Pokemon is a source of soft power and among the world's biggest media franchises.

Pokemon, created by Satoshi Tajiri and first released in Japan in 1996, is marking its 30th anniversary and is described in the article as the world's highest‑grossing media franchise, supported by video games, trading cards and an anime series.

Satoshi Tajiri drew on childhood bug‑collecting and an interest in video games to create Pokemon, which launched in Japan on Feb. 27, 1996 as Pokemon Red and Green. Development began around 1990 and took several years before Nintendo supported the property with comics, an anime series and trading cards. By the time Pokemon arrived in North America in 1999, it already had a broad media ecosystem. The article describes how those elements helped the franchise grow into a global cultural phenomenon over three decades. Key facts: - The article reports Pokemon has grossed more than $100 billion US and License Global recorded about $12 billion US in profit for 2024. - Pokemon’s core revenue streams include its video games, the trading card market and the long‑running anime series. - The franchise expanded into mobile with Pokemon Go, which let players catch creatures in the real world and reached wide adoption. - A Super Bowl ad featuring several celebrities marked the start of the 30th‑anniversary celebrations mentioned in the article. - Commentators quoted include Matt Alt, who described Pokemon’s cultural reach, and Shaoyu Yuan, who framed the franchise as a form of soft power for Japan. - The article notes both the strength of nostalgia among longtime fans and concerns raised by some observers about how the franchise will sustain that audience over time. Summary: The article frames Pokemon as an economic and cultural force that has helped project Japanese cultural influence abroad by becoming a shared reference point across music, games and television. Anniversary events beginning Feb. 27 are part of its ongoing presence, and commentators in the piece flag both its enduring appeal and questions about the long‑term role of nostalgia.