Bandai's popular capsule toy series, the Marker Charms (Mejirushi Accessory) line, has recently faced chaotic scenes at stores, with multiple popular items being resold and snatched up by eager buyers.
Starting in mid-September 2026, some Gashapon Bandai Official Shops across Japan began announcing on X that they would suspend or temporarily halt sales of the related products, sparking a recent buzz online in Japan.
The Marker Charms are one of Bandai's capsule toy brands. These charms feature a silicone ring, designed to be attached to items like umbrellas or plastic bottles, helping users identify their belongings. To date, the series has collaborated with popular characters from Sanrio, Pikmin, and Disney, making them a hit with many consumers.
The Gashapon Bandai Official Shop Al Plaza Minakuchi in Koka City, Shiga Prefecture, posted on X on September 13th, stating: “Considering safety factors, we will temporarily suspend sales of 'Marker Charms' products until further notice.”
▼ The first store to announce the suspension of sales was Al Plaza Minakuchi in Shiga Prefecture.
Following this, other Gashapon Bandai Official Shops also made similar announcements. This phenomenon quickly gained significant attention on X, with users commenting: “How can capsule toys be a safety issue? What's going on?” “It's serious when even capsule toys are being pulled from shelves…” “It's understandable if it's for employee safety.” “The situation itself is already quite unusual…”
Regarding the successive store suspensions, a public relations representative from Bandai Namco Experience, which operates these stores, stated in an interview on September 15th that these measures were “to ease crowds,” but declined to comment on specific incidents.
As for why the "Marker Charms" have recently garnered such immense popularity and consumer attention, it's actually a long-standing issue. Capsule toys have been incredibly popular in recent years. If you visit major official stores in Japan, you'll almost always see huge queues of people waiting on release days.
However, the increasing frequency of recent chaotic incidents has brought this issue to the forefront. Of course, for many, capsule toys are just inexpensive items that can be easily restocked. But now that stores are facing safety concerns and struggling with proper management, it might be time for Bandai's official channels to come up with a solution.