The Pokémon Center retail chain in Japan has canceled almost all scheduled events for the month of April, citing “circumstances” that require the change.
According to posts on the official Staff Voice website dated March 31, the cancellations affect stores in Sapporo, Tohoku, Tokyo DX, Shibuya, Skytree Town, Tokyo Bay, Yokohama, Nagoya, Kanazawa, Kyoto, Osaka, Osaka DX, Hiroshima, Kagawa, Fukuoka, and Okinawa. The only exceptions are the “Pokémon GO Division Pokémon Center Qualifying Tournament” and “City League” events, which will continue with modifications.
For the qualifying tournament, on-site events will no longer be broadcast, spectators will be prohibited from attending, and planned spectator gifts have been canceled. Challenge events originally scheduled at Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo on April 18, May 10, May 11, and May 17 have been relocated to Pokémon Center Skytree Town.
Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo and the adjacent Pikachu Sweets café in Ikebukuro’s Sunshine City remain temporarily closed following a tragic incident on March 26. A 21-year-old part-time sales clerk, Moe Harukawa, was fatally stabbed inside the store that evening.
The suspect, identified as 26-year-old Taiki Hirokawa, also died after stabbing himself. Police investigations revealed that Hirokawa was Harukawa’s ex-boyfriend and had been stalking her. Harukawa had reported the stalking to police in December. Hirokawa was arrested twice — once in December for violating anti-stalking laws and again in January on voyeurism charges. Before his release, authorities had arranged for Harukawa to stay with relatives and installed security cameras at her home.
Since March 27, security guards have been stationed around Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo. Other open Pokémon Centers have also increased security, particularly near register areas.
The cancellations and heightened security measures reflect the serious impact of the incident on the entire Pokémon Center operation. While the qualifying tournaments will still take place with restrictions, the broader event calendar for April has been largely cleared.
No further details on when normal operations and full event schedules will resume have been provided at this time. The Pokémon Company has not issued additional public statements beyond the Staff Voice announcements.
This situation has understandably affected the Pokémon community in Japan, with many expressing condolences for the victim and concern for store staff. Fans are encouraged to check the official Staff Voice website for the latest updates on event schedules and store status.
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