Japanese Pokémon card prices climbed sharply this week, with SV8 Super Electric Breaker SARs driving most of the movement. The Pokémon market index rose 3.2% while One Piece cooled slightly. Here's everything you need to know.
Market summary
- Pokémon index: ¥4,820 (▲ 3.2% week-on-week, ▲ 8.4% over 90 days)
- One Piece index: ¥2,140 (▼ 1.4% week-on-week, ▼ 2.1% over 90 days)
- Standout theme: Scarcity of SV8 sealed product is pushing singles higher as box prices rise above MSRP at most Japanese retailers.
📈 Top 5 Gainers
1. Umbreon ex SAR — SV8 102/066 · ▲ 34.5% · ¥48,500
Umbreon ex was already the chase of Super Electric Breaker. What changed this week: a major Japanese YouTuber featured it in a "best long-term holds" video, and Ka-Nabell's in-stock count dropped from 47 to 6 in under 72 hours. Kaitori (buy-back) prices followed, rising from ¥29,500 to ¥37,800. The card now sits ~33% below its English-print equivalent in Prismatic Evolutions, leaving room to run.
2. Ho-Oh ex UR — SV7 087/071 · ▲ 28.1% · ¥22,500
A quieter move driven by secondary demand: Ho-Oh is the alt-art companion piece to Umbreon in many collector portfolios, and tends to track its neighbor. With SV7 Stellar Miracle now out of print at the distributor level, the supply picture is structurally tightening.
3. Gardevoir ex SAR — SV8a 091/073 · ▲ 24.7% · ¥15,800
Battle Partners' SAR Gardevoir has been a sleeper since release. This week it finally cleared ¥15,000 for the first time, a psychological level that tends to attract graders.
4. Pikachu ex SAR — SV8 075/066 · ▲ 18.3% · ¥32,400
Pikachu continues to ride the set-level tailwind. Not as parabolic as Umbreon, but consistently bid up every session this week.
5. Monkey D. Luffy (L) — OP10-001 · ▲ 15.2% · ¥12,800
The only non-Pokémon card in the top 5. OP10 Royal Blood's Luffy Leader has more than doubled since release, and this week's move came on news that competitive play is adopting the red aggro archetype that uses him.
📉 Top 5 Losers
1. Mew ex UR — Heat Wave Arena 102/071 · ▼ 18.4% · ¥14,200
A clear case of unwinding speculation. Mew ex was pumped aggressively in March on rumors of inclusion in a future tournament deck. Rumors didn't materialize, and the card is now giving back most of the gain.
2. Lugia V SR — Lost Abyss 184/100 · ▼ 14.2% · ¥5,600
Older-set rotation pressure. With SV8 and SV8a commanding attention, older SWSH-era SRs have been quietly bleeding.
3. Zacian V SAR — Lost Origin 226/172 · ▼ 12.8% · ¥9,300
Same story as Lugia V — the market is rotating into newer sets.
4. Roronoa Zoro SEC — OP09 · ▼ 10.5% · ¥6,750
OP09 chase cards are coming down as OP10 takes over mindshare. Expected during every set transition in One Piece.
5. Arceus V AR — Star Birth 203/172 · ▼ 8.9% · ¥4,200
Low-volume decline, but worth noting as a leading indicator for mid-tier SwSh nostalgia cards.
What to watch next week
- Battle Partners SV8a: If Gardevoir ex breaks ¥18,000, expect Mewtwo ex UR and other SV8a cards to catch a bid.
- OP10 SECs: Dracule Mihawk SEC is approaching the upper third of its post-release range. A break above ¥5,000 would confirm the OP10 leg higher.
- Sealed product prices: SV8 box prices have quietly risen ¥800 since last Monday. This often precedes another singles move.
Methodology
All price movements compare the 7-day moving average of the sell price at Japanese retailers (primarily Ka-Nabell) with the same measure one week prior. Cards with fewer than 5 transactions per week are excluded. Next weekly report: April 26, 2026.