What was the Japanese release date of Pokémon's first animated film?

Pokémon's first animated film was released in Japan on July 18, 1998.

The film is commonly known in English as Pokémon: The First Movie, while its Japanese title is Pocket Monsters the Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back. It was directed by Kunihiko Yuyama and centers on Mewtwo, a genetically engineered Pokémon created from research involving Mew.

The Japanese theatrical release came shortly after the first anime season established Pokémon as a television phenomenon. The film was accompanied by the short Pikachu's Vacation, which gave the Pokémon characters a lighter story before the main feature.

The English-language release followed in North America in November 1999. A 2019 computer-animated remake, Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back—Evolution, retold the same central story but was not the original film.