Pokémon Go Fest: Tokyo 2026 review
Since its launch ten years ago, Pokémon Go has been a part of my day, be it hunting for shiny Pokémon on the way to work or raiding with local groups back in the UK. I made many friends through the game, and it allowed me to enjoy the world around me in a different way. The game allows players across the globe to connect; in-person events are held yearly. From wild weekends, fests and safari zone events, there are numerous events for people of all ages to take part in. I have enjoyed holidays in different parts of the world with the intention of picking up regional specialities and making new friends to trade with.
Last year I wrote a piece on Nagasaki, Wild Weekend, and today I will be writing about my Go Fest experience in Tokyo. This year, three locations were selected for Go Fest, and the closest for me was Tokyo. It was easy to fly down after work and spend the weekend exploring and collecting new Pokémon. Gameplay was city-wide so more people could enjoy the event and the city. I decided to make a casual cosplay for the event and created a Tandemaus cosplay to explore in which also doubled as sun protection. The costume was casual enough to be recognised by fans but not be an annoyance to the public, which was my goal. I made the costume in a week and brought along my Tandemaus plushie to poke out of the hoodie’s pouch, levelling up my cosplay into a Maushold!
In the city, players completed tasks and research in four zones; there were special eggs, regionals and new shiny Pokémon for people to hunt. The challenges were not too difficult, making it accessible to everyone, which was fun. I travelled between the four zones in Tokyo whilst enjoying some fun tourist spots and eating good food. The Pokémon centres in Tokyo were very busy, and I joined a queue to get in, which was initially said to be about one hour’s wait. But thankfully it moved a little quicker. I was overjoyed to receive positive feedback on my cosplay and had many amazing interactions because of it. I had locals asking if I made it and how; I met people from Argentina who were kind enough to give me a gift from the ambassador program. The social interactions were the best part for me.
Gameplay for the weekend was mainly city play, but there was the chance to book the park experience too, where players would complete tasks and get the chance to participate in two-thousand-person raids to catch Mega Mewtwo X and Y. For me, I enjoyed the conservatory zone Pokémon across the Dex were spawning with a higher chance of being shiny, and I enjoyed seeing the old splash screen artworks dotted around.
The park experience was a little disappointing; I ended up with 2 base-level Mewtwo, and one was a two-star. Over the weekend, I caught a few shiny Mewtwo, but my original shiny from years back ended up being my best. Meaning it will be a grind for energy over the global weekend for me to use that Pokémon instead. I also felt sad as everyone around me got background or shiny Mewtwo with at least 3 levels unlocked, and it seemed everyone was having a more successful time than me. I left the park experience downhearted and tired as the zones were very spread out and there was a lot to do in them before the timer hit zero for the big raids at the end. I felt the planning for the park experience could have been improved and ended up with me missing the Pikachu festival section where Pikachu and Pokémon could be seen dancing on a Japanese matsuri-style platform. I only saw the pictures online in the end.
The park experience felt empty due to the large space; I enjoyed my time in the city the most and the reactions of the players who recognised my cosplay. I enjoyed connecting with other Tandemaus fans and enjoyed talking to people from across the globe. I was able to make some trades to fill out some missing gaps in my collection and ended up leaving feeling as if I had achieved at least something. Ueno Park had some stands set up, as two of the Pokelids can be found there, so many fans flocked to collect the stamps and merchandise for the event. There were official stamp rallies in the city and plenty of activities to do, which felt less busy than the park experience. Go Fest was a unique experience, and it displayed new mechanics and gameplay features. The game is still fresh and evolving over a decade since its launch, and I am excited for more in-person events and Pokémon releases in the future.
When I left the UK, the hype for the game had died down; unless you went to a big city, it was rare to see many people around, and raiding was very difficult as I lived in a small town. I belonged to two raid groups, but eventually those fell quiet. Moving to Japan revived the hype for me. The game is alive here, and on event days, even in my more rural city of Saga, you can see many people raiding and doing events together. I have added many players in Saga, and I have had good experiences when doing the mega days and big raid events in-game. I am hoping this year to attend a wild area event and would love the chance to visit a whole new country for it. Playing in Japan is fun and a very different experience from the UK.
GO Fest Tokyo was a fun experience, and I enjoyed seeing new areas of the city. The seaside park was beautiful; the view of Tokyo Bay was made even better when the sun started to set, and the whole area was bathed in colour. Despite not being lucky in the park experience, the area was worth the visit; it was only reachable via train, as it is a small island. It was a memorable experience walking along a beach in Tokyo, something one doesn’t associate with the metropolis, which is one of the most densely populated cities in the world.
I recommend players of the game explore as much as they can, and I am excited to see what new events await me in the game. Exploring via the game has been a lot of fun, and there is still a lot in the game I need to do. For those coming to Japan, the Pokelid stamp rally has just been expanded to now include the Pokémon Centre stamp rally! Players can encounter Pikachu with special location backgrounds featuring the Pokémon Centre-specific features from in-store. This new addition is more proof that the game is alive and thriving within Japan and overseas.
