Pokémon Inc. held the " Pokémon Japan Championships 2026 ( PJCS 2026 )" on June 6 (Sat.) and 7 (Sun.), 2026. The event was a great success, attracting more than 20,000 visitors.
The "Pokémon Japan Championships 2026" came to a close! Who will be the winner of each category...?
PJCS2026 ", the battle to decide the number one Pokémon battle, was held on June 6 (Sat.) and 7 (Sun.), 2026!
The 8th edition of the event was the largest in its history in terms of number of players, visitors, and venue. An estimated 21,000 people gathered at the Pacifico Yokohama venue.
PR TIMESThe competition was held in the following four categories.
- Game Division (using "Pokémon Champions")
- Card Game Division
- Pokémon GO" Division
- Pokémon Unite" Division
The top finishers received tickets to the Pokémon World Championships 2026 (Pokémon WCS 2026), a world championship to be held in San Francisco, California, U.S.A!
Here are the top winners in each category and comments from the winners.
Pokémon Champions" was adopted for the first time! Game Division
The Game Division was the first competition to determine the best in Japan since " Pokémon Champions " became the target software. The top winners were determined in the Junior, Senior, and Master divisions!
Junior Category
- 1st: Hideo Uezu
- 2nd: Kazutaka Hatahori
- 3rd: Naoyoshi Shimizu, Kyosuke Nanao
Here are some comments from the winner, Hideo Uezu.
PR TIMESI was able to compete in the finals with my friends, so I was not so nervous this time. This year is my last year to compete in the Junior category, so I want to win the Pokémon WCS 2026.
Senior Category
- 1st: Ryusei Ono
- 2nd: Souma Kitazawa
- 3rd: Hinata Komuro
The winner of the Senior Category was Ryusei Ono.
PR TIMESI would like to say thank you to Ptera for its success. I am in my third year of junior high school, so I am busy with my studies, but I decided to do my best in the Pokémon WCS 2026 as much as possible.
Master Category
- 1st: Hiroshi Onishi (@cona_5757 )
- 2nd: Alai Rintaro (@alaninepoke )
- 3rd: Rinya Kobayashi (@gozira2004 ), Shota Hongou (@ponponta1019 )
The winner of the Master category was Hiroshi Onishi!
PR TIMESI didn't think I could make it this far, and I'm really happy to have won. Thanks to everyone's support and advice, I am standing here. I will do my best for San Francisco.
Battling with my best deck! Card Game Division
The card game division was held in three leagues: Junior, Senior, and Master. After a fierce competition, who will be the winner?
Junior League
- 1st: Yuta Araki
- 2nd: Souma Ono
- 3rd: Yume Fukui, Leo Otake
The winner was Yuta Araki!
PR TIMES（I felt that today was the day to win (when I drew the boss's command). (When I drew the boss's command) I felt that today was the day I was going to win.
Senior League
- 1st: Jin Morita
- 2nd: Yuhi Hashimoto
- 3rd: Ryota Mishima, Rintaro Hoshino
Jin Morita won the Senior League.
PR TIMESI am very happy to have continued playing the Pokémon Card Game. I will be in the top 32 again at the Pokémon WCS 2026!
Master League
- 1st: Toshiyuki Otake
- 2nd: Kabu Fukase (@kabu_0508 )
- 3rd: Yuki Shibaseki, Takeshi Yamanaka
The winner of the Master League was Toshiyuki Otake!
PR TIMESWe are happy that both parents qualified for the World Championships together. I will do my best to place higher than my son at the Pokémon WCS 2026.
It has been five years since the first event! Pokemon GO" Division
The finals started with Horde vs. Onidrill! How did the fierce battle turn out?
Top finishers
- 1st: Taichi Shimokawa
- 2nd: Kazuma Swa
- 3rd: Anan Masuda, Tomoya Uda
The winner was Taichi Shimokawa!
PR TIMESI'm really happy to have won today with Pidgeot, who has been with me since we started Battle League. I will do my best to get over my crying and win the Pokémon WCS 2026 so that I can give an interview at the event. Thank you for your support.
A hot team competition of 5 vs. 5! Pokemon Unite" Division
The final match of the "Pokemon Unite" division this time was FENNEL vs REJECT, a strong card! After a full set, who won the title of the best in Japan...?
Top Teams
PR TIMES- 1st: FENNEL
- 2nd: REJECT
- 3rd: C,C,.
Comment from the winning team: "FENNEL" ak1 (@sadako4709 )
PR TIMESThe offline cheers are pleasant and addictive. The last game was mentally draining, but I was so crazy happy to win and not be able to stand up right after. I am looking forward to the Pokémon WCS2026, and all I can see is the best in the world. I hope you will watch over us at "Pokémon WCS2026.
Each division was hotly contested. The top winners will next compete in the "Pokémon WCS2026" in the world!
A look at all the side events! 27 Pokémon were seen at the event!
On the day of the tournament, side events were held in and around the PJCS2026 venue. There were plenty of activities for the general public to enjoy, such as Pokémon battles, Pokémon petting zones, and more!
Many corners in the venue! Meet and greet with Pokémon, too!
There were various corners in the exhibition hall where the general public could play around with Pokémon!
Let's go meet Pokemon!
The 27 Pokémon that have become your traveling partners in the "Pokémon" series came to the PJCS 2026 venue to cheer you on!
Pokemon 30th Anniversary Photo Spot
To commemorate the 30th anniversary, a photo panel where you can enter and take pictures and a history panel that summarizes the history of Pokémon and the PJCS will be on display.
Pokemon Card Game Photo Spot
A giant Pokémon Card Game panel with Mega-Synchasized Pokémon was on display! Also on display for the first time before the release of the 30th CELEBRATION expansion pack, which will be released simultaneously worldwide on September 16, 2026 (Wednesday), was an actual ticket for the 30th anniversary product.
Pokémon Champions Experience Corner
Pokémon Champions" for Nintendo Switch, which is currently being distributed by popular demand, will be available for hands-on experience. The smartphone version of this game will be released sequentially from June 17, 2026 (Wednesday)! If you are interested in this game, check out the official "Pokémon Champions" website.
Pokémon HOME" corner
Pokémon and commemorative medals that can be received on the smartphone version of "Pokémon HOME" will be given away! Gabrious, which was successful in the qualifying competition in the game section, was also given away.
Pokémon LEGENDS Z-A" corner
The " Z-A Battle Club " featured real-time communication battles unique to "Pokémon LEGENDS Z-A." The competition was heated and competitive.
In the " Trimian League " corner, only "Trimmians," Pokémon that can trim into nine different forms, could participate in the communication battle!
Other side events included a Pokémon Unite "Marmine Volleyball" battle, card games and Pokémon GO round-robin battles, a Pokémon board game play area, and much more!
Giant Pokémon kites in the sky! Pokemon outside the venue, too!
Pokémon were also seen outside the venue at this tournament.
Giant Pokemon kites
Giant kites of Mega Lizardon X and Mega Lizardon Y were displayed in Rinko Park near the venue! The giant 15-meter kites were flying in the sky of Yokohama.
The "PJCS2026" was also archived! Top finishers will go to the world championship "Pokémon WCS2026"!
With four categories of battles and side events, "PJCS2026," the tournament to determine the best Pokémon players in Japan, was two days of Pokémon fun! You can watch archived footage of the day's battles on the official Pokémon YouTube. The top ranked players will compete in the world championship " Pokémon WCS2026 ". For more information, please check the official Pokemon X (@Pokemon_cojp )!
| Event Outline | |
|---|---|
| Name | Pokemon Japan Championships 2026 |
| Date | Saturday, June 6 and Sunday, June 7, 2026 |
| Venue | Pacifico Yokohama |