Dear America,
Do you want to cause a REVOLUTION? Do you want to create chaos among the populous and fill every public train with rabid children itching to spend money just to utilize your travel services? It’s easy — just ask Nintendo for some back-up!
In Tokyo this weekend saw the beginning of the Pokémon Stamp Rally, a yearly event where kids are encouraged to ride government-run trains (not those private ones), to select stations in Tokyo where stamps of various Pokémon have been placed over night. Once you collect at least six Pokémon, it’s off to one of the big stations to trade in your stamped card for a lanyard with two Pokémon posing in front of the Japan Railroad emblem — oh, and don’t forget a Pikachu visor (it’s made out of paper)!!
Also, every participant in the rally has a chance to win Pokémon Platinum and one of six plushies.
Ambitious kids who have mind-control powers over their parent’s wallets (and otaku with jobs) can go to all 95 stations and after spending tens of thousands of yen to receive the unique stamps, receive a talking Pikachu coin bank.
I happened to be going to a relatively small train-station yesterday to check out a museum with a friend, and you can bet there were traffic cones tied up with caution tape to create a make-shift line so that all the stampers didn’t bum-rush the pads at once. Just in case those pre-teens and their folks gotÂ
extra rowdy, there were even two security guards with megaphones on hand for crowd-control.
And just so you don’t think I’m poking fun at all the zealous kids who want to “catch ’em all” and win some goods at the same time, the event lasts 8 days so I can leisurely collect my six stamps throughout the week as well.