The 30th-anniversary Pokémon card packs went on sale on the 16th, drawing long lines at convenience stores from early morning. The small number of Japanese visitors and activity apparently aimed at overseas resale have been cited as factors behind the situation.
A new Pokémon card pack commemorating the franchise’s 30th anniversary went on sale on the 16th, resulting in long lines at convenience stores from early morning. The packs contain newly introduced rarity cards and Legendary Pokémon, attracting considerable attention.
Social media posts reported excitement ahead of the release, with lines forming before 7 a.m. in some cases. Some stores were also said to have restricted sales from 7 to 9 a.m. to students as an anti-scalping measure.
The article depicts a situation in which few Japanese people were seen and lines formed mainly among foreign nationals, pointing to the background of overseas scalping. It also introduced measures being taken on Mercari, including a ban on listing unopened packs.