Take a tour of the Japanese city that inspired Pokémon’s Pallet Town

Most Pokémon fans know that series creator Satoshi Tajiri was inspired in part by his hobby of bug collecting in his youth. In some ways, Pokémon was designed to replicate the feeling he had catching bugs in his rural hometown of Machida in Japan. It stands to reason then, that the look and feel of the original game’s Pallet Town would be influenced by Machida.

A new feature over on Nintendo Life explores the town of Machida in photos, and gives us a look at just how well those vibes were translated for the original Pokémon games on Game Boy. While parts of the city have become much more developed and urbanized in recent years, there are still some quieter, more natural sections to explore. You can see plenty of lush greenery and grassy areas that look like they’d be ripe for some wild Pokémon battles.

In addition, Machida is home to six decorative Pokémon manhole covers which have been placed in various areas of Japan as part of the Pokémon Local Acts project. It may not be the most tourist-y location, but it definitely sounds like a pilgrimage many die hard Pokémon fans would love to make.

Click here to view more photos, or watch a video tour of the region below from YouTube channel Tokyo Game Life.