By YOICHIRO KODERA/ Staff Writer
August 22, 2025 at 14:50 JST
McDonald’s Japan apologized for store disruptions and food waste caused by resellers targeting Pokemon trading cards from its Happy Meal promotion. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
McDonald’s Japan canceled a Happy Meal promotion featuring “One Piece” trading cards after a “Pokemon” card giveaway led to customer chaos at outlets and mountains of wasted food.
The “One Piece” promotion tied to the kids’ menu, known as the Happy Set in Japan, was planned to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the popular pirate manga series. The campaign was set to run for several weeks starting Aug. 29.
Earlier this month, the fast food chain ran a limited three-day Happy Meal promotion featuring “Pokemon” trading cards.
Nearly 3 million cards were distributed, and the campaign drew crowds of resellers and collectors, causing store disruptions.
Many customers only wanted the cards and discarded their untouched food, leading to a formal apology from the company.
In response, the Consumer Affairs Agency urged McDonald’s to address food waste and promote responsible marketing.
McDonald’s said it will review its sales methods and item development for future Happy Meal campaigns.
The official One Piece Card Game account on X stated that updates will follow on the social media platform.
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