The ongoing Jujutsu Kaisen × Gyu-Kaku collaboration in Japan has been hit by an employee misconduct scandal after several promotional bonus cards were opened and resealed before being handed to customers.
Reins International, the company operating the Japanese yakiniku restaurant chain Gyu-Kaku, apologized on September 16 after confirming that store employees had improperly handled the collaboration’s promotional merchandise.
According to the company, several packages containing Jujutsu Kaisen original clear cards were opened by employees, after which the packages were sealed again and provided to customers.
Some of the promotional items were also taken out of the store for personal use.
Gyu-Kaku Employees Opened And Resealed Jujutsu Kaisen Bonus Cards
The issue involves the “Gyu-Kaku × Jujutsu Kaisen 5th Anniversary Collaboration Campaign,” which is currently being held at Gyu-Kaku restaurants across Japan.
As part of the collaboration, customers can receive limited-edition Jujutsu Kaisen merchandise when ordering selected collaboration menu items.
The campaign’s promotional goods include original can badges and original clear cards, with the designs distributed randomly.
According to Reins International, several clear-card packages were opened by employees and then resealed before being given to customers.
The company also confirmed that some of the contents were removed from the restaurant by employees for personal possession.
Reins International apologized, saying that it deeply regrets causing “great inconvenience and discomfort” to customers.
Company Says There Was No Reselling
While the incident has understandably led to concerns about the possibility of employees taking desirable collaboration merchandise for resale, the company has specifically denied that this happened in the confirmed case.
Reins International told J-CAST News that all of the items taken from the stores have been returned and that there was no evidence of resale.
The company also stated that the employees involved have been subjected to strict disciplinary action based on its internal regulations.
This means the confirmed misconduct involves employees opening the bonus packages, resealing them, providing affected items to customers, and taking some items out of the stores—not confirmed resale.
How The Jujutsu Kaisen Collaboration Incident Was Discovered
The incident came to light after a customer contacted Reins International about suspicious handling of the collaboration merchandise.
According to the company, the customer contacted them on September 11, after which the company investigated the matter by confirming the facts with the employees involved.
The customer later discussed the incident on X on September 14, bringing wider attention to the issue online.
The specific restaurant involved has not been publicly identified.
Reins International said the customer’s report was what led the company to become aware of the incident.
Gyu-Kaku Is Investigating All Stores
Following the incident, Reins International announced that it is investigating all Gyu-Kaku stores to determine whether similar cases occurred elsewhere.
The company is also reviewing its management system for collaboration merchandise and plans to strengthen employee education regarding the proper handling and distribution of promotional items.
Reins International emphasized that merchandise and other items belonging to its stores should only be used to properly serve customers.
The company said that after completing its investigation across all stores, it will make appropriate improvements wherever necessary.
The clear-card packages that were already opened are currently being kept by the company to ensure that they are not accidentally handed to customers.
Customers who believe they may have received an affected item are being asked to contact the Reins International Customer Center, where their individual cases can be checked.
What Merchandise Can Fans Get From The Jujutsu Kaisen Collaboration?
The collaboration began on August 26, 2026, and is scheduled to continue through September 30 at Gyu-Kaku restaurants across Japan.
Customers ordering the collaboration meat platter receive one randomly selected original can badge.
Meanwhile, customers ordering the collaboration cheese bibimbap or jelly drink receive one randomly selected original clear card.
Because the clear cards are distributed randomly, they are being collected by Jujutsu Kaisen fans as limited collaboration merchandise.
This makes proper handling of the sealed packages particularly important, as customers expect the promotional items to reach them in their original condition.
Another Recent Anime Collaboration Faced Employee Misconduct
Interestingly, the Gyu-Kaku incident comes shortly after another Japanese restaurant chain faced a similar issue involving collaboration merchandise.
Kura Sushi announced on September 5 that employee misconduct had been discovered in connection with its Chiikawa collaboration campaign.
The campaign was subsequently suspended from September 6.
The two incidents are separate, but both have drawn attention to how limited-edition anime and character merchandise is handled by employees during restaurant collaborations.
For the Jujutsu Kaisen × Gyu-Kaku campaign, Reins International says it is now investigating all stores and reviewing its procedures to prevent similar incidents from happening again.
The collaboration itself is currently scheduled to run until September 30, 2026. Bookmark Otaku Mantra for more anime news and updates!
About Jujutsu Kaisen
Jujutsu Kaisen is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Gege Akutami. The series was serialized in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump and follows Yuji Itadori, a high school student who becomes involved in the world of jujutsu sorcerers after becoming the host of the powerful cursed spirit Ryomen Sukuna.
The series features characters including Satoru Gojo, Megumi Fushiguro, Nobara Kugisaki, and Yuta Okkotsu, as they battle cursed spirits and other dangerous enemies.
The manga received a television anime adaptation produced by MAPPA, with its first season premiering in 2020. It was followed by the anime film Jujutsu Kaisen 0 in 2021 and subsequent television seasons covering later portions of the manga.
Jujutsu Kaisen has become one of the most commercially successful modern anime and manga franchises, resulting in numerous collaborations, merchandise releases, video games, and other projects around the world.
Source: Yahoo! News
