What was the Japanese release date of Pokémon Gold and Silver?

Pokémon Gold and Silver were released in Japan on November 21, 1999.

The games were the first main-series Pokémon titles of the second generation and were developed by Game Freak for the Game Boy Color. Their Japanese launch followed the original Red and Green games by several years and expanded the series with the Johto region and 100 new Pokémon species.

Gold and Silver added several features that became important to later Pokémon games. A real-time clock tracked the day and time, certain Pokémon appeared at particular times, and some events depended on the day of the week. Pokémon could hold items, and the games introduced the Dark and Steel types, baby Pokémon, and shiny Pokémon.

The international releases came later: North America received the games in October 2000, while Europe received them in April 2001. Pokémon Crystal, an enhanced third version, followed in Japan on December 14, 2000. These dates are distinct from the launch date of the original pair.