Pikachu & Kabiigon from Pokémon Sleep Appointed as Sleep Support Ambassadors!
On June 26th, the Kousei Roudou Shou (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare) announced that Night Cap Pikachu and Kabiigon from the game **Pokémon Sleep** have been appointed as Sleep Support Ambassadors for the “Smart Life Project”. We bring you a report on the content of the press conference.
Matsuoka-shi’s 『Pokémon Sleep』 sleep situation was also asked.
Aiming for Healthy Sleep with Pokémon Sleep!
The “Smart Life Project” is a national movement advocated by the Kousei Roudou Shou under the slogan “Let’s Extend Healthy Lifespan”. Working in cooperation with participating companies, organizations, and local governments, the project aims to spread awareness and encourage concrete actions regarding exercise, diet, sleep, health checkups, women’s health, and more, thereby expanding the circle of health.
Good sleep leads to good results in the smartphone game **Pokémon Sleep**. As part of this project, Night Cap Pikachu and Kabiigon, who appear in the game, have been appointed as “Sleep Support Ambassadors”.
At the press conference, first to speak was Matsuoka Terumasa-shi, the Director of the Health Division in the Health and Living Hygiene Bureau at the Kousei Roudou Shou. He explained that while health movements have been ongoing since 1978 due to the rise in lifestyle-related diseases in Japan, in recent years, there has been an increase in people not getting enough rest through sleep, leading to deteriorating health.
Among the 38 OECD developed countries, Japan unfortunately ranks last. The third phase of “Kenkou Nihon 21” (Health Japan 21), which began in 2024, aims to increase the quality and quantity of sleep over the next 12 years. He noted that sleep considerations differ for the elderly, adults, and children, and this ambassador appointment aims to encourage children to develop good sleep habits from a young age.
Also present at the press conference was Utsunomiya Takahito-shi, Representative Director and Chief Operating Officer of Kabu Poke (The Pokémon Company), who spoke and said he was “extremely honored”. Pokémon has long aimed to contribute to society through the power of entertainment, and they have released apps connected to health, such as **Pokémon GO** for “walking” and **Pokémon Sleep** for “sleeping”.
As of June 2025, **Pokémon Sleep** has surpassed 28 million downloads, with cumulative sleep records exceeding 1 billion. Utsunomiya-shi himself stated he has already recorded his sleep 698 times.
He mentioned that they have conducted data surveys across seven countries several times, and in all of them, Japan consistently has the shortest average sleep duration. Recent data shows Germany averaging 7 hours and 38 minutes, while Japan averages 6 hours and 55 minutes, a difference of nearly 40 minutes.
He also noted data indicating that the time it takes to fall asleep has increased from late May to June due to rising temperatures. As nights become more uncomfortable for sleeping, they plan to conduct public awareness campaigns through posters and events targeting children in places like Kasumigaseki.
Utsunomiya-shi concluded his speech by reiterating the goal of “enriching both the real and virtual worlds through the existence of Pokémon.”
Pikachu and Kabiigon Appointed!
Finally, Fukuoka Tomoo-shi, the Kousei Roudou Daijin (Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare), took the stage and presented appointment certificates and sashes to Utsunomiya-shi, Night Cap Pikachu, and Kabiigon. It was a charming sight to see the sashes wrapped around their large bodies.
Minister Fukuoka expressed his expectations for the project’s enlightenment and dissemination efforts, particularly among the younger generation. Utsunomiya-shi touched upon the culture in Japan of “boasting about not sleeping” and stated his hope that people will get sufficient sleep with **Pokémon Sleep**.
During a media interview held for Utsunomiya-shi, he spoke about how his own awareness of sleep has changed, noting that while his wake-up time might vary, the game has helped him maintain a consistent bedtime. When asked to appeal to those who haven’t played yet, he highlighted the joy and fun of the experience where Pokémon appear when you wake up in the morning.
**Pokémon Sleep** (**Pokémon Sleep**) is available for smartphones (iOS/Android) as a free-to-play game with in-app purchases.
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