On what date did the Pokémon animated series first air in Japan?

The Pokémon animated series first aired in Japan on April 1, 1997. The premiere was broadcast by TV Tokyo and launched one of the most successful television adaptations of a video game series.

The anime followed the 1996 Japanese release of Pocket Monsters Red and Green, bringing the games’ creatures and battling concept to television. Ash Ketchum became the central human character, while Pikachu served as his partner and the franchise’s most recognizable mascot.

The Japanese series has continued as a largely continuous television production, with different story arcs connected to successive generations of Pokémon games. International broadcasters later divided the Japanese program into separate seasons and localized the names, dialogue and opening sequences.