January 31 Declared as Final Fantasy 7 Day in Japan

January 31 has been officially declared as Final Fantasy 7 Day by the Japan Anniversary Organisation (JAO), marking the 25th anniversary of the game’s PS1 release in Japan. The designation highlights the impact the title has had on the Japanese games industry and the overall medium of video games.

Final Fantasy 7 Day celebrates the impact of the game worldwide

We’re delighted to announce “Final Fantasy VII Day” has been officially registered in Japan, to commemorate the anniversary of the launch of the original game.

To celebrate, here’s a special message from Yoshinori Kitase, producer of the Final Fantasy VII remake project. pic.twitter.com/GBphY8AYR4

— FINAL FANTASY VII (@finalfantasyvii) January 31, 2023

Square Enix marked the occasion with a statement from Yoshinori Kitase, who worked on the original FF7 and is now the producer of FF7 Remake. In it, Kitase reminisced about the game’s creation and how it marked the beginning of many things for him and his team:

The 31st of January 1997, the day that Final Fantasy VII came out, was not just a significant day for the Final Fantasy series, but also marked when so many big things started moving for those of us who worked on the game.

I remember being overwhelmed at the breakneck speed with which video game technology was evolving, but also dreaming big things for the future.

With the establishment of this official anniversary day, I will now always remember these things, and hold them dearly in my heart.

With the official designation of this anniversary, FF7’s significance and impact on the world will be remembered for years to come. And with the release of the FF7 Remake trilogy, the story of this classic game is being carried forward to a new generation of players. The second entry, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, releases this Winter, and work has already begun on the third and final game in the series.