the Pika Pika Sparks show at Sedge Gym.
This show has assigned seating, so make sure to check your app to confirm your seat, which is according to number and color.
You are not allowed to take photos or videos of the show, which I liked because we could watch it without any phones in our way and we could focus. The show was really enjoyable and I think it was the best part of the park. The music was great, the storyline was cute, and Team Rocket shows up, too!
Right after the Pika Pika Sparks show, it was time for us to FINALLY enter the Pokémon Daisuki House. And once again, we had to leave Sedge Town and go back to PokePark Entrance Plaza, where the Pokémon Daisuki House was located.
Pokemon Daisuki House is small but I ended up becoming super overwhelmed by everything there because lots of items were so cute! I especially loved the Vee Vee Voyage themed goods.
We spent almost an entire hour in the Pokémon Daisuki House and did some serious financial damage to my credit card. Oops!
And when we were done, we once again went back to Sedge Town for the Pokémon Playhouse (Fureai House), and we had to do the security check all over again. So if possible, try to have the Pokémon Daisuki House be the very last place you visit in the day.
At Pokémon Playhouse (Fureai House), we could meet one of three Pokémon characters.
And we got to meet Slowpoke! The staff at the Playhouse were super nice, and they took a photo of the three of us using my phone. We didn’t have to buy a printed photo either, which I liked. (I always feel pressured to purchase one!)
When we left Pokémon Playhouse, we ran into Vulpix!
(The shop right next to Vulpix sells keychains, pictured below, that you can get engraved with your name. It takes time for them to do this, so try to get one before 4 PM.)
PokePark Kanto closes at 6 PM, and surprisingly, we ended up spending the entire day there! There was a lot to see and do, so I felt like I got my money’s worth, especially since I didn’t leave feeling like I missed out on anything. My kid was really happy and satisfied, too.
The way back to central Tokyo, though, was a huge pain in the butt. We had to take the cablecar down to the train station, and there was a considerable line to purchase a ticket (you can buy two-way tickets if you arrive by cable car, but we came by bus).
A Few Tips Worth Adding
I’ve covered a lot of tips throughout this article, but here are some additional ones.
If you have Pokémon GO and win a raid battle, you’ll get a special background if you successfully catch the Pokémon you battled.
Also, don’t miss the Pokémon manhole cover in the park.
And if you have a Pokemon plushie that’s special to you, make sure to bring it!
So, Is PokePark Kanto Worth Visiting?
PokePark Kanto is a small part of the theme park Yomiuri Land, so if you’re expecting something massive, you’ll be disappointed.
It is expensive, but I like how they limit the number of people, which means short wait times and being able to experience everything you want at the park if you arrive before opening. For this reason, I would say it’s worth visiting at least once.
However, there are only two rides, which you have to pay extra for, and most of the Pokémon located throughout the park don’t move; they only make sounds, which can seem boring for some visitors. Personally, this didn’t bother me because it’s fun taking photos with the Pokémon. But on that note, it’s important to know that they mainly focus on Kanto Pokémon. There are some later-generation Pokémon here and there, but not many.
Would I go to PokePark Kanto again?
Honestly, I know my Pokemon-obsessed child would in a heartbeat (she keeps saying she wants to go back). And I guess I would take her if we stay at HOTEL MOLINO SHIN-YURI, so that we don’t have to travel far. The new parade might also be something worth checking out (I believe they change the parades every six months or so). I wouldn’t mind seeing Pika Pika Sparks again, either, and trying one of the soup/sandwich combos at the park.
But I think if you’re an adult, maybe one time is more than enough, and don’t expect too much.