The " Pokemon Japan Championships 2026 (PJCS2026 )" will be held on June 6 (Sat.) and 7 (Sun.), 2026, to decide the best Pokemon battle in Japan. Prior to the event, a special event was held to commemorate the event! Guests included comedians Yutaka Akagi and Bando Kimura from the comedy duo Takuro, judoka Ichizo Abe, TV personality Hirona Nagahama, and a total of 27 Pokémon. The following is a report on this event, which was a great success!
PJCS2026" Pokémon 30th Anniversary Special Event! Guests talked and battled, and Pokémon looked adorable!
A special event was held on Friday, June 5, 2026, the day before the PJCS2026 to commemorate the " PJCS2026," a Pokémon battle to determine the best Pokémon in Japan.
PJCS2026" will feature tournaments in four divisions : Games, Card Games, Pokémon GO, and Pokémon Unite. Four special guests will appear at the event wearing the image colors of these four divisions! Champions" of various genres gathered to celebrate the "Pokémon Japan" Champion "Ships 2026.
Hirona Nagahama (@hinak.o0619 ), aka "Ohinasama," is the most popular high school student TV personality, or champion. She also professes her great love of Pokemon on the radio.
Judoka Ichizo Abe (@hifumi.abe ) is a 2021 Tokyo Olympic gold medalist. He is also the 2018 World Champion!
Yutaka Akagi (@takuroakagi ) and Kimura Band (@takurouband ) of the comedy duo "Takuro" are the 2025 M-1 champions. They were crowned the champion in the manzai category.
The three traveling partners of the entire series are together for the first time ever! A total of 27 Pokémon!
From the start of the event, the venue was covered with a large banner. When the four of them pressed the red button...?
Magnificent music played in the hall, and there was a silhouette of something moving.
When the banner was lowered, a giant monster ball stage and a total of 27 Pokémon appeared!
To commemorate the 30th anniversary of Pokémon, the first three Pokémon that have been the partners in the journey so far were all present at the event! This is the first time that a total of 27 Pokémon from all the series will be assembled here. Everyone is sure to find one Pokémon with which they are familiar.
After the photo session, guests could be seen playing with the Pokémon. "Cute! " mouthed Nagahama as he interacted with his favorite Pokémon, Focco.
The 27 Pokémon can be met at "PJCS2026." The Pokémon will also appear at Pokémon Centers nationwide, starting with the convention!
In June 2026, a special campaign will be held at Pokémon Centers to promote "meeting" Pokémon. Please look forward to it!
Guests' talk corner! Memories with Pokémon and light-hearted panel talks!
After the 27 Pokémon left the venue, the guests held a talk corner.
What are the categories of "PJCS2026"?
There are four divisions in this year's competition, including the game division. When asked which division he was most interested in, Kimura-san mentioned the "Pokemon Unite" division, which is a team competition, saying, "We are also playing with a team strategy, so to speak. When the announcer pointed an arrow at Mr. Akagi, "I don't see eye-to-eye with you," he laughed and said, "It's a team competition! Manzai is a team competition! Manzai is a team sport!
If you want to be a champion, which Pokémon would you like to have as your partner?
Next, he asked Nagahama, "If you wanted to be a champion, which Pokémon would you want as your partner? Nagahama asked, "I really, really, really, really love Focco! " he expressed passionately. "It's definitely Focco! " and showed his love.
What does it take to be a champion?
When asked what was important to him in order to become a champion, Abe answered, "To develop my strengths and advantages. He also shared his thoughts on Pokémon battles, saying, "I think it's good to develop your strengths in Pokémon as well, depending on how you fight.
How would you like to be a champion in other genres?
The four are "champions" in their respective genres. What would you do to become a champion in another genre? The four champions also answered the question, "What would you like to be a champion in other genres?
Abe-san commented, "Judoka tend to have the image of 'judoka,' so I would like to be a champion of fashion." When asked about his strength in fashion, he answered, " Well, I look good in white T-shirts," to laughter from the guests.
Ms. Nagahama smiled and said, "I want to be a drama champion. She said that she would like to try her hand at acting as a detective or a heroine in a romantic movie, to which Ms. Kimura responded, " There is a difference between a detective and a romantic drama. Ms. Nagahama said, "I'm a maiden," and expressed her desire to play in romantic dramas.
Mr. Akagi prefaced his answer with, "I'm sorry," but then added, "I want to be a champion of the Central League. Mr. Akagi replied, "I'm a big Giants fan. I'm a big Giants fan, and I'm doing well this year," he said, showing his love of baseball.
Mr. Kimura answered, "Guide the way. "What do you mean? Kimura-san, who has only just arrived in Tokyo, spoke passionately about his admiration for cab drivers, saying, "It's so cool to see a cab driver giving directions.
Playing "Pokémon Champions." The "Hifuhina" and "Takuro" pair played against each other.
After the talk corner, the duo battled in the " Pokémon Champions " game, which will also be used in the "PJCS2026" game section! The "Hifuhina" pair of Ms. Nagahama and Mr. Abe and the "Takuro" duo of Mr. Akagi and Mr. Kimura played a 2-on-2 match.
As in PJCS2026, the rules were the same as in PJCS2026: the winner was the one who chose four Pokémon from the six Pokémon registered in the battle team and launched them two at a time, defeating all of his or her opponent's Pokémon.
For their first Pokémon, the Hifuhina pair chose Absol and Kai-Likki, while the Takuro team chose Fushigibana and Yadokin. When the battle began, the Yadokings of the Takuro team performed a "chilly gag!
The announcer followed up with, "It's not a gag for you two," and the teams fought back and forth.
Abe-san's Kylikey was powered up with "Build Up" and cute "Decoration. Takuro's team responded with a Mega-shinka Heracross, and the rest of the teams were in a close battle with two from Takuro's team and one from the Hifuhina pair!
In the end, the Hifuhina pair's "Lizardon" attacked furiously, and the last of the Takuro team's Heracrosses was disabled. The heated battle between the two teams ended in victory for the Hifuhina team!
The winning Hifuhina team was presented with a replica of the trophy awarded at the PJCS 2026 tournament. "This is my first time to receive a trophy," said Nagahama! says Ms. Nagahama, her face full of joy as she holds the trophy with a shiny Monster Ball.
Looking forward to the "PJCS 2026". Messages from the Guests
At the end of the event, guests gave messages for the "PJCS2026".
Mr. Kazumi Abe
I am looking forward to seeing the unique battles among the various trainers at "PJCS2026," and I am looking forward to watching the heated battles among the competitors at the venue and on the TV. Thank you very much for your time today.
Hirona Nagahama
I hope to get to know Pokemon better and increase my love for Pokemon at "PJCS2026," where I can also meet Pokemon. Please come to PJCS2026 and watch the Pokemon battles. Thank you very much for your time today!
Yutaka Akagi
It was really fun. The great sound and the big monitors really heightened the excitement of playing Pokémon. I really enjoyed being allowed to fight in this hallowed ground, and if there is a next time, I want to learn and win! I want to take revenge!
Mr. Kimura Band
It was a lot of fun and it brought me back to my childhood. I have been playing since "Pokemon Red and Green," and I can return to my childhood and enjoy hot battles. I think it will be a place where you can really enjoy yourself from the bottom of your heart, so I hope you will all come and have fun!
The "PJCS2026" to determine the best in Japan is just around the corner! Watch the heated battle through free spectating and streaming!
This pre-event ended with a lot of excitement. PJCS2026" will be held on June 6 (Sat.) and 7 (Sun.), 2026! It will be the largest in its history and will feature four divisions, including the game division.
- Games Division
- Card Game Division
- Pokemon GO" Division
- Pokemon Unite" Division
Free spectating will be available on the day of the event, and you can also watch the games on the official Pokémon YouTube channel. For more information on how to watch the event, please visit the official PJCS2026 website. Let's watch the heated battle to decide the number one Pokémon battle!
| Event Outline | |
|---|---|
| Name of the tournament | Pokemon Japan Championships 2026 |
| Category | Game Division Card Game Division "Pokemon GO" Division "Pokemon Unite" Division |
| Dates | Saturday, June 6 and Sunday, June 7, 2026 |
| Venue | Pacifico Yokohama |
| How to watch the games | On-site viewing (registration on the day of the event), broadcast |