A store that dealt in trading cards costing over 100,000 yen each has gone bankrupt just two months after opening. Some customers who had their cards bought back by the store have not received payment exceeding 3 million yen, and there are voices on the internet suspecting that it was a planned bankruptcy.
■Trading card store goes bankrupt in 2 months The card shop in Akihabara, Tokyo, had just opened last month. When we went there on the 19th, the store had a closed sign hanging up and there were hardly any cards left. Flowers that had been sent as congratulatory gifts for the opening were visible inside the store. However, there was no sign of anyone inside.
The official SNS of the company that operates the store posted the following last week: From X, the company that operates the card shop: “The head office’s finances have collapsed” “We plan to file a petition for the commencement of bankruptcy proceedings with the Tokyo District Court” What exactly happened? X, the card shop operator, stated, “In order to secure the funds to pay for buybacks and other expenses, we were forced to sell at low prices, creating a vicious cycle where we were essentially operating on a shoestring budget.”
■Damage of 3.18 million yen…Payment not yet made This man says that he has still not received payment for the cards he sold to the shop. Victim (50s) “My loss is 3.18 million yen.” “(Q. Is that unpaid?) Yes, it’s unpaid.” Trading cards can now be traded for several million to tens of millions of yen per card, depending not only on the type but also on how rare they are. The documents the man exchanged listed high prices, such as 238,000 yen per card.
He said he decided to sell because he was attracted by the buyback price, but the man described what happened at the time as follows: “Something felt off. A normal shop would limit the number of cards they buy, saying, ‘We can’t buy any more.’ But this place was buying without limit.” However, the payment was never made. When the man visited the shop again… “The store has been completely empty since the night of the 9th,” the man said. He then sent a reminder via LINE to the contact number of the store’s representative, which he had been given beforehand. This is the actual exchange that took place.
Man: “I promised to pay today, but is it okay? It seems like no one is there, so I’m a little worried.” Shop: “I’m currently attending the birth of my child, so it seems they’re handling things via DM on X. Could you please contact them through there? It seems there’s some trouble with their bank account, so could you please ask them about it?” However, a day passed with no progress…
Man: “If the store has a card, I’ll do my best to help you cash it in, so please don’t hesitate to ask if there’s anything else I can do.” He then received a call from them saying, “We have the money, so please wait,” but after that, they stopped even reading his messages. The victim (in his 50s): “I knew it was over. Even when I reminded them, they didn’t read my messages anymore. Not for a long time.”
■ Some say it was a “planned bankruptcy” According to Teikoku Databank, there are approximately 200 creditors, and the debt amounts to 200 million yen. The bankruptcy filing came just two months after opening. On the internet, there are voices suspecting “planned bankruptcy” and “fraud.” The document released by the lawyer representing the company stated the following: “X, the card shop operating company, said, ‘There was no decision to cease operations when we purchased the cards, so it does not constitute fraud. Regarding the cards we purchased, it will be decided in the bankruptcy proceedings, so it is difficult to return them.'” (From the broadcast on April 20, 2026) [TV Asahi NEWS]
