During his childhood, Satoshi Tajiri’s fascination with bugs and love for arcade video games inspired him to combine the two interests.
This fusion resulted in the creation of one of the largest franchises globally.
Describing Pokemon as a pervasive phenomenon, Tokyo-based writer Matt Alt, the author of Pure Invention: How Japan Made the Modern World, stated this to The Sunday Magazine.
This month marks the 30th anniversary of Tajiri’s brainchild, Pokemon, which commenced its celebrations with a Super Bowl advertisement featuring celebrities like Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Lady Gaga, Trevor Noah, Jisoo, and Lamine Yamal sharing their favorite Pokemon.
Since its debut in 1996, Pokemon has become the top-grossing media franchise, surpassing renowned IPs such as Star Wars, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Harry Potter.
To date, Pokemon has generated over $100 billion US in revenue, with License Global reporting $12 billion US in profit in 2024.
Its success stems from video games, trading cards, and anime series, establishing it as an economic powerhouse and a soft power asset that has boosted Japan’s global influence.
Origins in the Love for Insects
In 1990, Tajiri commenced the development of a game for the Nintendo Game Boy, the leading handheld gaming system at the time, featuring 150 creatures for catching, collecting, and battling. The process took six years, culminating in the official release of Pokemon Red and Green in Japan on Feb. 27, 1996.
Alt noted that Nintendo recognized the game’s potential success and heavily invested in it, introducing comic books, a cartoon series, and trading cards, a common marketing strategy in Japan.