On what date did the Pokémon Trading Card Game debut in Japan?

The Pokémon Trading Card Game debuted in Japan on October 20, 1996.

The first Japanese release was the 1st Starter & Expansion Pack, published by Media Factory. It followed the launch of the Pokémon video games and translated the franchise’s collecting and battling ideas into a tabletop format.

The game uses Pokémon, Energy, and Trainer cards. Players generally build 60-card decks and battle by placing Pokémon in active and benched positions, attaching Energy, and using attacks or card effects. The rules have expanded substantially since the original set, but those basic categories remain central.

The English Pokémon TCG arrived later. The United States received the Base Set on January 9, 1999, after an earlier 1998 demo product. Because the Japanese and English releases used different names, dates, and set structures, collectors often distinguish the Japanese first set from the English Base Set.