English Pokémon sets and their Japanese versions

English and Japanese sets share their cards but almost never their names. Japanese sets come out first, usually around two months ahead. Pairs of Japanese sets are often merged into one bigger English set along the way. If you know a set by its English name, the table below takes you to the Japanese box it came from.

Every English set and its Japanese version

Newest first, for the sets we stock. Each Japanese set links to its box and its full card list.

Why are the names different?

Pokémon names the Japanese and English sets separately. The English set is often built from two Japanese ones. Mega Symphonia and Mega Brave came out in Japan on the same day and were combined into the English set Mega Evolution, in the same way Wild Force and Cyber Judge became Temporal Forces. Our twin sets guide compares each pair.

Japanese sets with no English set of their own

These sets never came out in English under their own name: Heat Wave Arena (SV9a), Paradise Dragona (SV7a), Crimson Haze (SV5a), Raging Surf (SV3a), Triplet Beat (SV1a) and Incandescent Arcana (S11a). Cards from smaller Japanese sets like these usually turn up in the English sets released around them, so the Japanese box is the only way to open them as they were designed.

Is the Japanese version the same set?

The artwork is shared while the card count, the numbering and the rarity names differ. A Japanese Art Rare is an English Illustration Rare, for example. A Japanese box holds 30 packs of 5 against 36 packs of 10 in English. Our Japanese vs English guide goes through every difference.

Sources

• Pokémon Card Game official product list (Japanese)
• Limitless TCG, English and Japanese set lists
• Serebii, Japanese and English card sets

More guides

• 🗂️Japanese Pokémon set list with English namesSet codes, Japanese release dates, English names and box contents in one table.
• 🔤Japanese Pokémon set codes explainedThe era letters, the lowercase a, twin set letters and every code we stock.
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• 🎒The Scarlet & Violet era: every Japanese set we carryEvery Scarlet & Violet set we carry with its English name, release date and headline Pokémon.
• 🛡️The Sword & Shield era: the Japanese sets we carryShiny Star V to VSTAR Universe, with rarities, box formats and top cards.

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