In Yokohama, there was a Pokémon event that was held from August 9th to 15th. It is held annually and first began in 2014. What made this event famous was the parade of Pikachus dancing and marching around Nihon Odori avenue. Before we get into that know that over this 6-day period various programs are held at different locations within the vicinity of Yokohama. Here are some of the things you could do at the Pikachu Outbreak Event.
If there was any time to come back and play Pokémon Go then it was during the Pikachu Outbreak. Ever since the game’s release last year the fever has somewhat dwindled. However, these event special times where rare Pokémon appear frequently like Pidgey and Rattata. There were special raids to catch legendary Pokémon, but the highlight (if you were lucky enough to get in) was the Pokémon Go Stadium where participants had the chance to catch a Mewtwo. There were two designated areas near the Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse to catch rare Pokémon. One area focused on Kanto and the other Johto, but both had the chance of a Mr. Mime appearing. If you had been in Japan and have not been able to catch a Farfetch’d then going to the Pikachu Outbreak would have a guarantee of catching one (personally I caught 6 of them).
There were multiple stages where you can see Pikachu performances aside from the parade. The stages were located at Landmark Plaza, Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse, Yokohama World Porters, Queen’s Square, and Nippon Maru Memorial Park. Each site had a unique theme for their performances, but if the weather proved to be unfavorable then the outdoor ones would be cancelled. On the river route from the Nippon Maru Memorial Park to the Cupnoodles Museum Park there was a boat full of Pikachus at certain times of the day. For good seats, it is recommended to arrive early or wait for the next performance for a better chance. In the Landmark Plaza, you can be on another level and watch the performance from above. There were over 1000 Pikachus who appeared during the outbreak.
Attending the event means you should not miss out on the chance to get some Pikachu goods. There was no short supply of the items, but the wait lines in order to pay for them takes a good chunk of your time. The most sought after were the Pikachu hats and random figure boxes. There were plenty of Pikachu plushies and many bought the cellphone strap of Pikachu’s tail. There were these pop up shops at the different sites, but the Yokohama Pokémon Center was in the Landmark Plaza. The one at the Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse was selling the Pokémon Go Plus and Pikachu battery pack for a cheaper price. At certain train stations, some goods become available if you purchased the Yokohama Minatomirai Pass. Even in the Hotel Navios Yokohama had goods available to purchase.
The Pikachu Carnival Parade was a one-day affair and was held from 4pm to 5pm. Arriving two hours before the start time guarantees you a spot in the front. The parade was held on Nihon Odori Avenue and was closed off to traffic. Along this strip of road many Pikachus will be dancing beside performers to upbeat music. Closer to the start time a group of performers will stop in front of your section and teach to some moves to follow when the time comes. Like shaping your hands to look like Pikachu and alternating them in the air while chanting “pika.” For the parade, all the groups made their way down both sides of the street until stopping. Once they stopped it was non-stop performances of Pikachus dancing in front of you. Towards the end the regular Pikachu outfit performers threw streamers into the crowd.
