What was supposed to be one of Japan’s biggest annual manga celebrations has quickly turned into one of the strangest controversies of the year.
Shueisha’s Natsucomi 2026 campaign, which rewards customers with exclusive metallic collectible cards when purchasing participating manga, has sparked widespread scalping, abandoned manga, police intervention, and bookstores cancelling the promotion altogether after only a few days.
The campaign began on July 1 and is scheduled to run until August 31, but numerous bookstores across Japan are already reporting serious problems.
What Is Natsucomi?
“Natsucomi” is Shueisha’s annual summer manga fair that has been held every year since 2003 to encourage readers to discover more manga during Japan’s summer vacation.
For its 24th edition, over 3,400 participating bookstores across Japan are distributing 22 limited-edition “Meta-Kira Cards” featuring newly drawn illustrations from popular series including:
- ONE PIECE
- Kagurabachi
- SPY x FAMILY
- Kingdom
- Honey Lemon Soda
- and many more.
The collectible cards feature metallic finishes, exclusive artwork, and printed creator signatures, making them highly desirable among collectors.
Scalpers Started Selling, And Customers Are Throwing Away Manga
Before Natsucomi officially launched on July 1, Shueisha confirmed that the promotional cards had already appeared on flea-market and resale apps.
Once the campaign started, large numbers of people reportedly rushed into bookstores solely to obtain specific cards, with many purchasing manga only to immediately resell the bonus items online.
The controversy escalated further after multiple photos circulated on Japanese social media showing bags filled with discarded manga left on sidewalks and streets.
Many users claimed customers removed the collectible cards before abandoning the books altogether.
One viral post questioned:
“After Natsucomi ended, someone left all these manga in the rain. Did they only want the free cards?”
Another user said local ward workers asked whether anyone wanted the abandoned books before disposing of them, allowing one person to rescue nearly 100 manga volumes that otherwise would have become trash.
Photos of abandoned copies of ONE PIECE and other Shueisha titles have spread rapidly online, shocking many manga fans.
Bookstores Are Cancelling The Campaign
Several participating bookstores have already suspended or restricted card distribution after customers repeatedly ignored store rules.
Some stores reported people lining up multiple times to obtain more cards, while others had to stop distributing certain popular designs entirely because of repeated abuse.
One bookstore announced that it had cancelled bonus distribution after too many customers refused to follow the campaign rules.
Police Were Called After Staff Received Threats
The situation became even more serious when TSUTAYA Minami Ashigara Store revealed that staff members were subjected to threats and verbal abuse after customers failed to receive the cards they wanted.
According to the store, one customer allegedly demanded a refund and made threatening remarks toward employees, forcing staff to call the police.
The bookstore warned that police would be contacted again if similar incidents occurred.
The Campaign Is Dominating Japan’s Manga Sales
The promotion has had a dramatic impact on manga sales.
According to reports, up to 425 Shueisha volumes appeared in the Shoseki Top 500 sales rankings during the first two days of July alone, highlighting just how much the campaign has boosted purchases.
However, many fans argue that a significant portion of those sales may have been driven by collectors chasing promotional cards rather than readers genuinely buying manga.
Fans Are Frustrated
The controversy has sparked heated discussions across Japanese social media.
While many collectors are enjoying the campaign as intended, others have criticized scalpers for purchasing manga only to discard them after taking the promotional cards.
Many fans also expressed disappointment that bookstores and staff have been forced to deal with harassment over what was originally designed to be a celebration of manga.
What began as Shueisha’s annual summer reading campaign has unexpectedly become a nationwide discussion about scalping, waste, and how far some collectors are willing to go for a limited-edition freebie.
Source: Oricon, X (Shonen Jump News)
