The Pokemon Trading Card Game launched in Japan on October 20, 1996, with a single 102-card Expansion Pack. Thirty years later, the Pokemon 30th anniversary TCG set, 30th CELEBRATION, released on September 16, 2026 — launching worldwide on the same day.
Between those two dates, Japan has produced three dedicated anniversary TCG sets: the 20th Anniversary concept pack (2016), the 25th ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION (2021), and now the 30th CELEBRATION (2026). Collectors often assume there must be a 10th and 15th anniversary set somewhere in the timeline — there isn’t; those years brought promo cards only.
We sell Japanese sealed product and PSA-graded singles out of Tokyo, including sealed 25th Anniversary boxes. USD figures convert at ¥154/USD, approximate.
Japan has released three dedicated anniversary TCG sets: 20th (CP6, 2016), 25th (S8a, 2021) and 30th (M6a, 2026). No dedicated 10th or 15th anniversary set exists — only franchise promo cards. The S8a 25th ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION box is currently listed. The 30th CELEBRATION (M6a) booster box, released September 16, 2026, is currently listed in the Sealed and No Shrink options.
- The 30th CELEBRATION (M6a) released worldwide on September 16, 2026.
- The S8a 25th booster box, the 25th Anniversary Golden Box and the M6a booster box are currently listed.
- Set reference: 30th CELEBRATION card list.
The Complete Anniversary Timeline
Japanese anniversary TCG milestones, per official Pokemon Card Game pages and Bulbapedia:
| Milestone | Product | JP release | Structure / MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|
| TCG launch | Expansion Pack (“Base Set”) | Oct 20, 1996 | 102 cards |
| 2nd anniversary | _’s Pikachu promo (All Card Calendar) | Nov 5, 1998 | Single promo card |
| Franchise 10th | Pokemon Center DP-P promos only — no TCG set | 2008 | Promo cards |
| “15th” | BW-era anniversary promos/sleeves only — no TCG set | ~2011 | Promo items |
| 20th | CP6 concept pack “Expansion Pack 20th Anniversary” | Sept 16, 2016 | ¥300+tax per pack, 10 cards/pack |
| 25th | S8a 25th ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION + S8a-P promo pack + Golden Box | Oct 22, 2021 | ¥297/pack (5 holo cards); BOX 16 packs ¥4,752; Golden Box ¥17,600 |
| 30th | M6a MEGA expansion “30th CELEBRATION” | Sept 16, 2026 (worldwide) | ¥360/pack (6 holo cards); BOX 20 packs ¥7,200 |
Two things stand out. First, the anniversary-set tradition only really began at the 20-year mark — everything before 2016 was handled with promo cards. Second, the September 16 release date repeats: CP6 arrived on September 16, 2016, and M6a arrived exactly ten years later on September 16, 2026.
For a head-to-head look at the two most recent sets, see our companion piece: 25th vs 30th Anniversary Pokemon sets compared.
1996–1998: The Expansion Pack and the First Anniversary Promo
The Japanese TCG began with the 102-card Expansion Pack on October 20, 1996 — eight months after the Red and Green video games launched on February 27, 1996. Those two dates matter because they anchor two different anniversary calendars: the franchise counts from February (Pokemon Day is February 27 every year), while the card game counts from October 1996. The 30th CELEBRATION set explicitly marks 30 years of the TCG, which debuted with that Expansion Pack.
The first anniversary-flavoured card came just two years in. On November 5, 1998, Japan issued the _’s Pikachu promo with the All Card Calendar for the TCG’s second anniversary — a card with a blank space where you write a name, illustrated by Kagemaru Himeno, later released in English as the Wizards Black Star “Birthday Pikachu”. The design returned in the 25th Anniversary promo pack in 2021; that 25th reprint is S8a-P 007/025.
Why There Is No 10th or 15th Anniversary Set
Search listings for a “2006 10th anniversary Pokemon set” and you will find plenty of confident claims — but no dedicated 10th-anniversary Japanese TCG set exists on Bulbapedia or official Pokemon Card Game records. What does exist from that era is a group of DP-P promotional cards labelled “Pokemon 10th Anniversary commemorative card”: Pikachu 098–102/DP-P, distributed at Pokemon Centers from June 16, 2008, and Charmander 124/DP-P from August 22, 2008. These commemorate the franchise’s 10th anniversary through Pokemon Center promos, not a TCG set.
The 15-year mark is the same story. Bulbapedia’s records only surface “15th Anniversary” promo cards and sleeves in the Black & White era around 2011 — no dedicated 15th-anniversary expansion appears anywhere. If a seller describes a product as a “10th anniversary set” or “15th anniversary set”, treat the claim as unverified.
The dedicated-anniversary-set format — a boxed product built around reprints and celebration branding — only started with CP6 in 2016. Anything earlier claiming to be an “anniversary set” deserves careful sourcing before you pay anniversary prices.
2016: The 20th Anniversary Concept Pack (CP6)
The first true anniversary set was CP6, the concept pack officially titled “Pocket Monster Card Game Expansion Pack 20th Anniversary”, released September 16, 2016 at ¥300 plus tax per pack with 10 cards per pack. Its whole premise was nostalgia executed literally: the packaging recreated the original 1996 Expansion Pack, and the Japanese set ran to 103 cards. English players know this set as Evolutions.
The 20th-anniversary era also produced XY-20th starter-pack product, including the M Charizard EX 011/072 from the XY-20th Pokemon Card Game Starter Pack.
We have covered this era in depth before — see our 20th Anniversary CP6 guide and the 25th vs 20th anniversary sets comparison.
2021: The 25th ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION (S8a)
The 25th anniversary was the largest anniversary product line to that point, and it arrived as a three-part product line on October 22, 2021:
- S8a expansion pack — ¥297 per pack, 5 holo cards per pack (one a basic Energy), every card holofoil, 28 main-set cards. BOX = 16 packs at ¥4,752. A sealed box is currently listed at ¥65,874 (~$428) in our store.
- S8a-P promo pack — 25 reprints of historic cards (Base Set Charizard, Shining Magikarp, Umbreon ★ and more) with Confetti Holofoil and a red-and-gold “25th” logo, earned one pack per four S8a packs purchased. Not legal in official tournaments.
- 25th Anniversary Golden Box — ¥17,600 at MSRP: an all-holo 60-card Pikachu deck, gold Full Art Pikachu V, faux-leather accessories, and 5 promo packs. Distributed by Pokemon Center Online lottery, then a made-to-order Amazon run in early 2022.
The S8a-P reprints are where the era’s graded chase cards live. The headline card is the Base Set Charizard reprint, 001/025, illustrated by Mitsuhiro Arita.
The PSA 10 Charizard 001/025 listing is sold out at the time of this update — sourcing requests go through Quick Order.
There was also a convenience-store Special Set (4 packs + 1 promo pack + coin, ¥1,188 at MSRP), currently listed at ¥55,633 (~$361) sealed.
For the deeper dives, see our S8a pull rates and best cards guide, the Golden Box guide and the S8a-P promo pack guide.
2026: The Pokemon 30th Anniversary TCG Set (M6a)
The 30th CELEBRATION (set code M6a) released on September 16, 2026 as a MEGA-era expansion — and it launched worldwide simultaneously rather than Japan-first. The official card list was published September 9, 2026, and the set structurally scales up everything the 25th did:
- Packs — ¥360 per pack, 6 cards, every card holofoil. Each pack contains one of 30 Pikachu cards drawn by 30 different illustrators, plus one YOSHIROTTEN-designed basic Energy.
- BOX — 20 packs at ¥7,200 MSRP (versus 16 packs at ¥4,752 in 2021).
- Set size — 165 numbered cards plus 8 Basic Energy (173 in all; PokeBeach’s headline figure is 176), per PokeBeach’s compiled count from the official list: 103 main-set cards (001–103, including the 30 Pikachu), 32 secret rares (104–135, AR/SAR/FUR — all 32 now seen, still not in the official database), and 30 Classic Collection reprints (136–165). There is no SR (Super Rare) tier.
- Reprints inside the main set — where the 25th put its historic reprints in a separate promo pack, the 30th puts all 30 Classic Collection reprints (136–165) directly into boosters, in special styling, now officially confirmed in the card database — including Base Set Charizard (137) and Pikachu & Zekrom-GX (160). Like the 25th promos, they are not usable in the current Standard regulation.
- New chase tiers — FUR (Futuristic Rare), exactly two cards (Mewtwo ex 134, Mew ex 135, both by YOSHIROTTEN), plus SAR (Special Art Rare), 10 cards (124–133) covering the set’s ten Pokemon ex.
Distribution in Japan was lottery-allocated before release: Pokemon Center Online ran a first BOX lottery, then an additional lottery window from August 28 to August 31, 2026, with results on September 4 and delivery in November. Our store’s M6a 30th CELEBRATION Booster Box is currently listed in the Sealed and No Shrink options. On SNKRDUNK, the lowest asking price for a sealed box fell from ¥47,200 on September 1 to ¥28,200 on September 10 and ¥17,500 on release day, September 16, 2026.
For the full picture of the new set, start with our Pokemon 30th anniversary cards guide.
MSRP Then vs Listed Prices Now
The cleanest way to see what anniversary product has done over time is to compare original Japanese MSRP with what sealed examples are currently listed at in our Tokyo store:
| Product | MSRP at release | Currently listed at (SST) |
|---|---|---|
| 25th Anniversary Golden Box (2021) | ¥17,600 | ¥191,835 (~$1,246) |
| S8a 25th booster BOX (2021) | ¥4,752 | ¥65,874 (~$428) |
| 25th Special Set (2021) | ¥1,188 | ¥55,633 (~$361) |
| M6a 30th CELEBRATION BOX (2026) | ¥7,200 | Sealed ¥26,449 (~$172); No Shrink ¥24,912 (~$162) |
The 30th era started from the same structural position: lottery-allocated in Japan, with a larger box and a worldwide audience.
Where to Buy Anniversary-Era Product from Japan
We ship Japanese sealed product and PSA-graded singles worldwide from Tokyo.
For the 25th era, the S8a booster box is currently listed, and the Golden Box is currently listed at ¥191,835 (~$1,246). Graded anniversary singles live in our PSA 10 collection, and sealed boxes are in the Pokemon card collection. Sourcing requests for a specific card go through Quick Order.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a Pokemon TCG 10th anniversary set?
No dedicated 10th-anniversary TCG set exists. The 10th-anniversary cards covered here are 2008 DP-P promos — Pikachu 098–102/DP-P (Pokemon Centers, June 16, 2008) and Charmander 124/DP-P (August 22, 2008) — which marked the franchise’s 10th anniversary, not a card-game set. The 15-year mark likewise produced only promos and sleeves.
What was the Pokemon 20th anniversary set?
CP6, the concept pack “Expansion Pack 20th Anniversary”, released in Japan on September 16, 2016 at ¥300 plus tax per 10-card pack. It recreated the original 1996 Expansion Pack packaging; its English counterpart is Evolutions.
What did the 25th Anniversary products cost at MSRP?
The S8a pack was ¥297 (5 holo cards), a 16-pack BOX was ¥4,752, the convenience-store Special Set was ¥1,188, and the 25th Anniversary Golden Box was ¥17,600 — all tax-inclusive Japanese MSRPs from October 2021.
When did the 30th CELEBRATION set release?
The set released September 16, 2026 in a worldwide simultaneous launch. Japanese packs are ¥360 for 6 all-holofoil cards, and a BOX is 20 packs at ¥7,200 MSRP. The official card list (main set 001–103, the 30 Classic Collection reprints and 8 Basic Energy) was published September 9, 2026; PokeBeach’s compiled count for the full set, including the AR/SAR/FUR block 104–135 (all 32 now seen, still not in the official database), is 173 cards (165 numbered + 8 energy; PokeBeach’s headline figure is 176). Japanese BOX allocation ran through Pokemon Center Online lotteries.
Can anniversary reprint cards be played in tournaments?
The 25th S8a-P promo reprints are officially not usable in tournaments, and the 30th CELEBRATION’s historic reprints are officially not usable in the current Standard regulation. Both lines are collector-focused reprints.
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