Which Japanese region inspired the Pokémon region of Kanto?

The Pokémon region of Kanto was inspired by Japan’s real Kantō region.

In the Pokémon games, Kanto is the setting of the original Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow adventures. It contains locations such as Pallet Town, Viridian City, Saffron City, and the Indigo Plateau. Its geography and place-name patterns draw heavily on the actual Kantō area of Japan.

The real Kantō region includes Tokyo and surrounding prefectures on Japan’s main island, Honshu. Pokémon’s Kanto is a fictionalized version rather than a precise map, so its routes, towns, islands, and landmarks are rearranged for game design.

The name can cause confusion because the Pokémon region is written “Kanto” in English, while the Japanese geographic region is commonly romanized as “Kantō.” Later Pokémon regions also draw from real Japanese areas, including Johto’s connection with Kansai and Hoenn’s connection with Kyūshū.