Tonight I took a short walk around the city.
The streets were lit up with beautiful blue illuminations, and the whole place felt magical.
In Japan, once December begins, every city goes all-in with winter lights, and it really lifts your mood.

After enjoying the lights, I stopped by a bookstore to check out the latest Pokémon-related magazines.
There were shelves filled with Pokémon Fan, CoroCoro, Mario specials, and tons of kids’ magazines.
I love this corner because the stickers, posters, and special features really show the heart of Japanese “Pokémon culture.”

Of course, nowadays you can find all the release dates and magazine details online.
But I personally believe you can’t convey the real charm of a product unless you see it with your own eyes.
So whenever I have time, I still go and check these things in person.

CoroCoro, especially, has a long history with Pokémon cards and has produced many iconic promo cards.
For example, in May 2025, they released the Team Rocket Meowth promo, and I remember selling around 50 copies of that magazine.

These small daily “research trips” may seem simple, but they allow me to share accurate history, context, and real insights with customers.
Rather than repeating information from the internet, I want to deliver first-hand, real-world details directly from Japan.

Then I found something interesting today a Pokémon card vending machine.

Of course, it doesn’t dispense booster packs.
It’s one of those flashy gacha-style machines where the chance of winning something good is… almost zero.
Kids love the bright design, but if you expect too much, you’re going to lose (haha).

▼ Here’s the English translation of the 3,000 yen (~$19) gacha description:

1 card from the left side OR 1 RR card

• 4 normal cards
• 2 random booster packs.

The moment you see “1 RR card,” you already know it’s over.
If an adult pays $19, at least guarantee an SAR even an old one!
And for kids, I honestly think this price is a bit too harsh.

But at the same time…
this kind of ‘Pokémon appearing everywhere’ is exactly what makes Japan feel so unique.

Just an ordinary December evening in Fukuoka.

Illuminations, magazines, vending machines…
To me, it’s normal everyday life.
But many readers from overseas tell me they enjoy seeing these “real scenes of Japan,”
and that makes me happy.

So I’ve decided not only to post about Pokémon cards,
but also share more of these small moments where Pokémon naturally appears in my daily life.
For some reason, Pokémon is always there somewhere—no matter where I go.

---

If you’re looking for Mega Dream ex boxes or the latest singles,

I can ship directly from Japan. Feel free to contact me anytime.

Instagram: pokeshopjp
WhatsApp: Click here