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Giant Mewtwo statue disappears from real-life Pokémon Center in Japan, may be headed to America

Casey Baseel Jul 10, 2026
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Shibuya’s Mewtwo escapes and has been “spotted” on the other side of the Pacific.

There are Pokémon Center superstores in various parts of Japan, but each one has its own special representative Pokémon, prominently displayed at the entrance. So since the opening of the Shibuya Pokémon Center in downtown Tokyo in 2019, the first Pocket Monster that visitors see is Mewtwo.

With Mewtwo having a Pokédex-listed height of 2 meters (6 feet, 7 inches), the one at the Shibuya Pokémon Center is essentially life-size, and it radiates an intimidating aura, boosted by the subtle movements it makes that imply that it’s breathing. Of course, the infamously malevolent Pokémon isn’t too scary. After all, it’s contained inside that secured tube…right?

Not anymore! Recent visitors to the Shibuya Pokémon Center have quickly noticed that Mewtwo is gone, and even the official Japanese Pokémon promotional account has put out a statement of sorts.

▼ “Whoa, the Mewtwo that was at Pokémon Center Shibuya has disappeared…why?”

え、ポケセンシブヤ行ったらミュウツーいなくなってたんだけど　なんで？ pic.twitter.com/Id7l87SU0h

— 【公式】ポケモン情報局 (@poke_times) July 9, 2026

For those without a background in Pokémon biology, it should be pointed out that Mewtwo’s powers do not include invisibility, which rules out the possibility that it’s still in the tube, but hiding. What is in Mewtwo’s list of abilities, though, is teleportation, which would explain how it got out of the tube without shattering the glass or anyone otherwise opening the containment unit.

The official Japanese Pokémon GO Twitter account has also posted that Mewtwo has disappeared from the in-game image for the Pokémon Center Shibuya’s PokéStop.

▼ “Well look at that…Mewtwo has disappeared from the PokéStop too…”

あれ、ミュウツーがポケストップからもいなくなっている…👀 #ポケモンGO https://t.co/W7wPB1Bx2s pic.twitter.com/qUgsOhJBWL

— Pokémon GO Japan (@PokemonGOAppJP) July 9, 2026

Thankfully, the earnest tone from official channels suggests that Mewtwo’s disappearance isn’t the result of theft, vandalism, or damage, and is, in an ironically reassuring way, simply part of some nefarious ambition that Mewtwo has set out to fulfill…a theory that’s lent further credibility by the Pokémon GO account’s follow-up that “There has been a series of eye-witness reports spotting Mewtwo in New York! Just what is going on?”

「ミュウツー」の目撃情報がニューヨークで相次いでいます！👀
一体これは！？

📍ニューヨーク、アメリカ#ポケモンGO #PokemonGO10 pic.twitter.com/UolEyXjSRN

— Pokémon GO Japan (@PokemonGOAppJP) July 10, 2026

A seemingly significant aspect of all this is that the disappearance of the Pokémon Center Shibuya Mewtwo isn’t part of any larger “Where did Mewtwo go?” kind of promotion in Japan. It’s only the Pokémon Center’s Mewtwo that’s missing, and so the follow-up post doesn’t just suggest a connection between Mewtwo and New York, but also between New York and the Pokémon Center.

Though the Pokémon franchise is immensely popular in the United States, there’s currently no physical Pokémon Center store in the country. At the same time, the Shibuya Pokémon Center is massively popular with foreign tourists in Tokyo, so much so that they often outnumber Japanese shoppers within the store. The Pokémon Company has no doubt taken notice of this, and so could Mewtwo have temporarily disappeared from Shibuya in preparation for the impending announcement of the opening of America’s first Pokémon Center in New York? We’ll have to wait and see, but with Studio Ghibli specialty store Donguri Kyowakoku finally advancing into the American market, plus the Pokémon franchise currently celebrating its 30th anniversary, the timing feels right.

Source: Twitter/@poke_times via Oricon News
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Insert images: Soranews24, Twitter/@poke_times
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