On May 21st, the official Japanese Pokémon website announced the implementation of a "My Number Card" identity verification system for Pokémon card product sales and tournaments.
Three Key Points from the Official Announcement:
- Implementation of the "My Number Card" Verification System To ensure fair opportunities for all players and prevent rule violations, the official plan is to introduce a system that uses "My Number Card" IC chip readers for identity verification, linking it to player accounts.
-
Scope of Impact (Covers Card Purchases and Gameplay)
- Product Sales: For certain products on the "Pokémon Center Online," this verification will be required for priority lotteries and sales.
- Tournament Events: Registration for some "Official Tournaments (competitions)" held in Japan will also mandate the use of this system.
-
Estimated Implementation Time The official target for launching this system is around August 2026. They encourage players who do not yet possess the card to apply 1-2 months in advance.
Why does this mean "foreigners/overseas players" can no longer participate?
The core of this policy is that the My Number Card is equivalent to a Japanese identification card.
- Highly Restricted Eligibility: Only "Japanese nationals" and "foreigners with medium to long-term residency visas in Japan (such as work visas, student visas, spouse visas, who have registered their residence)" can apply for a My Number Card.
- Tourists Completely Excluded: Overseas players entering on tourist visas, proxy buyers, or foreigners attempting to participate in lotteries from abroad via websites will absolutely not be able to obtain this card.
- Cannot Borrow or Falsify: Since the verification method involves using a smartphone to directly read the IC chip on the physical card (similar to scanning a passport chip), past loopholes like "borrowing a local's phone number for authentication" or "entering a fake address" will be completely blocked. High-strength real-name authentication will require the "individual, their card, and their device."
Summary
To completely eliminate scalping, multiple account lottery entries, and proxy tournament participation, official Japanese Pokémon has introduced a national-level identity verification system. While the original intent of this policy is to protect genuine domestic players in Japan, the consequence is that after August 2026, overseas players without long-term residency in Japan will effectively lose the qualification to purchase card packs at original prices through official Japanese channels and register for official Japanese PTCG tournaments. The barrier to participating in tournaments in Japan in the future has now become the requirement of legal residency status in Japan.
#Pokemon #Pokemonjp #Mynumbercard #Pack #JCS