When was Pokémon TCG Base Set first released in Japan?

Pokémon TCG Base Set was first released in Japan on October 20, 1996.

Known in Japan as the First Starter & Expansion Pack, Base Set was the first set of the Pokémon Trading Card Game. It followed the debut of the Pokémon video games and helped turn the franchise’s creatures into a tabletop strategy game involving decks, attacks, Energy, Trainer cards, and Prize cards.

The Japanese release preceded the English-language release by more than two years. In the United States, Base Set arrived on January 9, 1999, with Wizards of the Coast handling production and distribution. This gap is why English-speaking collectors often associate the original cards with 1999 even though the TCG began in Japan in 1996.

Base Set included 102 cards and featured species from the first generation. It is distinct from Base Set 2, a later English compilation of reprinted cards. The set also became especially famous for its holographic Charizard, Blastoise, and Venusaur cards.