In which Tokyo district did the first real-world Pokémon Center open?

The first real-world Pokémon Center opened in Nihonbashi, Tokyo.

The store opened on 18 July 1998 and was named after the Pokémon Centers in the video games and anime. In the fictional world, Pokémon Centers are places where Trainers heal their Pokémon and manage their teams. The real stores instead focused on official merchandise such as plush toys, figures, clothing, stationery, and trading-card products.

The first location was established before the Pokémon Company became the franchise’s modern management organization. Pokémon Center Co. Ltd. was created in 1998 by Nintendo, Creatures, and Game Freak to manage Pokémon-related retail operations.

The Japanese chain later expanded to other cities and became a major part of Pokémon’s physical retail identity. A Pokémon Center also operated in New York City from 2001 to 2005; that location was later transformed into Nintendo World and eventually Nintendo New York.