ABSTRACT
In 2016, the augmented reality application Pokémon Go inspired people of all ages, all over the world, to go out and catch virtual creatures. Designed by Niantic, in collaboration with Nintendo, the game created a virtual map over our familiar surroundings, placing large “gyms” and “Pokéstops” on well-known spaces. As I traveled through Japan in 2017, Pokémon Go was still popular and included many new features. In the metro and on the streets, we ran into many Japanese people of all ages that were also playing the game. Though we did not speak their language, we could tell by their screens and the strategic ways in which they walked that these were our team members and, in some cases, our competitors in the game.
