The Kantō region inspired the setting of the original Pokémon games.
In Pokémon Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow, the fictional Kanto region contains locations such as Pallet Town, Viridian City, Saffron City, and Cinnabar Island. Its geography mirrors several features of Japan’s real Kantō area, including a large central city, coastal routes, forests, caves, and a volcano-associated island.
The connection is especially clear in the Japanese versions. The game’s towns were renamed for international releases, but the broad regional structure remained. The fictional Pokémon regions that followed were also influenced by real places, including Johto by the Kansai region and Hoenn by Kyushu.
Kanto can be confused with the Kantō region’s role in Japanese geography. In Pokémon, Kanto is a fictional adventure region rather than a direct map of Japan. The shared name signals the inspiration, while the games rearrange and reinterpret real-world landscapes for exploration and storytelling.