Pikachu Outbreak has been an August event in the Minato Mirai area of Yokohama since 2014. What started as “1000” Pikachus (though I still haven’t quite figured out how they came to that figure) has escalated to a whopping 2000 Pikachu (and special events with Eevee since 2018) around Yokohama. With a week-long jam-packed list of events and hidden surprises, will you be able to catch them all?
- Ever Changing Pikachu Outbreak! Themes
- Quick Japanese: How 大量発生 gets to “outbreak”.
- Pikachu Outbreak! Event Locations
- Pikachu Train Decorations and Station Fun
- Where to find the Pikachu March?
- Pikachu Merchandise
- Get wet! Splash shows are a must!
- Minato Mirai Forest X Pikachu
- Pikachu Manhole Covers?!
- Final Tips for Pikachu Outbreak!
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[Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in November of 2016 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy and comprehensiveness.]
Ever Changing Pikachu Outbreak! Themes
As Pokemon are known for evolving, so is this event!
- 2014 ピカチュウ大量発生チュウ (Pikachu Tairyo Hassei Chu or Pikachu Outbreak!)
- 2015 踊る? ピカチュウ大量発生チュウ (Odoru? Pikachu Tairyo Hassei Chu or Dancing? Pikachu Outbreak!)
- 2016 ピカチュウ大量発生チュウ 今度はぬれるんだって??? (Pikachu Tairyo Hassei Chu Kondo wa nureru n datte??? or Pikachu Outbreak! This time I’m getting wet???)
- 2017 ピカチュウだけじゃない ピカチュウ大量発生チュウ！(Pikachu Dake Janai Tairyo Hassei Chu or Not Just Pikachu Pikachu Outbreak!)
- 2018 ピカチュウ大量発生チュウ Science is Amazing! かがくのちからってすげー (Pikachu Tairyo Hassei Chu or Pikachu Outbreak! Science is Amazing! )
- 2019 ピカチュウ大量発生チュウ (Pikachu Tairyo Hassei Chu or Pikachu Outbreak!)
2014 started off more as some Pikachu displays but not much in the way of entertainment except for a dozen or two Pikachu on parade. If you can’t guess by the name of 2015, now the parading Pikachu added dancing to their repertoire. 2016 was fantastic and added the “Splash Shows” with giant water cannons (perfect for hot Japan days – don’t forget your sunscreen!).
2017 started bringing in some other Pokemon characters, ah! But in what form? That year also held the first-ever Official Pokemon Go event. Gotta catch ’em all! A hot air balloon and Pikachus in a boat made the scene for the first time. And more than a few people were ecstatic for Eevee performers joining the part in 2018, and even more Pikachu on water parades! Plus the beginning of nighttime events.
While 2019 went back to the original title, not only did it bring the largest amount of Pikachu to date (2000!) but also took advantage of the night with many light-up shows.
Each year builds on the prior and fan favorites definitely make reappearances (yay, water cannons!).
Quick Japanese: How 大量発生 gets to “outbreak”.
大量 or “Tairyo” means “a large amount” or “mass” as in “mass transportation” and 発生 “Hassei” does mean “outbreak” but it can also mean to “spring forth”. When you see the event in English, the exclamation point is on purpose. Because it is not just an outbreak but a “massive!” outbreak.
Oh, what’s the チュウ or “chuu” at the end? If you have never seen Pokemon, that’s one of the words Pikachu says when he “talks”.
Pikachu Outbreak! Event Locations
As the event has grown, so has the number of venues. The first year was the most like a scavenger hunt as you didn’t know where everything was! There is very much still an aspect of that, especially with the addition of the very instagrammable mural walls that were added in 2019.
However, for events, they do give you a list of programming and times. These are the locations from 2019 and are subject to change, however they give you an idea of how much walking you may be doing!
- Rinko Park
- MARK IS Minato Mirai (one of my favorite shopping malls in Japan)
- Grand Mall Park
- Queens Square Yokohama
- LANDMARK PLAZA (Landmark Tower used to be the tallest office building in Japan before one in Osaka beat it and has a great observation area)
- Nippon Maru Memorial Park (Pikachu on a historic ship!)
- Navios Yokohama
- Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse or Akarenga as it is known in Japanese – many a festival is held here plus the shops and food are great!
- Yamashita Park
Pikachu Train Decorations and Station Fun
First of all, with the amount of people, the train is definitely going to be your transportation method of choice if you are coming from Tokyo or Yokosuka, where I call home.
Watch out for fun Pikachus here too! Not only are some of the Blue Line trains decorated with Pikachu, but the Minato Mirai ticket booths will also tell you “Pika!” as you walk through. Also, a good station option to get your free Pikachu hat but you can find those at most venue locations.
Don’t forget the JR Line though if you are using your JR Rail Pass, the Sakuragicho Station always has some great photo ops outside!
Where to find the Pikachu March?
The first time I was exposed to the march was a promotional event pre-2014 Outbreak at a Dance Event taking place all over the city of Yokahama.
Now, generally speaking, you will find the Pikachu march at Queens Square, the large mall is directly connected to a train station making it super easy to get to!
The marches are normally about 20 Pikachu but if that’s not enough, look out for parade events on the streets nearby and of course, the other shows (my picks in a minute if you are limited on time).
This may also be a good time to mention that most of the events include a specially choreographed dance that they’ll teach you there!
Pikachu Merchandise
Of course, you can head over to the Pokemon Center in Queens Square but if you are looking for a different mode of buying, keep an eye out for the Pokemon vending machines that make an appearance during the festival.
There are also many popup stores at the various venues where you can get things like clip on pikachus to wear around, t-shirts complete with tails and ears, and the quintessential summer in Japan item: towels.
Get wet! Splash shows are a must!
In 2016, two new events called “Splash Up!” and “Splash Kingdom” featured water cannons to absolutely soak the entire crowd. It was great!
Splash Kingdom was actually a big production with the aforementioned Pikachu Dance with the whole crowd participating, acrobats, Pikachus marching through the crowd in various outfits, a Taylor Swift impersonator (yeah, that one was odd!) and much more. I was surprised it lasted about 30 minutes.
The water cannons were amazing. The way the sun caught the light and just the energy of the crowd. Ever since, Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse tends to have a “splash” show of some rendition – a must!
Minato Mirai Forest X Pikachu
The new addition from 2019 brought the most “performing” Pikachu ever to one spot! These Pikachu seemingly came out of the woods to dance and delight the crowds. Not only that, but there were a few “larger” pikachu in the mix.
Pikachu Manhole Covers?!
If you’ve been following along with Kristen Abroad for awhile, you know how much I love hunting manhole covers in Japan! Another fun surprise for 2019 was the addition of 5 special manhole covers around the city, as if there wasn’t enough fun already searching for all the Pikachu!
Final Tips for Pikachu Outbreak!
Make sure you check out the official website to get a full grasp of everything going on and if you have the option to plan things out on multiple days, this is key for seeing everything! Most years I’ve attended at least 2 days and still haven’t been able to see every event.
Make sure you have your ブルーシート (blue sheet, or as American’s normally refer to them, tarps) or something else to sit on because the larger events you’ll want to get there early. If you are lucky and early enough, it’s also possible to nab a fun promo Pikachu one!
The rainy season isn’t the only time you want to make sure to carry umbrellas in Japan, you’ll want one for the August sun to keep cool. With that, make sure to have a lot of water and keep hydrated, but with the nighttime shows you can definitely have a beer or you can hit the izakayas afterward! Hungry? A few of my favorites are nearby if you like BBQ or are looking for some unique ramen.
