Unlocking Japanese Cards in Pokémon TCG Pocket: A Guide

Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket brings the excitement of collecting Pokémon cards into a mobile format, featuring various cards from multiple regions. One key aspect of the fun is gathering cards in different languages, and TCG Pocket offers this feature as well. The game supports nine languages, including the original Japanese used in Pokémon cards.

Players might notice a language icon in the upper left corner of card displays. At first glance, you might think this allows you to switch languages. However, it actually lets you view the various language versions you’ve collected for a specific card. This means that Pokémon TCG Pocket enables you to collect Japanese editions of each card, as well as versions in other languages.

How to Expand Your Pokémon TCG Pocket Collection with Japanese Cards

Two Simple Methods to Change Card Language in TCG Pocket

Pokémon TCG Pocket offers cards in nine different languages: English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Traditional Chinese, Korean, and Japanese. There are currently two straightforward methods to include Japanese Pokémon cards in your collection.

The first and easiest method is to switch the app’s language to Japanese. Here’s how:

1. Tap the three-line icon located at the bottom right of the main screen.
2. Choose “Other,” followed by “Settings.”
3. Scroll down to “Language Selection.”
4. Select “日本語” (Japanese) from the dropdown menu.

This adjustment changes the language of TCG Pocket to Japanese, including any cards you acquire from booster packs. All newly obtained cards will default to Japanese, meaning they will stay in this language even if you switch back to English or another default language later.

The second way to obtain Japanese-language cards in Pokémon TCG Pocket involves Wonder Picks. I found this out by chance when I selected a card from a Spanish-speaking friend, which retained its Spanish text in my collection. To collect Japanese cards through Wonder Picks, you need to select a card from a Japanese-language Wonder Pick.

To improve your chances of acquiring Japanese cards from Wonder Picks, consider sending friend requests to users whose default language is Japanese. You can find Japanese speakers by browsing community collections and observing which cards are displayed in Japanese.

Can You Collect Both English & Japanese Cards in Pokémon TCG Pocket?

Cards Will Stay in Their Selected Language, With One Exception

Essentially, any cards you collect in a different language will stay that way permanently. This allows Pokémon TCG Pocket players to gather both English and Japanese cards simultaneously. The only limitation is that if your app’s language isn’t set to Japanese, you can’t use a Japanese card in a match. However, if your only version of a card is in Japanese, you can still use it in battle in TCG Pocket, and it will automatically be translated into English (or whatever your app language is).

Keep in mind that you can also sacrifice a foreign-language card for crafting materials. The game will give a warning before this process and let you select which language cards to use for the craft. Aside from these instances, Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket lets dedicated collectors gather cards in any or all of the supported languages.