When did the original Pokémon television series premiere in Japan?

The original Pokémon television series premiered in Japan on April 1, 1997.

The first broadcast aired on TV Tokyo, a little over a year after the original Game Boy games launched. The animated series expanded the game's world by following Ash Ketchum, known as Satoshi in Japanese, on his journey to become a Pokémon Master.

The premiere introduced Pikachu as Ash's first companion and established the series' recurring focus on friendship, travel, competition, and perseverance. The anime quickly became a major part of Pokémon's international identity, rather than simply serving as an adaptation of the games.

The first season originally aired in Japan under the title Pocket Monsters. International releases used different dubbing, scheduling, and season labels. In the United States, the series began airing in 1998, while the first episode was titled “Pokémon, I Choose You!” in English. The Japanese premiere date remains distinct from the later dates when viewers in other countries first saw the show.