{"id":241598,"date":"2026-07-28T16:06:49","date_gmt":"2026-07-28T16:06:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/purchasing-pokemon-cards-in-japan-now-requires-your-face-in-addition-to-money\/"},"modified":"2026-07-28T16:06:52","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T16:06:52","slug":"purchasing-pokemon-cards-in-japan-now-requires-your-face-in-addition-to-money","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/purchasing-pokemon-cards-in-japan-now-requires-your-face-in-addition-to-money\/","title":{"rendered":"Purchasing Pok\u00e9mon Cards in Japan Now Requires Your Face in Addition to Money"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n

The New Era of Pok\u00e9mon Card Collecting in Japan<\/h2>\n

Pok\u00e9mon card collecting has been an exhilarating hobby for fans around the world. However, the latest trend in Japan has added another level of complexity: buying a pack now requires more than just money \u2014 it requires your face. With overwhelming demand leading to scalpers clearing shelves in minutes, the Pok\u00e9mon Company has adopted facial recognition systems to help combat this issue.<\/p>\n

What the Company Has Announced<\/h3>\n

The Pok\u00e9mon Company is launching a facial recognition system in its dedicated Pok\u00e9mon Card Stores across Japan. These smaller retail locations are distinctly separate from the larger Pok\u00e9mon Centers. According to the company\u2019s official site, the primary objective of this system is to “provide a safe shopping environment for all customers, prevent crime, and ensure compliance with entry and purchasing regulations.” This initiative will debut with the launch of the Storm Emeralda set, which features the legendary Pok\u00e9mon Rayquaza.<\/p>\n

How It Works in Practice<\/h3>\n

Customers aged in elementary school and older must agree to have their faces scanned to enter the store and obtain a shift number. The system retains a record of the visitor’s face and tracks the number of visits, thereby preventing any individual from entering multiple times in one day or attempting to acquire several tickets. Interestingly, preschool children are exempt from scanning but must always be accompanied by an adult.<\/p>\n

Why Such Extreme Measures?<\/h3>\n

This move is born out of necessity. The issue of scalping has intensified recently, leading scalpers to buy up products en masse and resell them for exorbitant prices, leaving genuine fans empty-handed. In the past, stores attempted various strategies to mitigate this problem, including removing protective seals from boxes or administering questionnaires to confirm collectors\u2019 intent. Unfortunately, these measures proved inadequate.<\/p>\n

More Barriers to Purchase<\/h3>\n

The facial recognition initiative isn’t the only barrier put in place. Earlier this year, the Pok\u00e9mon Company began requiring valid identification for certain purchases. Beginning in August, even online transactions at certain Pok\u00e9mon Centers will require ID photo verification, representing a further tightening of regulations against resale.<\/p>\n

Security Considerations<\/h3>\n

Safety is another significant factor behind this initiative. In March, an employee tragically lost their life due to a stalking incident at the Pok\u00e9mon Center Mega Tokyo, bringing security concerns to the forefront. This isn’t just a local issue; in the U.S., the escalating value of cards has led toincreased violent robberies in stores.<\/p>\n

What Happens with Your Data?<\/h3>\n

The Pok\u00e9mon Company’s privacy policy indicates that they will collect extensive data beyond just facial scans, including email addresses, job details, and even educational information. Although the company assures that this data will only be retained as long as necessary before being deleted, the lack of a specified timeline raises eyebrows.<\/p>\n

What If You Don’t Want Your Face Scanned?<\/h3>\n

For those who are not comfortable with facial recognition, the options are incredibly limited. Without consent for facial scanning, entry into the store and obtaining a shift ticket is off the table. However, individuals can leave the premises temporarily and re-enter if they notify staff beforehand.<\/p>\n

What Lies Ahead?<\/h3>\n

Currently, the facial recognition process is limited to Japan, with no immediate plans for expansion to other countries. Its future applicability to Pok\u00e9mon Centers remains uncertain as well. Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa hinted at upcoming measures to address product shortages and resale, and now we see what those measures may entail.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n


\n
General News – 2<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The New Era of Pok\u00e9mon Card Collecting in Japan Pok\u00e9mon card collecting has been an exhilarating hobby for fans around the world. However, the latest trend in Japan has added another level of complexity: buying a pack now requires more than just money \u2014 it requires your face. With overwhelming demand leading to scalpers clearing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":241599,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36399],"tags":[30829,3276,1866,4132,1371,9574,1563,1613],"class_list":["post-241598","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology","tag-addition","tag-cards","tag-face","tag-japan","tag-money","tag-pokemon","tag-purchasing","tag-requires"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/241598","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=241598"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/241598\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":241600,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/241598\/revisions\/241600"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/241599"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=241598"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=241598"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=241598"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}