Taipei, Taiwan - A special edition swipe card for Taiwan’s mass transit featuring the clothed image of a Japanese porn star sold out within hours overnight via a telephone hotline, despite a storm of opposition.
Taiwan’s EasyCard Corp says on its website that it sold its full run of 15 000 card sets by 4.18am on Tuesday after beginning phone orders from midnight.
The stored value cards - also used for convenience store purchases - feature images of Yui Hatano, a 27-year-old Japanese woman who local media say likes Taiwan and wants to help the card company’s charity donation scheme.
Critics campaigned against the cards, saying the images disrespect women and send inappropriate messages to children.
Many stores declined to sell the cards, and the company ended up offering them via hotline only.
AP