TOKYO, July 22 — Pokemon Go is finally appearing where it all began: Japan.

After captivating users in the US, Australia and some parts of Europe, the smartphone app is now officially available for Apple and Android devices in the country that gave birth to Pokemon two decades ago.

The release in Japan comes two weeks after the game made its chart-topping debut overseas, triggering a worldwide phenomenon that added as much as US$20 billion (RM81.29 billion) to the market value of Nintendo Co. Shares rose 4 per cent as of 10.48am in Tokyo, up from about 2 per cent earlier.

For Japan’s legions of Pokemon fans, the wait hasn’t been easy. Even though the country is the second-most lucrative market for smartphone apps, Japanese gamers had to sit and watch as 35 other countries, including Malta and Luxembourg, became virtual playgrounds for Pokemon trainers hunting monsters on streets and in parks.

The companies behind the game have tried to placate their waiting fans with messages of support, including a song written by one of Pokemon’s composers, asking fans for their patience. Today’s release comes days before the start of Japan’s summer school holidays, which usually begin in late July.

Nintendo, which holds stakes in Pokemon Co and the game’s developer Niantic Inc, saw its stock surge 95 per cent through yesterday since the game’s debut in the US Its market value today is about US$39 billion, exceeding the likes of Tesla Motors Inc and Sony Corp.

McDonald’s Holdings Co (Japan), which began selling Pokemon-themed meals and is expected to launch marketing through the app, surged as much as 9.1 per cent.

Shares of electronic parts makers Hosiden Corp, which Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc said may be producing an accessory for Pokemon Go, also rose more than 9 per cent.

The US was the world’s biggest market for smartphone apps during the second quarter, followed by Japan, according to researcher App Annie.

China, which has limited access to Google’s Play Store, was third while South Korea was fourth.

It is unclear when Pokemon Go will be released in China and South Korea, where access to geographical data necessary for the game is restricted by the government. — Bloomberg