The Pokémon Company

The Pokémon Company ( Pokémon) is a company responsible for the licensing and marketing of the Pokémon franchise. Founded on April 23, 1998 with the name The Pokémon Center Company ( Pokémon Center kabushiki gaisha) as a by Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures, it was created to manage the Pokémon Center stores in Japan.Company History - The Pokémon Company (retrieved April 21, 2020) It has since expanded to be responsible for the , , license management, and , and other ancillary businesses in and Asia.Company Profile - The Pokémon Company (retrieved April 21, 2020) Its wholly owned subsidiaries, Pokémon Korea, Inc. and The Pokémon Company International, manage these responsibilities in and areas outside Asia, respectively.About Us - Pokémon Korea, Inc. (Korean) (retrieved April 21, 2020)About the Pokémon Company International - The Pokémon Company International (retrieved April 21, 2020) In March 2024, The Pokémon Company and ILCA established The Pokémon Works as a joint venture.
As of September 2019, The Pokémon Company had sold over 346 million units of their video games and shipped over 28.8 billion trading cards.Business Summary - The Pokémon Company (retrieved April 21, 2020) Tsunekazu Ishihara is the President and CEO of the company.
==History==
The Pokémon Center Co., Ltd. was founded on April 23, 1998 as a joint venture between Nintendo Co., Ltd., Game Freak, Inc. and Creatures, Inc. (the three companies that jointly own the copyright to Pokémon in Japan) to manage the Pokémon Center stores that were beginning to open.
By 2000, the overwhelmingly positive response to meant that Tsunekazu Ishihara of Creatures began being inundated with requests to license the Pokémon brand from companies across the globe. This, along with a desire to establish long-term goals for the franchise, meant that a single company would be needed to steward the brand, and manage key areas.Iwata Asks: "Just Being President Was A Waste!" - Nintendo (retrieved April 21, 2020) It was decided in October 2000, with the help of Satoru Iwata who had newly joined Nintendo from HAL Laboratory, Inc., to transform The Pokémon Center Company into The Pokémon Company to first take responsibility for video games, and in December of that year to begin its licencing business. Since 2001, it has published all Pokémon mobile apps worldwide and all Pokémon video games in Japan, with Nintendo being the publisher of console and handheld games elsewhere.
In February 2001, Pokémon USA, Inc. was established in , , and in March 2003, Pokémon UK opened its office in , . In 2009, these two merged to create The Pokémon Company International.Pokémon Merges North American, European Operations - World Screen (archived from the original April 13, 2009; retrieved April 21, 2020) which manages the franchise outside of Asia
In July 2002, the company launched the Pokémon Hiroba website for mobile phones, and November that year it launched the official Japanese Pokémon website. In January 2004, it launched the Pokémon Daisuki Club.
Pokémon Korea, Inc. ((주)포켓몬코리아 (Corporation) Pokémon Korea) was founded as a subsidiary on August 28, 2006 to manage the franchise in . In and , the Pokémon franchise is managed by .
A subsidiary called the Pokémon Communications Company ( Kabushiki gaisha Pokémon Communications) was founded on March 8, 2010Pokémon Communications Company (Japanese) (archived from the original June 1, 2015; retrieved April 21, 2020)(requires ), to better reach customers in Asia. On January 25, 2017, The Pokémon Company and the Pokémon Communications Company merged, with the latter being absorbed back into its parent company.Pokémon merges with Pokémon Communications, an affiliate company that promotes "Pokémon" - Social Game Info (Japanese) (retrieved April 21, 2020) In December that year, The Pokémon Company launched websites in , , , , the , , , and .Official Pokémon Website Launches in 10 Asian Countries - NintenoSoup (retrieved April 21, 2020) The company now uses the Pokémon Asia moniker for work in those countries.
On August 25, 2011, Pokémon Center Tokyo Co., Ltd. ( Kabushiki gaisha Pokémon Center Tokyo) was established to manage the company's and Pokémon Store operations.Company Profile - Pokémon Center Co., Ltd. (Japanese) (retrieved April 21, 2020) In March 2013, it was renamed to Pokémon Center Co., Ltd. ( Kabushiki gaisha Pokémon Center).Company Overview - Pokémon Center Co., Ltd. (Japanese) (retrieved April 21, 2020)
==Subsidiaries==
===The Pokémon Company International===
The Pokémon Company International was first established in February 2001 and is the subsidiary responsible for "brand management, licensing, marketing, the Pokémon Trading Card Game, the animated TV series, home entertainment, and the official Pokémon website" outside of Asia. Kenji Okubo is the subsidiary's President and CEO.
===Pokémon Korea, Inc.===
Pokémon Korea, Inc. was established in August 28, 2006 to promote the franchise in , and it manages licencing, video games, the Trading Card Game, and web services,Business Information - Pokémon Korea, Inc. (Korean) (retrieved April 21, 2020) as well as the Korean Pokémon Store website. Lim Jae Boem is the subsidiary's CEO.
===Pokémon Center Co., Ltd.===
Pokémon Center Co., Ltd. was established in August 25, 2011 to manage the Pokémon Center brand and stores in Japan. Its operations include running Pokémon Store and stores, maintaining the Pokémon Stand vending machines, and operating Pokémon Center Online, as well as overseeing the design and manufacture of Japanese Pokémon Center brand merchandise. Yomiomi Uego is the subsidiary's President and CEO.
===Pokémon Singapore Pte. Ltd.===
Pokémon Singapore Pte. Ltd. was established in May 7, 2018 to manage and operate Singapore.
===The Pokémon Company International Ireland Limited===
The Pokémon Company International Ireland Limited was established in August 19, 2020.
===Pokémon Shanghai===
Pokémon Shanghai (Chinese: 宝可梦（上海）玩具有限公司 Pokémon (Shanghai) Toys Co., Ltd.) was established in July 20, 2020.
===Millennium Print Group===
The Millenium Print Group was established in 2014 as a division of Park Communications and has been responsible for the manufacturing of Pokémon Trading Card Game products since 2015. In April 2022, the company was acquired by The Pokemon Company International.
===Pokémon Taiwan Co., Ltd.===
Pokémon Taiwan Co., Ltd. (Chinese: 寶可夢台灣股份有限公司) was established in December 30, 2022. It replaced Pokémon Game Distribution Co., Ltd. Taiwan Branch (Japan) (Chinese: 日商寶可夢遊戲發行股份有限公司台灣分公司), which was previously established on November 18, 2021, as the distributor of Pokémon UNITE in Taiwan on March 1, 2023.台灣代理營運業者變更之公告 - Pokémon UNITE - Facebook (retrieved January 27, 2023)
==Offices==
;The Pokémon Company & Pokémon Center Co., Ltd.
:, Japan
;The Pokémon Company International
:10400 NE 4th Street, Suite 2800, Bellevue, WA 98004, United States
:3rd Floor Building 10, Chiswick Park, 566 Chiswick High Road, London, W4 5XS, United Kingdom
;Pokémon Korea, Inc.
:, South Korea
;Pokémon Singapore Pte. Ltd.
:60 Paya Lebar Road, #12-15, Paya Lebar Square, Singapore
;Pokémon Shanghai
:
;Pokémon Taiwan Co., Ltd.
:
==Social activism==
Following the , The Pokémon Company launched the Pokémon with You campaign to raise funds for children affected by the disaster.
On June 12, 2020, The Pokémon Company announced that it would also be donating a minimum of $5 million USD following Pokémon GO Fest 2020 to charities supporting children, including education and mentorship opportunities for Black children.Pokémon on Twitter (retrieved June 25, 2020)Official Pokémon Twitter on Twitter (Japanese) (retrieved June 25, 2020) This followed Niantic's announcement on June 3 that it would be donating $5 million USD of Pokémon GO Fest 2020 ticket sales to fund new projects from Black creators and US nonprofit organizations and The Pokémon Company International's announcement on June 3 that they would be donating $100,000 to the and $100,000 to .Taking action - Niantic (retrieved June 25, 2020)Pokémon on Twitter (retrieved June 25, 2020)
In 2023, The Rainbow Gym, an Employee Resource Group at The Pokémon Company International marched at the and parades, representing The Pokémon Company International.
==External links==
* The Pokémon Company on Wikipedia
===The Pokémon Company===
Corporate
* Corporate site (Japanese)
** Corporate site (English)
History
* Early chronology of Pokémon from the Nintendo Online Magazine's June 2000 issue (Japanese)
** 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000
Social Media
* The Pokémon Company on (Japanese)
* The Pokémon Company on (Japanese)
* The Pokémon Company on YouTube (Japanese)
* The Pokémon Company on (Japanese)
* The Pokémon Company on (Japanese)
===Pokémon Korea, Inc.===
Corporate
* Corporate page (Korean)
* Business information (Korean)
Social Media
* Pokémon Korea on Facebook (Korean)
* Pokémon Korea on (Korean)
* Pokémon Korea on Instagram (Korean)
* Pokémon Korea on YouTube (Korean)
===Pokémon Shanghai===
Corporate
* Corporate page (Chinese)
==References==
*
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