Japan’s digital ID centers around the My Number Card system, the 12-digit number assigned to all citizens and foreign residents, that has a digital ID component in addition to the physical ID card with the IC-embedded chip. It has an electronic certificate function for user identification to access residence records, registration certificates at convenience stores, or for validation of the user’s signature when submitting electronic documents over the Internet.[19]
In May 2023, Japan’s Digital Agency launched a ‘Service with Electronic Certificates for Smartphones’ for Android phones allowing users to install an electronic certificate of their My Number Card on their devices with the same functions as the physical My Number Card.[20] The Agency plans on revamping this service by introducing additional biometric authentication to verify identity and age, as well as a change of name to ‘Android My Number Card’.[21] In June 2025, Apple introduced the ‘iPhone My Number Card,’ enabling users to link their Individual Number Card to their iPhones for easy access.[22]
In 2025, the Digital Agency launched the ‘Digital Identification App’, primarily for identity verification for e-commerce or online banking, online reservation for public facilities, and age verification to purchase alcoholic beverages.[23] The service also offers a free API for public and private sectors to implement online identity verification using the My Number Card system.[24]
The use of My Number Card is not mandatory but strongly encouraged, as it becomes de facto mandatory for certain purposes such as accessing health insurance cards or using the electronic certificates for convenience store issuance services.[25] There is currently no law in Japan that mandates the use of the My Number Card.
The My Number Card is both a foundational and functional ID given it assigns a unique 12-digit ID to establish a national ID and is also used to access certain administrative procedures, public services or other regulated activities (e.g. public pensions, unemployment insurance, welfare, disaster relief and various benefits and subsidies). Particularly, the My Number Card is required for electronic tax filings, transactions with financial institutions such as opening an account or obtaining loans, and to access national health insurance cards after the older health insurance card is phased out from December 2024.[26] This is despite a lawsuit challenging the government’s plan to make the My Number digital ID mandatory for health services in April 2023, brought by 274 individuals in Japan who argued that replacing insurance cards with the ID requires legal amendments and raises privacy concerns.[27]
Foreign nationals can apply for a My Number Card as long they are on the resident registry in Japan. In theory, stateless persons are eligible for a My Number and can apply for it as long as they have an established residence status and are on the resident registry in Japan. However, in practice, stateless persons, especially children born to foreign parents in Japan, may face challenges establishing legal residency status in Japan and thus cannot obtain the My Number Card.[28] In other words, stateless persons without legal residency status in Japan cannot access the wide range of government services or benefits and may face difficultly in opening a bank account or accessing health insurance.
To develop the My Number system, the Japanese government carried out a Public Comment Procedure to request opinions and comments on My Number system for a period of one month from July 2010, following the announcement of the 2010 Tax Reform Outline on 22 December 2009.[29] Additionally, the Japanese government held various symposiums across Japan in 2011 and 2012 to explain the My Number system by holding panel discussions and Q&A sessions.[30]
