Overview
- The three leading flea‑market apps in Japan, which announced the policy Friday, will block any listings of McDonald’s upcoming Chiikawa Happy Set toys.
- The ban covers Mercari, LINE Yahoo, and Rakuten’s marketplace services.
- Mercari says it will find and delete prohibited posts with AI and human review, and it will curb repeat attempts by limiting accounts.
- The Chiikawa giveaway, tied to the kids’ meal known in Japan as the Happy Set, is scheduled to start May 15.
- Operators say the goal is to stop price spikes, buyer disputes, bulk buying for resale at stores, and the dumping of uneaten food, citing turmoil during last year’s Pokémon‑card promotion.