This weekend in Tokyo’s Akihabara, over five hundred people lined up for Pokémon cards. In past years there have been multiple examples of Pocket Monsters drawing long lines, especially in Japan. This would normally be a regular occurrence. In 2021, it’s anything but, with the nation’s Covid-19 restrictions making such sights deeply unusual.
These cards weren’t new, but rather a reprinting. Despite this, lines formed all over Japan, even though a large part of the country is still under a state of emergency for Covid-19, including Tokyo, where lines like this feel like a thing of the past.
“Because lots of shops are temporarily closed in Akihabara due to Covid-19, this was totally extreme,” said Kaztsu, a photographer and blogger who covers the geek district. By his count, approximately 550 people lined up at the Yodobashi Camera in Akihabara for the cards.
Starting late last month and continuing through the weekend, new printings of Eevee Heroes and Shiny Star V hit Japanese shops. As YouTuber okJLUV explains, these sets have already received a handful of new printings since release. For example, Eevee Heroes got a re-release in June before its latest version. Shiny Star V last appeared in early February, late March, and now, late August and early September. As the latest printings came into stock, shops all over the country drew lines and saw sell-outs, including in Kawasaki, Miyazaki, Hakata, and Sapporo.
Read the full article on Kotaku