Kanto is the first Pokémon region, introduced in Pokémon Red and Green.
Kanto is the setting for the original games and contains locations such as Pallet Town, Viridian City, Saffron City, and the Pokémon League. It is also home to the first eight Gym Leaders and the original 151 Pokémon. The region’s geography is loosely inspired by Japan’s real Kantō region.
Kanto returned in Pokémon Blue and Yellow and later appeared as a post-game area in Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal. It was also revisited in the remakes FireRed and LeafGreen and in Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee!
Kanto is often confused with Johto because the two regions are connected in the second-generation games. Johto was introduced afterward in Gold and Silver, while Kanto became accessible later in those games. The original region remains especially important because it established the franchise’s basic map structure and Gym challenge.