Before creating Pokémon, Japanese game designer Satoshi Tajiri spent much of his childhood exploring fields, forests, and rice paddies around Machida, near Tokyo, collecting insects. Friends even nicknamed him “Dr. Bug” because of his fascination with finding rare beetles and other creatures.

As Japan urbanized during his youth, many of the natural areas where he had explored disappeared. Tajiri later said he wanted to recreate the excitement of discovering, collecting, and trading unusual creatures for a new generation of children. That idea became the foundation of Pokémon’s signature gameplay: catching, collecting, training, and trading Pokémon with other players.

Working with illustrator Ken Sugimori and developer Game Freak, Tajiri spent several years developing the concept before Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green launched in Japan in 1996.

What began as a childhood passion evolved into one of the most successful entertainment franchises in history, spanning video games, trading cards, television, films, toys, and more, with billions of dollars in revenue and fans across the globe.