Japan is the birthplace of Pokemon, so it struck many as odd that Pokemon Go had rolled out in so many other countries but not in its native land. Rumors have circulated for days now about an imminent Japanese launch, ostensibly paired with a nationwide McDonald’s marketing campaign.
While the campaign may as yet be forthcoming, the game itself is live and Japanese players are already rejoicing.
#POKEMONGO has just landed in Tokyo! Officially caught the first Pokemon in the @japantimes office. pic.twitter.com/JNlEhCVioE
— Andrew Lee (@a_s_lee) July 22, 2016
Despite continuing an international rollout, Pokemon Go still has immense server issues locking many players out for hours at a time — which was apparently the reason for the app’s delay in Japan in the first place. One would assume Niantic has taken measures to address the persistent server problems in conjunction with the Japanese release, but that remains to be seen.
One organization is fully prepared for the app’s release, however, and that’s the Japanese government: the National Center of Incident Readiness and Strategy for Cybersecurity (NISC) has released a nine-item safety advisory ahead of Pokemon Go‘s launch, reminding players to stay aware of their surroundings, bring a spare phone battery, and take precautions against heatstroke. My favorite has to be item 7, which uses a couple of cute Old West gunslingers to (apparently) represent the dangers of being mugged.
The full nine-point safety advisory flier, via the NISC.
With its Japanese launch, Pokemon Go is one step closer to realizing a global roll-out — could China and South Korea be next?
