Agencies Tokyo

Fast-food chain McDonald’s Japan has cancelled a Happy Meal campaign that came with coveted Pokemon cards, apologising after resellers rushed to buy the meals and then discarded the food, leaving trash outside stores. 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 on Monday.

McDonald’s said it was working on ways to prevent such a situation from happening again. Collecting Pokemon cards is popular among adults and children in many places, with the most popular cards selling for $1,000 or more. Limited edition and mint condition Pokémon cards can fetch hundreds of dollars on the resale and collectibles market, driving many to purchase the cards as a speculative alternative investment.