McDonald’s Co. (Japan) Ltd. scrapped a three-day Happy Meal promotion after just one day when overwhelming demand for limited-edition Pokémon trading cards led to long queues, in-store congestion and reports of customers discarding untouched food. The campaign, launched on 9 August, was meant to run through 11 August and included two cards with each 510-yen (US$3.40) “Happy Set.” The fast-food chain had capped purchases at five meals per customer and, according to Asahi Shimbun, stocked close to three million cards across roughly 3,000 outlets. The limits proved ineffective as buyers repeatedly queued or used delivery apps to acquire bulk orders for resale; cards later appeared online for tens of thousands of yen. After inventories were exhausted and photos of wasted burgers and fries circulated, McDonald’s Japan issued an apology on 11–12 August, acknowledging its preparations were “insufficient.” The company said it will tighten per-person limits, consider suspending mobile and delivery orders for similar campaigns, and refuse service to customers who attempt repeat bulk purchases. The incident underscores the surging secondary market for Pokémon cards—some modern cards fetch hundreds of dollars—and highlights rising public concern in Japan over food waste. McDonald’s said it is working with e-commerce platforms to curb scalping as it reviews future promotional strategies.