The city of Yokosuka, located south of Yokohama, is mostly famous for feeling at times like a slice of America, as it is home to a large U.S. naval base. (Some stores in Yokosuka even accept U.S. currency.) For foodies and fashionistas, Yokosuka is also well-known for its spicy curry and flashy bomber jackets. This summer, however, a new group took an interest in the city: video game fans.
From Aug. 29 through Sept. 2, thousands of “Pokemon Go” players descended on Yokosuka for the game’s Safari Zone event, which offered a chance for fans to catch a variety of rare Pokemon that are normally hard to find. Yes, much to the chagrin of the “get off my lawn” crowd, “Pokemon Go” is still unfathomably popular.
The Pokemon extravaganza was held last year in Yokohama, but after too many complaints were filed by locals, this year’s Safari Zone was relocated to Yokosuka. Businesses seemed to wholly embrace the chance to sell food and merchandise to players, however, setting up special signs welcoming people into their establishments. IGN’s Andrew Goldfarb tweeted that it was “the best day of my life.”