A trip to Machida, the real-life ‘Pallet Town’ that inspired Pokémon

The first generation of Pokémon games featured some of the most iconic locations in the entire franchise. The quaint Lavender Town, the winding Viridian Forest, and the ancient Pallet Town where all players begin their journey.

Pallet Town is not only a fanciful creation, but also takes real-life inspiration from Pokémon creator Satoshi Tajiri’s hometown of Machida in Tokyo City. Although present-day Machida and Tajiri’s childhood are very different, there are still many elements in the city that evoke the sense of adventure of Ash Ketchum’s hometown.

Red Pokémon / Green / Blue / Yellow is inspired by the populous Kanto region of Japan, hence its name in the game. Kanto is home to Tokyo, which may evoke images of a bustling futuristic city, but the Greater Tokyo Area also has plenty of lush natural beauty, quiet suburbs, and other locations. that tourists may not encounter. Machida doesn’t appear in many travel guides, but it’s a great excursion outside the city center that will satisfy Pokémon fans who want to experience a bit of the game in real life.

Machida itself does not promote itself as the hometown of Satoshi Tajiri. Some people even argue that Pallet Town is actually located within Shizuoka due to how well the real map of the Kanto region matches the game’s map. However, Machida has recently established himself as the inspiration for Pallet Town due to the installation of six Poké Caps in Machida’s Serigaya Park.

As part of the Pokémon Local Acts project to promote tourism in less-visited areas in Japan, Poké Lids are Pokémon-themed utility covers that have been installed across Japan. There are over 300 utility covers, the newest of which is special Pikachu cap in Nintendo Museum in Kyoto. Avid Pokémon fans often visit these Poké Lids specifically to take photos. Since they’re mostly installed to lure tourists away from busy roads, Tokyo itself doesn’t have many, but the first ones were placed in Machida in 2020, themed to the Pokémon Kanto you find early in your journey.

All six Poké Lids are located in Serigaya Park, a large area filled with evocative sculptures, koi ponds, and lush greenery. The Park was established in 1982, so although Tajiri was unlikely to come to this location just to catch bugs and fish, which later inspired him to create Pokémon, the Park’s quiet beauty Serigaya has a similar feel of Pallet Town and early Kanto routes.

Each lid features bright artwork of classic Kanto Pokémon such as starter Pokémon Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander. They are cleverly placed throughout the park, such as the Poliwag cap next to the sparkling stream, or the Charmander next to the fire hazard warning. The park’s towering rocking sculptures in Water and Rainbow Square are featured on the Pidgey and Rattata lids, and you can even spot a cameo Leaf on the Bulbasaur lid.

Don’t be surprised if you have to line up to take photos, as these are sought after by Poke Lid fanatics due to being the only place in the country that showcases Kanto appetizers.

Machida is much more than Pallet Town-encoded Serigaya Park, and its most famous tourist attraction has absolutely nothing to do with Pokémon. Machida Squirrel Garden is a small petting zoo with over two hundred squirrels living in brightly painted houses. You can even feed and pet the squirrels, but don’t be surprised if they dash off once they’re full. While it’s unlikely that these specific squirrels inspired Pachirisu, it’s interesting to think about.

Right across from Machida Squirrel Garden is Yakushiike Park, a large Japanese garden with arched bridges, hanging wisteria, and red maple leaves. The traditional Japanese traps in this park may be more Johto than Kanto, but it gives the feeling of exploring a beautiful environment like in Pokémon, keeping an eye out for anything that might pop out of the grass .

The city center near Machida Station is a fairly typical Japanese shopping mall, with plenty of restaurants and department stores to explore. For gamers, there are several arcades and stores like Hobby Off and Book Off where you can find classic games. Machida’s Book Off is especially impressive because it features decorations for classic game areas, including Pokémon-themed areas. During my visit, I even found boxed copies of Pokémon Red and Green. Luck or fate?

in one 1999 TIME magazine interview with Satoshi Tajiri, he talks briefly about Machida’s changing landscape.

“Where I grew up is still rural. There are rice fields, rivers, forests. It is filled with nature. Then growth begins and as it grows, all the insects are chased away […] The change is dramatic. A fishing pond becomes an entertainment center.”

Twenty-five years after Tajiri spoke to TIME about Machida, the city has certainly come a long way toward resembling a modern Tokyo neighborhood. However, with Poké Lids attracting people to Machida’s more natural setting, the spirit of starting your adventure in Pallet Town still lives on today.