The Yo-kai Watch franchise lists 2013 as its original work year. That date refers to the first Yo-kai Watch video game, which launched for the Nintendo 3DS in Japan on July 11, 2013.
Level-5 created and developed the game, which introduced the series’ central idea: a child uses a special watch to see supernatural beings inspired by yōkai from Japanese folklore. Players can befriend these creatures, collect their medals, and use them while exploring the fictional town of Springdale.
The franchise grew beyond the game into manga, anime, films, toys, and later spin-offs. This can cause confusion because the manga began serialization in December 2012, before the game’s release. Nevertheless, the franchise’s reference infobox identifies the 2013 video game as its “original work,” so 2013 is the intended answer.
The anime series followed in 2014, helping expand Yo-kai Watch’s popularity. The first sequel, Yo-kai Watch 2, arrived in Japan the same year, but neither date replaces the original work year.