Nintendo Switch 2 Reselling in Japan: Anti-Resale Efforts, Shoko Nakagawa’s Backlash, & Mercari Rules
【この記事にはPRを含む場合があります】
The new Nintendo gaming console, “Nintendo Switch 2“, was released on June 5, 2025.
Many people applied for the lottery to buy the new model, so it’s still “difficult to get your hands on“.
Nintendo set application conditions to prevent resale, such as “having played Nintendo Switch software for more than 50 hours as of February 28, 2025”. Nintendo revealed that the number of applicants in Japan for the first lottery at the official “My Nintendo Store” exceeded “approximately 2.2 million,” which was more applications than expected.
Nintendo’s official X (formerly Twitter) account posted an apology from President Furukawa. He said that “many people would be unsuccessful in the first lottery”. If you didn’t win the first time, you would be put on a list for the second sale. This means that if you couldn’t buy it right away, you could still have a chance to buy it later if you waited for a win.
古川です。みなさまのお手元に「Nintendo Switch 2」をお届けすべく、事前に多くの部材を調達し、生産を進めてきました。4月2日には「Nintendo Switch…
— 任天堂株式会社 (@Nintendo) April 23, 2025
As of June 16, 2025, applications for the fourth lottery have begun. While some people say they won in the third round and got a Switch 2, it is still expected that the days of the Switch 2 being difficult to obtain will continue.
Some people are calling for a new version of the Nintendo Switch, and they’re looking to buy one on Mercari.
A “Switch 2 unboxing video” uploaded by Shoko Nakagawa (Shokotan) on June 8, 2025, caused a stir on social media. People were quick to accuse her of buying the console from a reseller and of not having a receipt to prove that she purchased it from Mercari.
【悲報】#中川翔子、swich2を転売屋から購入
日頃から転売屋を批判している中川翔子さん、
先日「Switch2買えました」と動画を投稿するも
レシートがプチプチの中に同梱されており、メルカリ購入がバレる。
まあ今を逃すと再生されないもんな、再生数優先#転売 #Switch2 pic.twitter.com/0slqSVdavw— 藍染ガレソの悲報（兼業投資家 (@aigare01) June 14, 2025
On June 15, 2025, Shoko Nakagawa said the claims were false on her official X (@shoko55mmts), writing, “I did not buy the Switch 2 from a flea market site or a reseller“. However, some people are still commenting angrily. They’re asking why she didn’t report winning right away if it wasn’t a resold item. They’re also asking her to upload the winning email and purchase receipt as proof. It doesn’t seem like the criticism is letting up.
憶測で断定されたりいろいろ言われて悲しいから触れたくなかったんですが、
Switch2絶対にフリマサイト、転売ヤーから買ってません完全に間違った情報でここまで色々言われて悲しいです
— 🍉中川翔子🍉🐈⬛ (@shoko55mmts) June 15, 2025
However, some people also defend Shoko Nakagawa, saying, “Is Shokotan being suspected of buying from a reseller just because the Switch 2 was packaged with bubble wrap? I won from Nintendo’s official lottery, and mine also came with bubble wrap!” and “She could have also bought the Switch 2 at a used goods store like GEO. There are other possibilities besides Mercari.” These people are upset about the wrong idea that “Switch 2 in bubble wrap” means “resold item”.
The reason for the growth of this controversy is the Nintendo Switch 2’s huge popularity.
This article will discuss the current resale issue of the popular Nintendo Switch 2, including the specific content of its resale prevention measures, and whether selling a Switch 2 on Mercari would be illegal.
What is Mercari?
Mercari is a popular Japanese online marketplace, similar to eBay or Facebook Marketplace in the United States. It’s a platform where people can buy and sell things, both new and used. Users can list products for sale, talk with buyers, and manage shipments directly. In Japan, it’s a popular site for buying and selling second-hand goods. Like other online marketplaces, it allows resellers to sell rare and popular items at high prices.
- What are the countermeasures against reselling the Switch 2?
- Resale Countermeasure 1: Setting purchase conditions
- Resale Countermeasure 2: Not including a warranty card
- Resale Countermeasure 3: Selling a "Japanese/Domestic Model" and a "Multi-Language Model"
- Resale Countermeasure 4: Requesting Cooperation from Flea Market Site/App Operators
- Will You Get Arrested for Reselling a Switch 2 on Mercari? Is It Illegal?
- Buy the Switch 2 Through Official Channels!
What are the countermeasures against reselling the Switch 2?
(Source: My Nintendo Store)
People were talking a lot about the “Nintendo Switch 2“, which came out on June 5, 2025. Even before it was released, there were a lot of comments on social media. Some people said, “Nintendo is serious about preventing resales“, and “The Switch 2’s solid anti-resale measures are insane!”
Beyond Nintendo’s official online shop, “My Nintendo Store“, physical stores and online shops like Yodobashi Camera, Bic Camera, and GEO also implemented an unusual “lottery sale“, making the Switch 2’s resale countermeasures meticulous enough to make resellers cry.
Nintendo has four main resale prevention measures for the Nintendo Switch 2:
Resale Countermeasure 1: Setting purchase conditions
Nintendo has set application conditions for the lottery at its official shop, the My Nintendo Store. By February 28, 2025, I had played Nintendo Switch software for more than 50 hours. I had also subscribed to Nintendo Switch Online for at least one year, and I was still subscribed at the time of application.
Nintendo has strict application conditions to “prevent the creation of accounts solely for purchasing purposes.” This means that people who don’t play the Switch can’t use an account to purchase the console.
switch2の応募条件満たしてるかニンテンドーストアで確認出来るからかなり親切ね
当然ですが私は条件満たしてます pic.twitter.com/NzP2VWa52O— りん (@rinmomodita) April 4, 2025
Resale Countermeasure 2: Not including a warranty card
Nintendo did something different with the Switch 2. They did not include a warranty card, which is what other gaming consoles have done in the past.
For the Switch 2, repairs and other warranty coverage only apply if you can show the receipt from when you bought the console. This makes it hard for resellers who want to stay anonymous to list items on flea market apps or online auctions.
Note: Because of the controversy surrounding Shoko Nakagawa (Shokotan), some people think that “Switch 2 packaged with bubble wrap” means “resold item”. However, the idea that the items might have been resold came from seeing “a paper that looked like a receipt” in the bubble wrap.
Many people have reported on social media that they bought Switch 2s from the official shop (My Nintendo Store) and that the consoles were wrapped in bubble wrap and sent to them. So, if an item is packaged with bubble wrap, that doesn’t mean it’s been resold. Sometimes people have commented on images or videos of consoles wrapped in bubble wrap, asking if the console has been resold. Please be careful not to misunderstand.
【ゲーム】念願の「Switch2」をゲット、開封、プレイ！https://t.co/iCv5jzofg3
⬆️動画
開封時のプチプチ梱包にレシート🧾のようなものはありますか？
プチプチ梱包してる抽選取扱店は多いですが、レシートを入れてるところ珍しいです。
それが論点になってます。梱包どうのこうの話ではありません https://t.co/cBLHzz79Vf pic.twitter.com/pRts602192
— Zzz (@N99245103Zzz) June 15, 2025
知ってる人もいるかもですが
Switch2には転売対策の為、保証書が付いてません
故障の際は保証書の代わりに領収書が代わりになるとの事なので、無くさないようにしてくださいねネットで買った際は、領収書メールを印刷したものを出すんだそうです👍
— 空牙 (@v40yaD5RN9pHJRz) June 14, 2025
Resale Countermeasure 3: Selling a “Japanese/Domestic Model” and a “Multi-Language Model”
Nintendo launched a “Japanese/Domestic Model” to combat Switch 2 resales, in addition to the conventional “Multi-Language Model“.
Nintendo is making the “Multi-Language Model” only available for purchase in Japan at the official shop (My Nintendo Store) and pricing it at 20,000 yen more than the Japanese model. This is to prevent people from buying the console in Japan and selling it in other countries.
The value of the yen has decreased, which makes it harder to resell PlayStation 5 (PS5) consoles that were purchased in Japan to people outside of Japan. It is said that this has made it difficult to sell the consoles to people outside of Japan. One way to sell the consoles is to sell them to stores that sell products made in Japan. However, stores are only allowed to sell the consoles at a lower price than the multi-language model.
(*) Japan’s Switch 2 Selling Price: Japanese/Domestic Model: 49,980 yen / Multi-Language Model: 69,980 yen
The US Switch 2 is priced at around $449.99 for the standard model.
Resale Countermeasure 4: Requesting Cooperation from Flea Market Site/App Operators
Nintendo announced on May 27, 2025, that it had “agreed to cooperate in preventing fraudulent listings” with three companies as a Switch 2 resale countermeasure. LINE, Yahoo, Mercari, and Rakuten Group.
Nintendo wanted to reduce the number of resale channels. They did this by working with flea market sites and apps. These places are full of people who resell things.
However, while Yahoo Auctions currently has a policy of “prohibiting listings of Switch 2 consoles for the time being even after release”, Mercari and Rakuma (Rakuten’s flea market app) do not prohibit listings themselves. As a result, on June 5, 2025, the release date of the Switch 2, a large number of Switch 2 consoles were listed.
However, because Nintendo was known to implement strict resale countermeasures, and that there would be chances to win in the second and third lotteries even if one failed in the first, very few people purchased the 49,980 yen console at exorbitant prices like 80,000 yen or 100,000 yen. Prices have dropped to 60,000 yen, leaving resellers with only a few thousand yen in profit. This has led to resellers feeling upset.
People are also starting to recognize that not including a warranty card is a problem. Because of this, listings on Mercari, where Switch 2 listings are not prohibited, are being gradually reduced.
メルカリ転売Switch2なんだけど、最近はレシート付きで出品してる人が増えてます。
保証にはレシートが必要だから。
購入者もそれを求めています。結論、メルカリの規約に明確に違反となります。グレーからアウトになります。
任天堂さん、罠仕掛けすぎてすごい👏
通報祭り始まってます！— Teamさぶろっくまん＠GジェネET (@TeamSubRockman) June 15, 2025
Because of the four measures we put in place, not many Nintendo Switch 2 consoles have been resold for high prices. This shows that the measures are working to stop people from reselling the consoles.
Some people who haven’t won a Switch 2 lottery and are having trouble buying one might think about buying a resold item, but there’s a risk of facing problems later, such as “not being covered by warranty for initial defects or malfunctions”. So, it’s best to buy from trusted sources.
You have a better chance of winning a Switch 2 if you “apply for lotteries at multiple shops”.
Try applying as much as possible at various online stores and physical stores, such as the My Nintendo Store (Nintendo’s official store), GEO App (GEO Online/Stores), Yodobashi.com (limited to users who have made previous purchases), Edion, Nojima, and Bic Camera.
Since the third lottery, more and more people have been saying they’ve won at more than one place, like “won at two places.” Instead of buying a resold item, aim to purchase the Switch 2 through legitimate channels and enjoy it with peace of mind.
What is Yahoo Auctions?
Yahoo Auctions, also called “Yafuoku” in Japan, is a big online auction site in Japan. It’s like eBay in the United States. It’s one of the largest and oldest online marketplaces in Japan. People and businesses can buy and sell a wide variety of new and used items through an auction format. People bid on items, and the person who bids the highest wins. Like other online marketplaces, it’s a place where popular items, like gaming consoles, might be listed for sale at higher prices.
What is Rakuma?
Rakuma (Rakuten Rakuma) is a popular Japanese flea market app and online platform. It is operated by Rakuten, one of Japan’s largest e-commerce and internet services companies. It’s similar to Mercari or Poshmark in the U.S., with the focus on selling used and new items between people. Users can easily list items, negotiate prices, and manage transactions directly with buyers and sellers. It’s a big player in Japan’s re-commerce market. Like other such platforms, it can be used by individuals to sell items, including those that are in high demand and could be resold for more money.
Will You Get Arrested for Reselling a Switch 2 on Mercari? Is It Illegal?
People are searching more and more for things like “Is it illegal to resell a Switch 2 on Mercari?” and “Will I get arrested for it?” To sum things up, you won’t get in trouble with the law just for selling a Switch 2.
This is because general reselling is not against the law and is not illegal.
However, as mentioned earlier, the Switch 2 has strict anti-resale measures in place, making it difficult to resell for a high price. Also, including receipts could violate Mercari’s terms of service. This could lead to risks like account closure due to reports from other users.
Many people know that Nintendo doesn’t allow resales, and people don’t like resellers.
If people find out you’re reselling, you might get criticized on social media.
There are many risks, and it’s true that there’s almost no profit to be made from reselling.
Please avoid ideas like “I’ll resell a Switch 2 and make a profit”.
Buy the Switch 2 Through Official Channels!
As you can see, various anti-resale measures have been implemented for the highly anticipated new model, the “Nintendo Switch 2“.
If you buy it from a place that’s not officially approved, you won’t be able to get the one-year repair warranty that starts on the date you bought it. Also, if we find out you’re reselling, we might suspend your account, like they did for Nojima Online.
The system is designed so that both those who buy resold items and those who resell them face disadvantages and risks.
【ご報告】
「転売撲滅宣言」を掲げて、ゲームを楽しみたい方に届くようにと取り組みをしていますが
完全には防げず、当店から購入した商品が転売されていました。
貴重な一台がこのような形になってしまい残念です。
該当アカウントは、利用停止処置をさせていただきました。…— ノジマオンライン (@ENETJP) June 7, 2025
To enjoy gaming safely and securely, it’s recommended to purchase the Nintendo Switch 2 through official channels.
Click here for the My Nintendo Store official “Switch 2” details page
