When did the Pokémon TV series premiere in Japan?

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

The first broadcast aired on TV Tokyo and began the animated story of Ash Ketchum and Pikachu. Its opening episode, “Pokémon, I Choose You!”, showed Ash receiving Pikachu and starting his journey from Pallet Town.

The series followed the release of the original Japanese Game Boy games by roughly one year. That timing helped turn Pokémon from a successful game into a broader multimedia franchise involving television, cards, films, toys, and merchandise.

The Japanese first season is commonly known in English as Pokémon: Indigo League, although it originally aired simply as Pokémon. International broadcasts came later: the United States run began in 1998, while the English-language television launch became especially prominent through first-run syndication and Kids’ WB. The premiere date is therefore distinct from the dates when viewers in North America or Europe first saw the show.