Hiroshima has asked the makers of Pokemon Go to remove its monsters from the city's memorials to the victims of the atomic bomb attacks of 1945.
The smartphone game has enjoyed runaway success since it was released by makers Niantic earlier this month. Players collect virtual monsters sprinkled all over the world, with programmers using GPS to detect where gamers are and making the "Pokemon" appear in nearby parks, churches and town halls.
However, according to the BBC, there is a Pokemon "gym" at Hiroshima's world-famous Atomic Bomb Dome. The ruin was one of the few buildings left semi-intact after the US bombing on 6 August 1945, which killed between 70,000 and 146,000 civilians.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A memorial ceremony is held at the site each year on the anniversary of the attack - and the city wants the Pokemon removed by then.
Hiroshima is not the only place considered an inappropriate venue for hunting imaginary Pokemons. Other questionable locations include:
- the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC, where visitors have been asked not to play the game during their tour;
- Bosnia, where a charity warned players to avoid the minefields, for obvious reasons, The Guardian said;
- Fukushima nuclear plant, which asked Niantic not to place Pokemon in its highly-radioactive facility, the BBC said;
- the 9/11 memorial in New York, where Fortune magazine reported two "PokeStops" - locations players can use to gain extra powers - were removed;
- and the Cenotaph in Whitehall, causing the Daily Mail to ask: "Is nothing sacred?"
US-based Niantic, which licensed the Pokemon characters for use from owner Nintendo, considers requests for exclusions, says the BBC, but has not commented on the situation in Hiroshima.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
-
What to know when filing a hurricane insurance claimThe Explainer A step-by-step to figure out what insurance will cover and what else you can do beyond filing a claim
-
How fees impact your investment portfolio — and how to save on them
The Explainer Even seemingly small fees can take a big bite out of returns
-
Enemy without
Cartoons
-
How cybercriminals are hacking into the heart of the US economy
Speed Read Ransomware attacks have become a global epidemic, with more than $18.6bn paid in ransoms in 2020
-
Language-learning apps speak the right lingo for UK subscribers
Speed Read Locked-down Brits turn to online lessons as a new hobby and way to upskill
-
Brexit-hobbled Britain ‘still tech powerhouse of Europe’
Speed Read New research shows that UK start-ups have won more funding than France and Germany combined over past year
-
Playing Cupid during Covid: Tinder reveals Britain’s top chat-up lines of the year
Speed Read Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and Dominic Cummings among most talked-about celebs on the dating app
-
Brits sending one less email a day would cut carbon emissions by 16,000 tonnes
Speed Read UK research suggests unnecessary online chatter increases climate change
-
Reach for the Moon: Nokia and Nasa to build 4G lunar network
Speed Read Deal is part of the US space agency’s plan to establish human settlements on the lunar surface
-
iPhone 12 launch: what we learned from the Apple ‘Hi, Speed’ event
Speed Read Tech giant unveils new 5G smartphone line-up
-
Russian hackers again targeting US election, Microsoft warns
Speed Read Tech giant claims Kremlin-backed group is trying to infiltrate Donald Trump and Joe Biden campaigns
