Explore / The Pokémon Company group
Company
The Pokémon Company
Tokyo company that runs the Pokémon brand worldwide: it licenses the IP, publishes the card game, co-publishes the games and runs the Pokémon Center stores. Privately held; Nintendo owns 32% of the votes.
The storyThe Pokémon Company earns a seller’s margin and keeps the profit
In numbers
30% Operating profit as a share of the group’s sales in the year to February 2026, on our estimate; Sanrio and Wizards of the Coast keep ten points or more above that Year to March 2026
¥531.4bn TPC parent revenue, year to February 2026 Year to February 2026
¥301.5bn TPC Tokyo parent cost of sales, year to February 2026 Year to February 2026
¥414bn Tokyo company retained earnings, February 2026 Year to February 2026
Why it matters TPC pays its owners almost nothing because it sells the cards and Pocket itself instead of living on a royalty, and its Tokyo parent keeps its own profit as retained earnings.
Connections
8 connections have terms that aren’t disclosed.
Around it
Owned by
- Nintendo32% On record 32% of the votes, every Nintendo filing since at least year to March 2009 (31% in year to March 2005).
- Game Freak Not disclosed A co-founder and owner, but the stake is not disclosed.
- Creatures Inc. Not disclosed A co-founder and owner, but the stake is not disclosed.
- 4Kids Entertainment3% On record 4Kids bought 3% of TPC in FY2001.
Led by
- Tsunekazu Ishihara On record President and CEO since the company was set up in 1998.
What it does
Owns
- Pokémon IP (characters, copyrights, trademarks) On record Copyright co-owner (one of four) and the brand's manager.
- The Pokémon Company International (TPCi) On record Also licenses to Subsidiary; formed from Pokémon USA and Pokémon UK in 2009.
- Pokémon Singapore (TPC Asia)100% On record Wholly owned.
- Pokémon Shanghai100% On record Wholly owned.
- Pokémon Korea100% On record Wholly owned, per a Korean credit-rating database and its bread licensee.
- Pokémon Taiwan On record Group company; percentage not stated.
- Pokémon Center K.K. Not disclosed TPC is the principal shareholder; the percentage has never been published (our reading: most likely a controlled vehicle,).
- Pokémon Card D Studio33.4% On record TPC 33.4%.
- Niantic Not disclosed TPC invested up to $30m in 2015; percentages were never disclosed.
- Niantic Spatial Not disclosed The Pokémon Company group was an original Niantic investor, and those investors kept shares in Niantic Spatial.
Operates
- Pokémon Center stores and cafés On record TPC runs the online store; Pokémon Center K.K.
- Pokémon World Championships On record Organiser; host-city agreements (Yokohama 2023).
- Licensing and merchandise On record Runs licensing in Japan and the rest of Asia, developing products with tie-up partners and licensees.
- PokéPark Kanto On record Through PokéPark Kanto LLC, set up with Yomiuriland and the Yomiuri Shimbun; TPC is a representative member.
Develops
- Pokémon Sleep On record Also publishes Co-developed and run with Select Button.
Publishes
- Mainline Pokémon video games On record TPC is publisher in Japan; Nintendo sells.
- Pokémon Pokopia On record Japan publisher.
- Pokémon TCG Pocket On record TPC books Pocket revenue; DeNA books its revenue share net.
- Pokémon UNITE On record Seller of record.
- Pokémon Café ReMix On record Seller of record.
- Pokémon Champions On record
- Pokémon Trading Card Game On record Publishes the card game in Japan; cards are TPC's largest line.
- Mobile games portfolio On record Seller of record for TCG Pocket, Sleep and UNITE, so it books their revenue gross.
Co-produces
- Pokémon films On record ©Pokémon line; Wild Card (2026) drops TV Tokyo, ShoPro and JR Kikaku from the ©.
Licenses to
- Pokémon GO On record TPC receives a licence fee plus development consideration from the GO operator.
- Takara Tomy (incl. TOMY International) On record Japan toy licence via ShoPro; TPC named as counterparty only in year to March 2015.
- McDonald's On record Japan Happy Set promotions; no terms stated.
Pays royalties to
- Game Freak Not disclosed TPC is Game Freak's main customer, but no royalty, licence fee or development-fee terms have been found.
- Creatures Inc. Not disclosed No royalty or development-fee terms found.
- Nintendo On record Also pays dividends to Nintendo describes the relationship as product purchases and manufacturing consignment, not royalties.
Pays a revenue share to
- DeNA On record TPC books Pocket and pays DeNA a usage-based revenue share.