Japan has reached out to "Pokémon Go" developer Niantic, Inc. and The Pokémon Company to remove Pokémons appearing in areas that are part of the nuclear reactor meltdown in Fukushima. The action was done to prevent "Pokémon Go" players from entering the sites to hunt the virtual creatures currently taking the world by storm.
Safety Issues For 'Pokémon Go' Players
Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, or TEPCO, said it found "Pokémon Go" monster at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in Niigata Prefecture, as well as at the Fukushima Daini and Fukushima Daiichi plants, The Guardian reported. The latter was partly destroyed in 2011 after a 9.0 magnitude earthquake shook the country.
Fukushima Gov. Masao Uchibori said there are safety issues in place for nuclear plants or evacuation zones affected by the disaster, and it's not a good idea for "Pokémon Go" hunters to come into those dangerous areas. Uchibori noted that "the prefectural government will consider how to draw attention to this," the news outlet further reported.
Niantic said it will adjust "Pokémon Go" PokéStops if they found issues. TEPCO also prohibited employees from playing the game in the Fukushima nuclear disaster zone.
Japan, Pokémon's origin, said the game's worldwide fad has been pleasing for the country's culture, but its location-based format presents dangers to both players and other people. Hiroshi Hase, Japanese minister of education, culture, sports, science, and technology, advised "Pokémon Go" players to exercise caution and vigilance all the time.
More Requests To Remove Locations From 'Pokémon Go'
The city government of Nagasaki also urged Niantic to take out Pokémons from the Nagasaki Peace Park, which serves as a memorial for atomic bombing victims in 1945. Nagasaki government officials asked visitors to avoid playing "Pokémon Go" while on-site because it disrespects the victims.
Similar situations have occurred in other countries. Former concentration camp Auschwitz Memorial in Poland, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., New York City's 9/11 Memorial, and the Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia also warned visitors to refrain from playing "Pokémon Go" on-site.
A Squirtle reportedly appeared on the battlefield against terrorist group ISIS, The Telegraph noted. Pokémons also turned up in court, in a remote area in South Korea, police stations, and clubs of the organized crime syndicate Hells Angels, The Guardian listed. Not to mention the minor accidents that occurred all over the world while "Pokémon Go" players are too engrossed in the game to pay attention to their surroundings.
