Pokémon are taking over one of Japan’s most popular fast casual establishments. Pocket Monsters (ポケットモンスター) as they are known in Japan will be featured in Yoshinoya shops nationwide starting this December.

Stores will be decorated and serve special “Pokemori” meal sets.

Yoshinoya serves beef rice bowls known as Gyudonburi in Japan. (If you’re interested in learning to make your own Gyudonburi make sure to watch our OMG Meals Episode!)

Special Sets

There are 5 options available (about $3 to $5):

  • Pokemori Gyudon Set (498 yen)
  • Pokemori Kids Gyudon Set (448 yen)
  • Pokemori Kids Curry Set (448 yen)
  • Pokemori Kids Gyudon à la carte (328 yen)
  • Pokemori Kids Curry à la carte (328 yen)

Pokemori is a play on Pokémon combined with mori (盛) which means serving of food. Pretty clever!

Pokéball themed Yoshinoya beef rice bowl and curry bowls price list Pokenori promotion

Each set is served with a themed juice box AND one of 6 blind bag Pokémon figures. Figures are only available for a limited time until they run out! (see below :D) Each featured Pokémon was chosen because of their name in Japanese ends in Don. :D

Bowls

Dine-in orders are served in one of 6 special Pokéball themed bowls with a special surprise at the bottom. Each bowl has a Pokémon painted at the bottom that remains a mystery until you eat the entire bowl!

6 special Pokéball themed bowls with a special surprise at the bottom. Each bowl has a different Pokémon painted on at the bottom

Unfortunately you can’t take the bowl home and I can’t find a way to buy them. BUT! You can win one! (see below)

Take-out orders come in a Pokéball themed paper bowl and plastic bag featuring the Pokéball icon.

Take-out orders come in a Pokéball themed paper bowl and plastic bag featuring the Pokéball icon

Promotion Poster

Yoshinoya Japan Pokemon Pokemori Promotion Poster. Beef bowl decorated with Pokeball designs at top of image. Various pokemon dot bottom. Pikachu on lower right.

Customer Photos

I can’t find if all stores will have elaborate decorations like the Ebisu location. But man, is the Ebisu location neat. They have a giant Pokebowl out front, display cases inside featuring the figures and pokebowls, decals, giant themed archways, etc.

People seem to be buying more than one bowl since they’re kid sized. Have yet to see any photos of actual kids getting to enjoy the figures. LOL

Keica figured out the best use of the figures!

They don’t mention what location is pictured here… but nothing other than the kids bowl is available from the menu. No figures or juice boxes remain. 😢

If you’re interested in seeing more pictures of people’s visits to the Pokemori Promotion use this search on Twitter.

4 Waves of Releases?

Sign in Japanese detailing the 4 rounds of Pokemon figures being supplied with bowls at Yoshinoya

Twitter user pikachuu0126 posted images of all the Pokemori signage. Yoshinoya is planning 4 rounds of figurine releases.

Release Schedule

  1. Fall 2019 - The Current Promotion
    • Charizard / Rizadon
    • Groudon / Guradon
    • Slowpoke / Yadon
    • Weepinbell / Utsudon
    • Gastrodon / Toritodon (male and female)
  2. Spring 2020
    • 7 more Don-named silhouettes are shown
  3. Summer 2020 - Sword and Shield
  4. Fall 2020 - The hottest / most desirable characters

The official Pokemori site does not list the additional campaigns!

Contest

You can actually enter to win the awesome bowls used in-store!

Entry Method #1

  1. Follow @yoshinoyagyudon on Twitter
  2. Take a picture of your Pokemori receipt and DM it to the Yoshinoya Twitter account

Eligible for 1 meal entry where you can win 1 of 1,100 individual bowls… OR 10 meal entry where you can win one of 100 sets that include all 6 bowls used in store!

Entry Method #2

  1. Follow @yoshinoyagyudon on Twitter
  2. Retweet the embedded tweet and still be following their account on January 5, 2020

Eligible for 1 of 30 bowls.

*Prizes can only be sent to Japan

Where

All participating Yoshinoya locations in Japan.

In a move I would love to see US-based restaurants adopt, Yoshinoya actually provides a list of shops who are NOT participating or only provide Pokemori via delivery only. https://www.yoshinoya.com/pdf/pokemori_list/

When

From: December 19, 2019 To: March 18, 2020


Images from Yoshinoya’s Pokemori Site
Images from pikachuu0126 on Twitter
Images from Yoshinoya’s Twitter Feed