" According to an unidentified Tokyo Olympic/Paralympic Committee member, the team behind the ceremony show began preparations in January. This was before Pokemon GO was released. Another reason given was that Pokémon was not as well-known comparatively worldwide. Lastly, the Japanese Olympic Organizing Committee just couldn’t pass up the pun of Mario and Rio from Rio de Janeiro."

              And yet they included Doraemon and Captain Tsubasa, which are so well known outside of Japan! I will forgive them for the reason with the pun though.

              Link: https://mynintendonews.com/2016/08/26/pokemon-was-left-out-of-the-2016-olympics-closing-ceremony-due-to-international-recognition/

-Pokemon
-Not well known

What? Even without the Go boost, it was already popular. Pikachu is at least as well-known as Mario at this point.

Pokemon is very well known, certainly not as much as Mario but still significantly more popular than Doraemon.

If they only showed cultural figures from Nintendo games, it would make them appear one dimensional. ("All we have is Nintendo.") Be glad the most well know Video game character in the world appeared at all.

for anyone wondering who tsubasa is you can see him in my sig :D

So Pikachu doesn't show up there. But his balloon is in the Macy's parade every year...

That's weird. Pokemon is pretty recognizable around the would, at least pikachu is. He's more recognizable than Doraemon and Captain Tsubasa at least

lol glad you replied.

I was gonna menton your name haha.

The football player Oliver Torres is named after Tsubasa, and a few months ago I was in a bus and a bunch of girls were talking about Doraemon. It's aired everyday in Spain since forever.

Doraemon but not Pokemon...wow. Do they know what Pokemon Go has done?