The first real-life Pokemon Center opened in Tokyo way back in 1998 and since then several more have opened in various parts of Japan. The Pokemon Company has officially decided to close these Pokemon Centers indefinitely due to pandemic concerns.
Pokemon Centers are typically full of Pokemon merchandise that fans of the series would struggle to find anywhere else. These fans won't be able to visit their favorite retail locations anytime soon, as The Pokemon Company doesn't have a date in mind for when the Pokemon Centers will open again. A total of 14 Pokemon Center locations across Japan, as well as seven smaller Pokemon Stores, will be closed.
Japanese Pokemon fans have until Saturday to visit their favorite Pokemon Center before it's closed indefinitely. At this time, the 14 Pokemon Centers being closed include Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Kyoto, Nagoya, Osaka, Osaka DX, Sapporo, Shibuya, Skytree Town, Tohoku, Tokyo DX, Tokyo Bay, and Yokohama. Pokemon fans will be able to continue visiting these locations in a limited manner until Saturday.
The Pokemon stores in Japan that will be closed include locations in Gotemba, Kansai Airport, Narita Airport, Okinawa Rycom, Outlet Kisarazu, Shin Chitose Airport, and Tokyo Station. With some Pokemon Center locations overlapping Pokemon Store locations, some areas of Japan will be hit harder by these closures than others. These Pokemon Stores will also be accessible in a limited way until Saturday.
COVID-19 rates continue to climb in Japan and one Pokemon Center specifically has been impacted by the virus directly. An employee at the Pokemon Center Mega Tokyo branch just recently tested positively with COVID-19. The Mega Tokyo branch is specifically located in Tokyo's Ikebukuro neighborhood. Mega Tokyo has already been closed as a result of the confirmed case.
On top of the closure of Pokemon Centers and Stores in the region, Pokemon Cafes in Osaka and Tokyo will be closing as well. After the closures, the only Pokemon Center that will remain open is in Kanazawa. The three Pokemon Stores that will remain open after Saturday are in Ehime, Oita, and Okayama Prefecture.
Another recent factor that may have influenced The Pokemon Company to close these retail locations is Japan's extension of its state of emergency. The state of emergency in Japan is being expanded upon to eight more prefectures. While some of these stores may reopen after COVID-19 cases dwindle, the locations in Kansai Airport and Okayama will not re-open.
Although so many Pokemon Centers and Pokemon Stores will be closing soon, the online Pokemon Center will remain open. This will allow Pokemon fans to continue ordering items that they would otherwise get at one of the retail locations. Preventative measures are being used in the meantime as The Pokemon Company gets ready to close so many locations.
Source: Pokemon Center (via Sora News 24)