Pokemon GO Is Finally, Once And For All, Available In Japan

It was perhaps the ultimate irony. A franchise that originated in Japan and a game that started its beta test in Japan has only know arrived in Japan, after around 30 countries have enjoyed the insanity first. But at least for the Pokefaithful and the Pokemaniacs, the long, painful wait is finally over. Yes, Pokemon GO is now available at long last in Japan, which means we're probably about to get overloaded with all the wacky antics and ads that the country is famous, or notorious, for.

Pokemon GO took the world by storm, in good and bad ways, and is credited to have single-handedly made Nintendo relevant again. Perhaps it could give the gaming giant a nudge in making its other hit franchises and characters available on mobile as well. Developed by American company Niantic Labs, the same developers of the Ingress AR "game", Pokemon GO started its beta test in Japan first, which definitely felt natural considering the game's origins. But it is only today that Japan got the full launch of the game. Go figure.

With that, Pokemon GO's list of supported countries numbers 36:

• Australia

• Austria

• Belgium

• Bulgaria

• Canada

• Croatia

• Cyprus

• Czech Republic

• Denmark

• Estonia

• Finland

• Germany

• Greece

• Greenland

• Hungary

• Iceland

• Ireland

• Italy

• Japan

• Latvia

• Lithuania

• Luxembourg

• Malta

• Netherlands

• New Zealand

• Norway

• Poland

• Portugal

• Romania

• Slovakia

• Slovenia

• Spain

• Sweden

• Switzerland

• United Kingdom

• United States

Japanese authorities were already reported to have issued warnings and advisories in preparation for Pokemon GO's arrival. Given the sometimes crazy extents that players have gone to just to catch that Pokemon, such warnings are totally warranted. The question is whether people will take heed. Given how Japan is famous for sometimes comic, sometimes insane antics, we both dread and anticipate the stories that will come out from there.