A planned Pokémon Trading Card game event for children scheduled at Japan’s Yasukuni Shrine has caused absolute outrage on Chinese social media. The event that was described as Pokémon Card Classroom teasing session for kids, was listed on the official Pokémon TCG website for January 31, 2026, at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo.
Organized by a third-party card shop but hosted through the official reservation system, the listing quickly drew attention after screenshots circulated widely on China’s Weibo platform.
By late January 30, the event page had been removed, now displaying a 404 error, though no official statement has been issued by The Pokémon Company or related entities explaining the decision or confirming whether the event will proceed.
Yasukuni Shrine, a Shinto site honoring Japan’s war dead since the late 19th century, enshrines over 2 million souls, including 14 convicted Class-A war criminals from World War II. For many in China and South Korea, the shrine symbolizes Japanese militarism and a refusal to fully confront wartime atrocities, such as the Nanjing Massacre.
Yasukuni Shrine, a Shinto site honoring Japan’s war dead since the late 19th century, enshrines over 2 million souls, including 14 convicted Class-A war criminals from World War II. For many in China and South Korea, the shrine symbolizes Japanese militarism and a refusal to fully confront wartime atrocities, such as the Nanjing Massacre.
Hashtags related to the event gained millions of impressions with many accusing the Pokémon Company of prioritizing profits in the massive Chinese market but ignoring local sentiments.
The story made to the Chinese state media like Global Times and People’s Daily, and the Pokémon makers were pressured to cancel the event.
A similar situation occurred back in 2016 when Pokémon GO players encountered in-game locations and started catching Pokémon at the shrine. Then again in 2019 photos posted by Creatures Inc., a Pokémon developer, during shrine visits drew backlash from the Chinese.
