How Japanese Religion Influenced Pokémon

Most people know that Pokémon is a Japanese video game, but did you know that many Pokémon designs were influenced by Japanese religion, mythology, and folklore? If you look closely, you can see Shintoism and Buddhism throughout the entire franchise.

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Bibliography:
Karen Ann Smyers (1999). The Fox and the Jewel: Shared and Private Meanings in Contemporary Japanese Inari Worship. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.

Michael Dylan Foster, "The Book of Yokai: Mysterious Creatures of Japanese Folklore, " 2015

Michael Dylan Foster, "Pandemonium and Parade: Japanese Monsters and the Culture of Yokai," 2009

Helen Hardacre, "Shinto: A History," 2017

Most photographs and video from Japan was shot by my brother EC Henry. Check out his channel at    / echenry