The story goes that Pokemon was inspired by kids collecting bugs in Japan, and as such the association with nature has always been a pillar of the franchise. The Pokemon Company is applying this philosophy to a brand new theme park in Japan.
As reported by Kotaku, The Pokemon Company has officially announced Pokemon Wonder, a 48,000-square foot forest theme park where its main attraction is experiencing nature and Pokemon together.
Rather than a traditional amusement park with rides and mascots, Pokemon Wonder is situated in a vast forest that remained untouched for 20 years. There, attendees can explore the forest and look for handcrafted Pokemon made from items like leaves and acorns.
You can check out a gallery of the park below.
According to Kotaku, the park is located behind Yomiuriland, Tokyos largest amusement park. The Pokemon Company bills the park as a nature adventure and it will operate for a limited time in Japan from July 17 to April 3, 2022.
Exploring nature informs a lot of the Pokemon games. Walking about is a core part of Niantics Pokemon Go and this years Pokemon Go Fest will once again host live events outdoors.
The upcoming Pokemon Legends Arceus is also taking the outdoor concept to the next level with what looks like one of the biggest open-worlds in a Pokemon game yet.
Matt T.M. Kim is IGN’s News Editor.
