The first real-world Pokémon Center store opened in Tokyo in April 1998.
Pokémon Center stores are specialty retailers selling franchise merchandise such as plush toys, figures, clothing, stationery, games, and trading cards. Their name comes from the fictional Pokémon Centers in the games, where trainers heal and manage their Pokémon.
The original Tokyo store helped establish Pokémon as a retail brand beyond video games and television. It opened during the franchise’s early international expansion, when demand for Pokémon products was increasing rapidly in Japan. The original location eventually closed, and Pokémon Center stores later appeared in other Japanese cities.
New York City became home to a Pokémon Center store in 2001, making it an important early overseas location. That store later became the Nintendo World Store and was eventually rebranded Nintendo New York. This history can cause confusion about which city hosted the first store: Tokyo came first, while New York was an early international example.