McDonald’s Japan’s Chiikawa Happy Meal sells out in just 3 days – but fans who missed out will soon have a second chance
McDonald’s Japan has announced a premature end to the first wave of its highly anticipated Chiikawa and Minecraft: The Movie Happy Meal promotions.
Both promotions launched on Friday, May 16th and the first wave of each promotions was originally expected to last a full week, but demand has been such that McDonald’s have brought them to an end after just three days.
In an official statement released today, the company cited unexpectedly high customer demand that has led to widespread sell-outs across most stores.
McDonald’s Japan has also issued an apology to customers who were looking forward to purchasing the first set of toys and were unable to do so.
The Chiikawa Happy Meal features collectible toys based on the immensely popular Japanese manga and anime series of the same name, created by Nagano.
Chiikawa depicts the adorable and slightly melancholic everyday lives of small, cute characters, resonating with a broad audience in Japan and gaining international recognition.
The collaboration with McDonald’s was highly anticipated, with fans eager to acquire the limited-edition Chiikawa figurines included in the Happy Meals.
Simultaneously, McDonald’s Japan also launched a Minecraft: The Movie Happy Meal promotion, tying in with the upcoming animated film based on the globally successful video game franchise Minecraft.
This promotion also included a set of collectible toys themed around the characters and elements of the Minecraft universe, appealing to the game’s massive fanbase.
According to a McDonald’s Japan’s press release, the sales figures for the first wave of both the Chiikawa and Minecraft: The Movie Happy Meals significantly exceeded the company’s initial expectations.
This overwhelming popularity resulted in many McDonald’s outlets across the country selling out of the first set of toys within a very short period after the launch on May 16th.
The company expressed sincere gratitude to their numerous customers for their enthusiastic response to the promotions and did not address any claims that their stores have been targeted by foreign resellers who have been ordering Happy Meals in bulk purely for the toys.
The early depletion of stock has also led to disappointment among consumers who had planned to purchase the Happy Meals during the first wave.
McDonald’s Japan acknowledged this in their statement, offering a sincere apology for not being able to meet the expectations of all customers who were looking forward to making a purchase.
The company has asked for understanding and cooperation from the public regarding this unforeseen situation.
The Chiikawa toys that have sold out include the following items:
- Chiikawa Drink Cup Pen Holder
- Usagi Mini Pancake Case
- Rakko’s Driving Rolling Car
- Hachiware McDonald’s Calendar
Despite the early sell-out of the first wave, McDonald’s Japan has assured customers that the second wave of the Chiikawa and Minecraft: The Movie Happy Meal toys is still scheduled to be released as planned on Friday, May 23rd, 2025.
This upcoming release will feature a new set of collectible toys from both franchises, offering another opportunity for fans to acquire the coveted items.
The four items that will form the second wave of the Chiikawa Happy Meal promotion are as follows:
- Hachiware Tray Photo Frame
- Chiikawa Memo Set
- Usagi Sticker Dispenser
- Momonga McDonald’s Sign Pencil Cap
The rapid sell-out of the first wave demonstrates the immense popularity of both Chiikawa and Minecraft in Japan but has drawn criticism from Japanese social media users who have reported unusual behavior at multiple McDonald’s stores.
Resellers and scalpers have reportedly been purchasing large quantities of Happy Meals to get their hands of large quantities of the limited-edition Chiikawa toys.
Multiple videos and images are now circulating on Japanese social media which shows huge numbers of abandoned takeout orders which people are claiming were placed by scalpers who remove the toy before leaving the restaurant without their food.
This has frustrated genuine fans and families who found it difficult to obtain the Chiikawa Happy Meal toys while they were available.
Many images are also circulating on social media showing sellers on online marketplaces such as Mercari offering multiple full sets of the Chiikawa toys for sale.
Speculation on social media also suggests that many of the individuals behind the bulk ordering of Chiikawa Happy Meals are Chinese, which would suggest that the toys will mostly end up being sold outside of Japan.
Images have also been shared, which allegedly originate from social media accounts run by resellers/scalpers, that show bags filled with the Chiikawa Happy Meal toys and large numbers of them lined up on apartment floors.
McDonald’s Japan has stated its continued commitment to providing promotional toys and will likely be closely monitoring the demand for the second wave of these highly successful Happy Meal promotions.
Officially McDonald’s Japan had set a limit of four Chiikawa or Minecraft toys per person but it appears that restaurants were either not following this rule or resellers were able to get around it by placing multiple takeout orders.
Fans eager to obtain the second set of Chiikawa and Minecraft toys are advised to check with their local McDonald’s restaurants in Japan starting from May 23rd.
Source: McDonald’s Japan
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