In the world of Pokémon, each region is based on numerous real-life locations. Kanto is based on the Kantō region of Japan, Kalos is based on France, and Alola is based on Hawaiʻi for some examples. Johto is based on Kansai, with multiple locations based on locations in Shiga. Of these, Mahogany Town is the one with the most story implications.

When you visit Mahogany Town, you are introduced to a sleepy town where nothing much happens. While it is the home of the seventh gym, it is best known for its role as the place you visit before heading to the Lake of Rage and its red Gyarados. A sign in the town says that Mahogany Town is the home of ninjas, which should make you suspicious of the souvenir shop in town. The limited stock in the souvenir shop ends up being a front to hide Team Rocket’s hideout in Johto. The player ends up teaming up with Lance to clear out the hideout. This battle ends up being the catalyst for the last section of the game’s plot.

While there are no exact buildings from Kōka that were used in the games, there are numerous aspects of Kōka that have made their way into the video game world. For example, Kōka was the center of the Kōga-ryū school of nijutsu, which the sign in Mahogany Town references. Kōka also was a stop on the Tōkaidō, which can be seen with Mahogany Town’s location in between Ecruteak City (based on Kyōto) and Blackthorn City (based on Shiragawa-gō in Gifu). The town’s gym uses Ice type Pokémon, which is due to the town’s location near the Ice Path (based on Mt. Ibuki, which is located on the border of Maibara and Ibigawa in Gifu).

The role that the Kōga-ryū plays in both the story of Kōka and in Mahogany Town are incredibly prominent. Similarly to how the souvenir shop hides a secret entrance to Team Rocket’s base of operations in Johto, the Kōka Ninja House and the Kōka Ninja Village, which one can tour even today, hides secrets that aren’t visible upon entering the building. From trapdoors to a hidden floor and so much more, both the Kōka Ninja House and the Kōka Ninja Village allow for visitors to get a firsthand glimpse as to some of the tricks that ninja used in the past. You can read more about these locations on Explore Shiga Japan’s website, as well as the Koka Ninja House’s website. There are also a number of manga maps detailing some of the experiences present around the JR Kōka, JR Aburahi, JR Kōnan Stations, and in Minakuchi and Tsuchiyama towns of Koka, which can be found on Kōka’s Tourism Board.

How to get to Kōka: Board the JR Biwako Line to Kusatsu, and then transfer to the JR Kusatsu Line. From there, board the train towards Kōka Station. Most attractions in Kōka are located near a train station, so you should be able to access each attraction with relative ease.

Please enjoy these photos of Kōka, which are inspired by the role of Mahogany Town in the Pokemon series! The image on the left ties into the Ice-type gym in the town, while the vibrant reds of the maple trees in the image on the right envoke the red Gyarados which can only be seen by visiting Mahogany Town.