The
meals, called Happy Sets in Japan, were meant for children. They
came with a toy, such as a tiny plastic Pikachu, and a Pokemon
card. They sold out in a day, according to Japanese media
reports.
Mounds of wasted food were found near the stores.
“We do not believe in abandoning and discarding food. This
situation goes against our longtime philosophy that we have
cherished as a restaurant to ‘offer a fun dining experience for
children and families.’ We sincerely accept that our
preparations had not been adequate,” the company said in a
statement Monday.
McDonald's said it was working on ways to prevent such a
situation from happening again, such as limiting the number of
meals each person can buy and ending online orders. It said it
might deny service to customers who fail to abide by the rules.
“We vow to return to the basics of what lies behind the Happy
Set, which is about helping to bring smiles to families so we
can contribute to the wholesome development of the hearts and
bodies of children, who are our future,” the company said.
Collecting Pokemon cards is popular among adults and children in
many places, with the most popular cards selling for $1,000 or
more.
Unusually large crowds were seen flocking to McDonald’s stores
when the meals with Pokemon cards went on sale. The cards were
later being resold for up to tens of thousands of yen (hundreds
of dollars) online.
McDonald's has been selling Happy Meals for more than 40 years.
In Japan, they usually sell for 510 yen ($3.40).
All contents © copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved

|
|