The Pokémon Dragonite was named Ambassador of Fukui Prefecture.

Among the 151 original Pokémon from the First Generation, Dragonite is definitely one of the cutest and friendliest. So we are not surprised that this adorable dragon has been granted such an honorable title as Ambassador of his own prefecture. Although we all know that Pokémon is a global phenomenon, the franchise is particularly important for Japan and some of the most popular creatures have been used to help tourism in some regions. This time, it was Dragonite’s turn to lend a hand to the Fukui prefecture.

Why was Dragonite chosen to represent Fukui?

As reported by the Japanese press (and later confirmed by Pokémon on its official website), Dragonite has just been appointed Ambassador of the Fukui prefecture, through a lovely ceremony that included a person wearing a costume of the Pokémon accepting his new title. This connection is due to the fact that Fukui is usually associated with dinosaurs and dragons: The prefecture hosts a huge Paleontology museum that displays dinosaur fossils that were discovered in excavations in the area. It is also known for its popular Kuzuryu River, which has several points of interest with dragon names around its basin.

To honor this new title, starting from March 2024, The Pokémon Company will begin to place sewer covers with Dragonite designs along Katsuyama, Awara, Echizen, Eiheiji, Mihama and Takahama. They also donated a new train to the prefecture with a beautiful design of the Pokémon and its pre evolutions, Dratini and Dragonair, which will make a tour through the most important tourist spots of Fukui, such as its Dinosaur Museum or the Tonjibo Hills. This train will start operating from mid next year.

All this makes sense when we remember that Dragonite’s Japanese name is «Karyu», since «Ryu» means «dragon» and this word is often used to describe dinosaurs in that language. As The Pokémon Company explains on its website, when you think of a Dragon Type Pokémon, Dragonite is the first one that comes to mind. So they want Japanese tourists to associate the friendly Pokémon with the Fukui prefecture and its importance in the paleontological world.

It is significant to clarify that this is not the first time that a Pokémon is chosen as Ambassador of a prefecture in Japan. In previous years, we could see Vulpix in Hokkaido, Geodude in Iwate, Lapras in Miyagi, Chansey in Fukushima, Oshawott in Mie, Sandshrew in Tottori, Slowpoke in Kagawa and Exeggutor in Miyazaki. This is a creative and ingenious idea to promote tourism in certain areas of Japan and now, the people of Fukui feel honored to have Dragonite as Ambassador.