Pikachu Road Safety badges being given to first-graders in Japan

Pokémon Company does a lot more than just make Pokémon games. While games will always be at the forefront of the company’s output, they also work on various campaigns to spread the word on Pokémon in unique ways. This has been the case for well over two decades now, and yet another example of a special collab has just been revealed.

Pokémon Co. is now offering Pikachu-branded road safety badges in Japan to first-graders. The badges are meant to keep children safe from road hazards and accidents, and they come backed with traffic accident injury insurance from Sompo Japan. The insurance tied to these badges is valid until May 31, 2025, or a year after the student’s admission day if it falls after April 1, 2024.

As seen above, the badge features an adult and child walking across the street along with Pikachu. The text on the badge reads, “Before crossing, don’t forget to check your right and left sides.” This road safety badge project began in 1965, motivated by a letter written by a mother whose child was killed in a traffic accident. By the 59th campaign in 2023, a cumulative total of 70.82 million badges had been delivered.