Pokémon Centers located in Japan, such as Mega Tokyo DX, Shibuya, Skytree, and more, are all set to close their doors for the foreseeable future as Japan’s state of Emergency (due to the Coronavirus) takes effect.
The stores, which are a lot of traveling visitors’ main highlights, sell a plethora of Pokémon merch that no one else can find without visiting them. They also host a series of events and showcase the best of the Pokémon merch anyone can find.
The stores also sell the games and a variety of special pre-order incentives for those who purchase games and DLC, such as Sword and Shield’s upcoming DLC pack in June, where a series of five plushies were to be given exclusively to the Japanese consumer.
These pre-order bonuses are unlikely to be impacted by the store closures, however, as the online stores should still be fully operational for the time being, allowing anyone in Japan the chance to still get their Pokémon merch fix until Japan’s State of Emergency comes to a close.
The first Pokémon Sword and Shield DLC, The Isle of Armor, launches sometime this June on Nintendo Switch.