More disappointment for Japanese waiting for ‘Pokemon Go’

In this Monday, July 18, 2016 photo, a stuffed toy of Pikachu, a Pokemon character, is surrounded by children during a Pokemon festival in Tokyo. "Pokemon Go," a compulsive smartphone game has not been made available to the Japanese public yet as of Wednesday, July 20, 2016, as a rumor circulated on the internet that it would come out on that day. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

By Associated Press July 20, 2016 2 min read

TOKYO (AP) – Japanese fans eagerly awaiting the launch of “Pokemon Go” in the character’s country of birth faced another day of disappointment Wednesday.

Tech media reports that the augmented-reality game would finally be released in Japan, two weeks after its launch in the United States, Australia and New Zealand, turned out to be incorrect. That left gamers in Akihabara, Tokyo’s center for all things tech, still pining to start catching Pokemon in their neighborhoods.

“I don’t want to miss the wave,” said 11th-grader Mayo Uesugi.

Souta Horime, 16, expressed impatience. “There are people who have achieved a high score abroad, so I hope it gets released in Japan soon,” he said.

“Pokemon Go” is available in more than 20 countries, mostly in Europe and North America. It’s not clear why it has yet to debut in most of Asia.