known in Japan as the Isshu Region, is the region featured in Pokémon Black and White and the sequels Black 2 and White 2. According to the development team, Unova is "located far away from Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh." In the Pokémon Piabook, director Junichi Masuda revealed that Unova (Isshu) was modeled after New York City. Unova is host to large urban areas, a harbor, an airport, an amusement park, and several mountain ranges. In addition to a diversity of new landscapes, the Unova Region is also home to a diversity of people who vary in skin tone and occupation. The region's Japanese name is derived from the Japanese words tashu (meaning "many kinds") and isshu (meaning "one kind"); the many kinds of people and Pokémon you see up close look like only one kind of life from afar. Season 14 of the anime onward, collectively titled in Japan as Best Wishes!, is set in Unova.
A new feature put in the Black and White games is that areas in the games are visually distinct between versions; while locations in Black appear to be very modern and urban, the same locations in White will appear to be older and morerural. This feature is exemplified in two locations that are unique to each game and are located in the same location on the map: the ultra-metropolitan Black City (Burakku Shiti), home to only humans, and the verdant White Forest (Howaito Foresuto), where humans and Pokémon live in harmony. Unova also features the return of underwater Regions accessible through the Dive move. In addition, Unova has a seasonal cycle. The winter months change the rarity of Pokémon in some areas, certain areas can only be accessed with heavy snow on the ground, and the Deerling and Sawsbuck Pokémon have different physical appearances linked to the seasonal changes.
