Pokémon 151 Booster Box: Is There One? 7 Great Alternatives

Type Pokémon 151 booster box into a search bar and you’ll find plenty of listings, but there’s a catch: the English Scarlet & Violet—151 set never had a booster box. It was a special set, so English packs came in Elite Trainer Boxes, Booster Bundles, collections and tins. The boxes you see are usually Japanese, Chinese-language or a bundle of English packs. This guide sorts out what each one really is.

Is there an English Pokémon 151 booster box?

No. English main expansions usually get a standard 36-pack booster box, but special sets rarely do. When 151 launched on 22 September 2023, the official product list covered an Elite Trainer Box, a Pokémon Center Elite Trainer Box, a Booster Bundle, a Poster Collection and a Binder Collection, with the Ultra-Premium Collection, two ex collections and Mini Tins following on 6 October 2023. None of them was a 36-pack display.

So when a listing is called a Pokémon 151 booster box, it’s almost always one of three things: the Japanese SV2a box, a Chinese-language box, or a bundle that groups English packs together. Each has its place, and they differ more than the shared name suggests.

The Japanese Pokémon 151 booster box (SV2a)

The set started in Japan as Pokémon Card 151, code SV2a, released on 16 June 2023 as an enhanced expansion pack. It’s the box most collectors mean when they talk about a Pokémon 151 booster box, and its format is quite different from an English display:

• 20 packs per box, rather than the 36 in an English booster box
• 7 cards per pack, with two guaranteed holofoil cards
• 290 yen per pack, the official recommended price in Japan
• 210 cards in the Japanese set, built on the same 165-card main numbering as the English release
• Japanese-language cards throughout

Like the English version, the Japanese set features only the original 151 Kanto Pokémon in National Pokédex order, from Bulbasaur to Mew. For group openings or a long-term collecting goal, the Japanese Pokémon 151 SV2a Booster Box Case holds 12 boxes.

Poké Ball and Master Ball mirror foils

The biggest collecting difference sits in the lower rarities. In Japanese packs, Common, Uncommon and Rare cards have mirror holofoil versions with a Poké Ball pattern or a Master Ball pattern. English 151 packs don’t have these; they use a standard Reverse Holofoil for every Rare and below instead. If a Master Ball-pattern Bulbasaur or Pikachu sounds like the perfect binder page, a Japanese Pokémon 151 booster box is where to look.

English vs Japanese 151 side by side

Here’s how the two versions compare before you choose a Pokémon 151 booster box or an English product:

• Release: Japanese on 16 June 2023; English on 22 September 2023
• Card count: Japanese 210; English 207 (165 main cards plus 42 secret cards)
• Pack size: Japanese 7 cards with two guaranteed holofoils; English 10 cards plus a Basic Energy
• Foil extras: Japanese Poké Ball and Master Ball mirror foils; English Reverse Holofoils and Cosmos Holo Basic Energy
• Sealed box: Japanese 20-pack booster box; no English booster box

The headline cards are shared. Charizard ex, Venusaur ex, Blastoise ex and Mew ex lead both versions, and the starter lines appear as illustration rares and special illustration rares in each. Our Pokémon 151 set guide covers the English card list, rarities and chase cards in detail.

7 alternatives to an English booster box

If you were hoping for an English Pokémon 151 booster box, these seven options get you closest, from the most packs to the most extras:

1. Japanese Pokémon 151 booster box: 20 Japanese packs of 7 cards, with the mirror-foil chase described above.
2. Japanese SV2a case: 12 sealed Japanese boxes, ideal for a club or a group break.
3. Pokémon 151 36-Pack Booster Bundle: 36 English packs, the same pack count as a standard English booster box.
4. Chinese Collect 151 2.0 Jumbo Booster Box: a Chinese-language 151 product for collectors who enjoy other-language cards. Check the listing for its pack format.
5. Pokémon 151 Booster Bundle: six English packs, released alongside the set on 22 September 2023.
6. Pokémon 151 Elite Trainer Box: nine packs plus a full-art Snorlax promo (SVP 051), 65 sleeves, 45 Energy cards and play accessories.
7. Pokémon 151 Ultra-Premium Collection: 16 packs, an etched metal Mew ex card, Mew ex and Mewtwo promos, a playmat, a deck box and a Mew coin.

For a closer look at the smallest English option, read our 151 Booster Bundle guide, which compares it with the ETB, UPC and Mini Tins.

Which option suits you?

• You want the classic box-opening experience: a Japanese Pokémon 151 booster box gives you a sealed display, 20 packs and the mirror-foil chase.
• You want English cards for a Pokédex binder: the 36-pack bundle puts the most English packs in your hands at once.
• You’re new and want to play: the Elite Trainer Box adds sleeves, Energy and dice to its nine packs.
• You want a showpiece: the metal Mew ex card and playmat make the Ultra-Premium Collection the display pick.
• You’re running a group break: a 12-box case of the Japanese Pokémon 151 booster box splits neatly between friends.

Tips before you open a Pokémon 151 booster box

1. Pick a language for your binder. The Japanese set has 210 cards and the English set has 207, so it’s simplest to keep the two versions in separate binders.
2. Print a checklist. Pokédex order makes it easy to track progress from 001 to 151, then the Trainers and secret cards after them.
3. Sleeve hits straight away. Illustration rares and special illustration rares deserve a sleeve before they hit the table.
4. Look at every mirror foil. In a Japanese box, check each holofoil for the Poké Ball or Master Ball pattern.
5. Store sealed boxes carefully. Keep any unopened Pokémon 151 booster box flat, out of direct sunlight and away from humid rooms.

The official Pokémon Card Game page for SV2a (in Japanese) lists the release date, pack price and cards per pack, and the Bulbapedia entry for Pokémon Card 151 covers the pack differences between languages.

Shop the range

• Japanese Pokémon 151 SV2a Booster Box Case (12 boxes)
• Pokémon 151 36-Pack Booster Bundle
• Chinese Collect 151 2.0 Jumbo Booster Box

Whether you go Japanese, Chinese or English, there’s no wrong way to open the Kanto set. Pick the format that fits your binder, then explore more sealed product in our Pokémon TCG range.

Pokémon 151 Booster Box FAQs

Is there an English Pokémon 151 booster box?

No. Scarlet & Violet—151 was a special set, so English packs came in products such as the Elite Trainer Box, Booster Bundle, Ultra-Premium Collection and Mini Tins rather than a 36-pack booster box.

How many packs are in a Japanese Pokémon 151 booster box?

The Japanese SV2a box holds 20 packs, and each pack contains 7 cards with two guaranteed holofoils.

When was the Japanese 151 set released?

Pokémon Card 151 (SV2a) was released in Japan on 16 June 2023, about three months before the English set arrived on 22 September 2023.

What’s the closest English alternative to a Pokémon 151 booster box?

The Pokémon 151 36-Pack Booster Bundle gives you 36 English packs, the same count as a standard English booster box. The ETB and UPC add extras such as promos and accessories.

Do Japanese 151 packs have different foils?

Yes. Japanese Common, Uncommon and Rare cards can appear as mirror holofoils with a Poké Ball or Master Ball pattern, which English packs don’t have.