Kanto is Pokémon’s first-generation region, inspired by Japan’s real Kantō area.
The region appeared in Pokémon Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow and became the geographic foundation for the original Pokémon journey. Players travel from Pallet Town through locations such as Pewter City, Celadon City, Fuchsia City, and Cinnabar Island before reaching the Pokémon League.
The fictional Kanto borrows broad geographic ideas from Japan’s Kantō region, but it rearranges and transforms them for game design. The map includes routes, caves, forests, and bodies of water that support exploration and progression rather than reproducing real geography exactly.
Kanto is also unusual because it returns as a post-game area in Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal. That later appearance can cause confusion about which generation introduced it. Kanto belongs to the first generation, while Johto is the principal region introduced by the second-generation games.