Who published the first Japanese Pokémon Trading Card Game Base Set?

Media Factory published the first Japanese Pokémon Trading Card Game Base Set.

The set was released in Japan on October 20, 1996, during Pokémon’s first year as a video-game franchise. Media Factory handled publication of the Japanese cards, while Creatures Inc. was responsible for developing the trading-card game. These roles are often confused because both companies are closely associated with the early Pokémon TCG.

Wizards of the Coast later became the original English-language publisher in the United States. Its English Base Set was released on January 9, 1999, more than two years after the Japanese launch. Nintendo was the video-game publisher, but it was not the publisher named for the original Japanese Base Set.

Media Factory’s involvement places the first Pokémon cards within the broader Japanese publishing and collectible-card industry. The original set contained 102 cards and featured Pokémon from the first generation, establishing the foundation for the many expansions that followed.