A Japanese Store Has Come Up With a Fun Way to Combat Pokémon Card Scalpers

Japanese electronics giant Bic Camera is making life tricky for those seeking to cash in on Pokémon cards. To deter scalpers, a branch in Tokyo now has a written Pokémon quiz that customers have to pass in order to buy the Ninja Spinner expansion.

As spotted by Dexerto, Twitter / X user Ryo Saeba uploaded a photo of a poster explaining the restrictions on the sale of Pokémon cards at Bic Camera’s Ikebukuro West branch in Tokyo. They apply to the Pokémon TCG set Ninja Spinner, a Japan-only ninja-themed expansion released in March that features Mega Evolution Pokémon. It has some desirable Special Art Rares (many featuring Greninja) and a high ratio of secret rares, making it a hot purchase for Pokémon TCG collectors and, of course, scalpers.

Pour lutter contre les scalpers, le Bic Camera Ikebukuro a mis en place un quiz Pokémon obligatoire.
15 questions basiques sur l’univers Pokémon à réussir pour pouvoir acheter des cartes.
D’après les témoignages, les revendeurs n’ont pas réussi à passer le test #Japon #Pokemon pic.twitter.com/XoF2By6Q8h

— ⛩ Ryo Saeba | Japon XYZ ⛩ (@Ryo_Saeba_3) April 27, 2026

Would-be buyers have to pass a 15 question test about Pokémon in Japanese. Taking photos of the test or using your phone to look up answers is strictly forbidden, so no sneakily sending the quiz to a clued-up chum. Even if you pass, there is a ‘one box per customer’ rule in place, so no stocking up either.

As extra safeguards against resellers, the store also requires that Pokémon card box purchasers have a loyalty account with the Bic Camera chain (either app or physical point card). They also remove the shrinkwrap from the outer box and open it, preventing scalpers from reselling it as sealed.

A successful test taker reported that “the store staff came up with an easy quiz that anyone who likes Pokémon could answer. (…) It was exciting and fun to do while we were waiting in line, and the staff said ‘Congratulations!’ when I passed, which made me happy.” Instead of asking customers to explain the rules of the game, some questions are reportedly even as simple as, “What’s the name of the Pokémon on the box?”

Many of the Japanese speaking posters on X applauded Bic Camera Ikebukuro West’s move to stop Pokémon TCG scalpers, calling for other stores to implement similar quizzes nationwide. The arrest of two prolific Vietnamese Pokémon TGC scalpers made headlines in Japan recently, and a number of Japanese posts on X / Twitter framed Bic Camera’s Pokémon quiz as a victory over Vietnamese and Chinese scalpers in particular.

Other Bic Camera stores nationwide have also implemented restrictions on Pokémon card sales, with purchase limits and rules varying by location. Sapporo’s Bic Camera, up on Japan’s northernmost main island of Hokkaido, had explanations in both Japanese and English. There’s no quiz, but buyers must present a Japanese drivers’ license or My Number (tax ID) card, which essentially limits purchases to those who live in Japan.

Crimes involving Pokémon cards have been on the rise in Japan and elsewhere in recent years, including a card-buying scam using the oldest trick in the book. Last year a Pokémon card shop in Japan made the news for getting robbed of $92,000 in cards, allegedly by the owner of a rival TCG store. In February 2025, there was a string of Pokémon card thefts across stores in Melbourne, Australia (source: ABC News). In the U.S., there has been a spate of Pokémon card store robberies in cities including Boston, Los Angeles, and Seattle. And in January this year, a Pokémon TCG store in New York was robbed at gunpoint of $116,000 worth of cards during a busy event, with 50 people held hostage.

Verity Townsend is a Japan-based freelance writer who previously served as editor, contributor and translator for the game news site Automaton West. She has also written about Japanese culture and movies for various publications.