Through raging wind and pounding rain, I made my way south from Nagoya, Japan, aboard a limited express train bound for Mie Prefecture’s Shima Peninsula. This was my second time attempting such a journey – I’d taken the same train two days prior, only to be stymied by weather-related route cancellations. The trip was a long and arduous one, especially with Typhoon Shanshan still several days from fully blowing itself back out to sea. But it was worth it for the treasure that lay at the end: my destination, the amusement park Shima Spain Mura (village), temporarily transformed for four brief months into Pokemon Scarlet and Violet’s Paldea region.
Shima Spain Mura is an amusement park inspired by Spanish culture; it features a bullfighting-themed roller coaster, daily flamenco performances, and exhibits on everything from Don Quixote to the history of wine. With Scarlet and Violet’s Paldea drawing inspiration from Spain, it was the perfect setting to temporarily bring the world of Pokemon into the sleepy Mie countryside.
Catching ‘Em All (Or Most Of Them, Probably)
The highlight of the Paldea event was the appearance of around 70 Pokemon – in the form of giant wall stickers, standees, plushies, and more – hidden around the park. These displays ranged from the Paldea starters Sprigatito, Quaxly, and Fuecoco crossing a crosswalk Abbey Road-style, to a tree full of Taroundtula to a horde of Nacli and its evolutions invading the replica castle. While most of the featured Pokemon originated in Paldea, there was also a full set of Eeveelutions gamboling underneath an archway as well as a variety of Electric-types indicating the presence of outlets – including, of course, series mascot Pikachu.
There was, unfortunately, no way to count exactly if you had “caught ’em all” in the park, but myself and my companions (one human friend and one miniature plushie of Brassius, Scarlet and Violet’s dour, artistic, Grass-type gym leader) made two full circuits of the park in the few hours the typhoon-delayed train allowed us and are pretty sure we saw most, if not all, of what was available. Personal favorites included the swarm of Maushold attacking a house using their signature move, Population Bomb, the Oricorio accompanying the flamenco dancers, and the “sushi board” of Tatsugiri laid artistically across the park’s small artificial river.
Picnicking, Paldea Style
Of course, no Japan-based Pokemon collaboration would be complete without themed food. We hadn’t managed to secure elusive reservations for the Pokemon Cafe (although we did eventually snag a day-of seat by waiting patiently and breaking out our barely-remembered formal Japanese) so we were really excited to chow down on the Scarlet and Violet-themed dishes available for purchase at the park. Options included a Paldea Paella, Koraidon- and Miraidon-themed desserts, and Smoliv churros, but we gravitated pretty much immediately to the sandwiches.
They weren’t quite as elaborate – or, thankfully, quite as inedible – as some of the constructions players can make while picnicking with their Pokemon in Scarlet and Violet, but they were pretty damn delicious. Spain Mura’s sandwiches consisted of ham, American cheese (the only Kraft Singles I have ever seen in all my many years of living in and visiting Japan), lettuce, tomato, and Italian dressing, and came with adorable star-shaped sandwich picks. For a brief moment, it was as though I had become a hungry Koraidon or Miraidon wolfing down my trainer’s latest Herba Mystica-infused creation in hopes of gaining a new ability.
We also sampled both the Fuecoco strawberry lassi and Sprigatito matcha latte (sorry, Quaxly ramune float!) Both were delicious, although the thick, not-too-bitter not-too-sweet matcha put the Grass Cat drink slightly above the Fire Croc (fitting, as I chose Sprigatito as my Scarlet and Violet starter!) We especially appreciated that the Pokemon cookies on top of each drinks were light, fluffy macarons, rather than the tasteless “Communion wafer”-esque cookies that often come with themed drinks in Japan. Overall, our Paldean dining experience was a delicious one, and we regretted that we didn’t have longer at the park so that we could sample any more dishes!
Our Treasure Hunt
The central theme of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is “A Treasure Hunt,” as you depart Naranja or Uva Academy and traverse the land battling Gym Leaders, confronting Titans, and taking down Team Star. Of course, the Shima Spain Mura honored Scarlet and Violet with a treasure hunt of its own – a particularly tricky one, which we (perhaps not so wisely) chose to embark on about two hours prior to the park’s closing for the day.
To solve Shima Spain Mura’s treasure hunt, you are given six hints indicating the locations of Gimmighoul treasure chests hidden around the park. These hints were frustratingly vague, including such phrases as “In a yellow room” or “Near several Taroundtula.” Fortunately, you can naturally encounter most of the chests simply by doing a full circuit of the park, but we struggled for quite a while with the treasure chest hidden inside the castle museum.
Each of the Gimmighoul chests had a certain number of coins inside it. Once you had found all six, you used the six numbers as a code to unlock a safe. Once opened, the interior of the safe revealed a secret phrase. (which, because the event is still ongoing until the end of September, I will not be sharing here.) Saying the secret phrase to the gift shop staff rewarded you with the ultimate prize: a Gholdengo-themed clear bag, perfect for storing your favorite Pokemon (or Pokemon trainer, in my case) plushies and other goods! If you’re looking for something to fill the bag you just won, Shima Spain Mura’s gift shop is filled with Pokemon items, including a number of goods featuring the adorable Water-type Oshawott, which was recently named Mie Prefecture’s mascot.
Ultimately, visiting the Paldea experience at Shima Spain Mura was a ton of fun, despite the trials and tribulations required to get there. The real-life Pokemon hunt around the park was awesome, the food was tasty, and the treasure hunt was tricky but enjoyable. Unfortunately, the Paldea experience is only around for a few more weeks, but Japan-based Pokemon Scarlet and Violet fans should definitely hop a train down to Mie and embark on a treasure hunt of their own!
