Pokemon Center Fukuoka, Home of Latios and Latias

Lately it seems like Japan is on a mission to assign an official Pokémon mascot or ambassador to every region, and we are here for it! I got to check out Pokemon Center Okinawa, home of the Arcanine back in May and now I can check Fukuoka off the list too.

Located inside Canal City Hakata (a huge shopping and entertainment complex in Fukuoka), Pokémon Center Fukuoka just reopened in June with a full makeover and Latias and Latios front and center. Latias and Latios were chosen as the Fukuoka’s mascots for their connection to Kyushu, the island where Fukuoka is located and the real-world inspiration for the Hoenn region in the Pokemon games.

Like with Okinawa, what makes the Fukuoka location extra special is its local flavor. There were all kinds of exclusive snacks, plushies, keychains, and limited-edition items you can’t grab anywhere else. While the Latios and Latias are seemingly the obvious “must haves” when it comes to merch, I would argue that the Hakata ramen merch is the real find here.

Fukuoka is known for its deliciously rich and savory Hakata ramen. So, they have a whole Hakata Ramen x Pokemon collaboration going on. I’m talking about ramen bowls, ramen chopsticks and spoons, t-shirts, pushies and of course actual Hakata ramen kits. As you would imagine, some of the merch was already sold out, but all I really wanted was the Hakata Ramen Pikachu. And you best believe I got him. I also picked up an Eeveelution Bath Bomb for my little sister, a really cool B-side Label Tote Bag for my hubby.

And what good is a trip to Japan without snacks? Pokémon Center Fukuoka has collaborated with Nenbei, a popular local rice cracker brand, for this exclusive Menbei snack box. The box features Pikachu, Latios and Latias on both the outer packaging and individual wrappers and it’s super cute! People were buying buying them up left and right, so I knew I had to try them.

If you’re a Pokémon lover this definitely needs to be a stop on your Fukuoka itinerary. The regional merch alone will be more than worth your time. Plus you never know what other cute Japan exclusives you’ll come across.