In 1996, Nintendo released Pokemon: Red and Green for the Game Boy. An anime series quickly followed. It depicted the adventures of 10-year-old Ash Ketchum as he wandered the world collecting the titular pokemon, or "pocket monsters."
Today, the electric rodent pokemon named Pikachu, a minor character in the game but a star of the cartoon, is one of Japan's most beloved exports, alongside Mario and Hello Kitty.
