A giant Snorlax is asleep in a Yokohama mall — and it's lovely even if you're not a fan
I'm not a hardcore Pokémon person — and this still stopped me in my tracks. In the middle of a Yokohama shopping mall there's a three-metre Snorlax, fast asleep on a bed of grass, and dotted through the building are more Pokémon caught mid-nap. It's tied to the phone game Pokémon Sleep, but you don't need to know any of that. Even if you never grew up with these characters, it's disarmingly cute and genuinely relaxing to wander through — and it costs nothing to look.
“Yokohama de Mikke! Pokémon Negao Research” is a Pokémon Sleep 3rd-anniversary event across Landmark Plaza (inside Yokohama Landmark Tower) and MARK IS Minato Mirai, running July 17–August 23, 2026. The star is a ~3m sleeping Snorlax; more dozing Pokémon are hidden around both malls with a free stamp rally. Everything is free to walk through; only the merch and themed drinks at MARK IS cost anything.
The giant Snorlax is the whole point
The centrepiece sits on the first floor of Landmark Plaza, in a corner they've renamed the “Oyasumi Kabigon Plaza” (“Good-night Snorlax Plaza”) — a patch of fake meadow with a Snorlax so big it stops foot traffic. People queue quietly to photograph it from the front, the side, the belly. It's daft and completely charming, and the craft is better than it has any right to be.
Then you go hunting for the sleeping ones
The event's real game — a nod to Pokémon Sleep, where you collect Pokémon sleeping faces (negao) — is to find the rest of them dotted around the two malls. It turns a mall walk into a gentle treasure hunt, which is exactly the kind of low-effort, high-charm thing I love pointing visitors to.
Why go, even if Pokémon isn't your thing
Three reasons. It's free to look, so there's no risk. It's genuinely well made — the kind of art direction and finish that a design person can enjoy on its own terms. And it's an easy detour: you're already in Minato Mirai for the waterfront, the Ferris wheel and the shops, so a sleeping Snorlax is barely out of your way. If you did grow up with Pokémon, lean in — do the stamp rally, grab a themed drink at MARK IS, and play Pokémon GO around the waterfront while you're there. Bring kids and it's a guaranteed win.
It closes August 23, 2026. Evenings are quieter for photos; weekends and the school-holiday afternoons are busiest. The two venues (Landmark Plaza and MARK IS) are a short walk apart, so do them together.
How to do it
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Event | “Yokohama de Mikke! Pokémon Negao Research” — Pokémon Sleep 3rd anniversary |
| Where | Landmark Plaza (Yokohama Landmark Tower) & MARK IS Minato Mirai |
| Dates | July 17 – August 23, 2026 |
| Cost | Free — installations and the stamp rally · only merch & drinks (at MARK IS) cost anything |
| Getting there | ~3 min from Minatomirai Station; ~5 min walk from Sakuragicho Station |
| Best time | Evenings for quieter photos; go before it closes Aug 23 |
Common questions
What is this event?
“Yokohama de Mikke! Pokémon Negao Research,” a Pokémon Sleep 3rd-anniversary event across Landmark Plaza and MARK IS Minato Mirai, with a ~3m sleeping Snorlax and dozing Pokémon throughout. Through Aug 23, 2026.
Is it free?
Seeing the installations, including the giant Snorlax, is free. The stamp rally is free too; there's also merch and themed drinks (paid) at MARK IS.
Worth it if I'm not a fan?
Yes — it's beautifully made, relaxing, free to look at, and barely out of your way in Minato Mirai.
How do I get there?
A few minutes from Minatomirai Station, or about 5 minutes' walk from Sakuragicho Station. The two venues are close together.