Shoko Nakagawa Denies Switch2 Scalper Allegations: “It Was a Gift from a Friend”

TV personality Shoko Nakagawa (40) has been involved in an unexpected commotion over Nintendo’s new game console “Nintendo Switch2,” which was released on June 5.

Talent Shoko Nakagawa (40) has unexpectedly found herself caught up in a controversy surrounding the new Nintendo gaming console, the”Nintendo Switch 2”, which was released on June 5.

The incident began on June 8 when Nakagawa posted a video titled ‘Finally got my hands on the “Switch 2” — unboxing and gameplay!’ on her YouTube channel.

In the video, she shows herself unboxing the Switch 2, which is wrapped in cushioning material, and her excitement is palpable. However, at this point, some viewers in the comment section raised suspicions:

“Official or electronics stores never wrap the cushioning material so loosely.”

“Did you buy it from a scalper?”

These comments questioned whether Nakagawa had purchased the console through an official route.

As Nakagawa removed the cushioning material and pulled out the box, something resembling an invoice or receipt was seen slipping out. This led to further doubts:

“The receipt was packed inside the cushioning material, so it’s almost certain you bought it from Mercari (a second-hand marketplace).”

“Hmm, but with your personality, wouldn’t you have posted about it as soon as you got the winning email?”

Many people started to suspect that she might not have bought the console via an official lottery or sales channel.

In response, on June 15, Nakagawa posted a message on her X (formerly Twitter):

“I didn’t want to address this because I’ve been saddened by the baseless assumptions and the things being said. But I absolutely did not buy the Switch 2 from a resale site or scalper. It’s heartbreaking to be falsely accused of this with completely wrong information.”

She denied buying from scalpers and closed the YouTube comment section. However, instead of calming down, the controversy continued to spread, and her X post had been viewed more than 12 million times by June 17, highlighting the high level of attention the situation garnered.

“In the past, Nakagawa has found her own merchandise being resold and criticized it, saying things like ‘Stop it!’ Moreover, Nintendo has been making efforts to prevent scalping with strict measures such as banning Nintendo accounts if illegal reselling is discovered. I don’t think she would buy from scalpers just because she wants to play or gain attention on YouTube. However, on Instagram, she wrote, ‘I got the Switch 2!’ but never mentioned winning the lottery. I can understand why some internet users are suspicious.” (Sports newspaper reporter)

In response, Friday Digital sent a set of questions to Nakagawa’s office, and they replied:

“Regarding the gaming console in question, Nakagawa’s friend won it through a lottery at a major electronics retailer and gave it to her as a pregnancy gift. We deeply regret the misunderstanding caused by the expression ‘I got it!’ used at the beginning of the video. There have been rumors on some social media claiming that she bought it from a scalper, but the friend included the warranty and receipt along with the box, and there is absolutely no truth to the claim that it was purchased from a resale site or marked up for resale. We sincerely apologize for the disturbance caused.”

Nakagawa herself also commented:

“I deeply apologize for causing trouble for everyone this time.”

Meanwhile, Takafumi Horie has made posts suggesting not to deny people who want to buy from scalpers, while some famous YouTubers openly admitted to purchasing from them. It’s true that there are people who can’t get what they really want through lotteries and would rather buy at a higher price to guarantee the product. Reselling itself is not illegal, and although private resale sites and sellers are taking measures, the situation continues as a cat-and-mouse game.

Caught up in an unexpected scandal due to a pregnancy gift from a friend, Nakagawa now hopes that this explanation will help calm the situation so she can peacefully recover.