21st May 2025 – (Tokyo) In response to overwhelming demand, McDonald’s Japan is contemplating halting the sale of the third wave of CHIIKAWA meal, scheduled to commence on the 30th. This move comes after the launch of the CHIIKAWA meal, a collaborative venture with the popular anime “CHIIKAWA” and Minecraft, caused a frenzy amongst fans and potential scalpers.
The first wave of CHIIKAWA products was projected to end on the 22nd, but many outlets sold out prematurely within two days. The second wave, set for release on the 23rd, will introduce four new toys, likely triggering another rush.
McDonald’s Japan introduced the CHIIKAWA meal, featuring the beloved anime character CHIIKAWA and Minecraft toys, on 16th May. Despite restricting purchases to four sets per order, chaos ensued with reports of fans and potential scalpers abandoning uneaten meals in outlets. Following the weekend turmoil, McDonald’s Japan announced the premature conclusion of this sales event on 18th May.
The CHIIKAWA meal is priced between 510 and 540 Japanese Yen, yet all four “Chiikawa” toys are being resold on second-hand marketplaces for approximately 3,000 Japanese Yen each.
Online footage revealed discarded McDonald’s meals inside branches, with some individuals sealing uneaten food on countertops, inside the store, or even throwing them in bins, taking only the toys. Alleged scalpers were observed packing numerous CHIIKAWA meal toys in large plastic bags. This chaotic exchange has hindered regular customers from placing orders, with reports of items being sold out and waiting times extending up to 30 minutes.
To prevent resale, McDonald’s implemented quantity restrictions on toys, limiting purchases to four sets per person, and issued a warning on its website, urging against purchasing toys for resale or commercial purposes. However, there have been early instances of substantial pre-sale and resale of related toys online.