In the summer, many countries become inundated with certain pests, such as mosquitos, cicadas and jellyfish, but this year on Aug. 9, Yokohama, Japan experienced an invasion ... of cuteness.
While there have always been literally hundreds of Pokemon to choose from in the hit video games since their inception in 1996, one little yellow mouse quickly captured the hearts of countless fans around the world, and he finally came to life and was met with a loving reception.
An army of 1,000 happy Pikachus appeared in droves in 14 locations throughout Japan's second biggest city in the nine-day event called "Pikachu Tairyo Hassei Chu," translated as "Pikachus All Over the Place" or "An Outbreak of Pikachus." From Saturday Aug. 9 to Sunday Aug. 17, the adorable rodents flooded Yokohama in droves.
The event included a nearly endless supply of photo-ops, a two-day Pikachu Festival from Aug. 16-17, stage shows, hands-on workshops, Pikachu-decorated landmarks (such as Yokohama's sea bus and Ferris wheel), games and rides, a stamp rally, a Pikachu café and limited edition merchandise, according to Anime News Network. There will also be projection mapping shows every night until Aug. 31, as reported by Rocket News 24.
