What was the original Pokémon Trading Card Game’s Japanese release date?
Answer
October 20, 1996
The original Pokémon Trading Card Game was released in Japan on October 20, 1996.
Media Factory published the first Japanese cards, known as the 1st Starter & Expansion Pack. The set was based on the Pokémon video games and used creatures from the original generation, allowing fans to collect and battle with Pokémon in a tabletop format.
The English release came later. Wizards of the Coast published the Pokémon TCG in the United States, where the Base Set launched on January 9, 1999. This gap explains why some timelines list 1999 as the card game’s beginning even though the Japanese game debuted in 1996.
A standard Pokémon TCG deck contains 60 cards and uses Pokémon, Energy, and Trainer cards. The original Japanese set depicted the first 150 Pokémon species; Mew was not part of that initial group.