On what date did the Pokémon anime debut in Japan?

The Pokémon anime debuted in Japan on April 1, 1997.

Its premiere episode, “Pokémon, I Choose You!”, introduced Ash Ketchum and his initially reluctant partner, Pikachu. The broadcast followed the success of the Pokémon games, which had launched in Japan for Game Boy the previous year.

The television series helped turn Pokémon from a video game property into a worldwide multimedia franchise. Its story structure combined Ash's journey through different regions with recurring battles, Gym challenges, rivalries, and new groups of Pokémon.

The Japanese debut date is sometimes confused with international broadcast dates. The English-language series arrived later in different markets, so the first date viewers remember depends on their country. April 1, 1997 refers specifically to the original Japanese television premiere.