Japan’s Pokémon Adopts ID Verification to Curb Card Scalping
Starting August 2026, Japan's Pokémon Company plans to require government ID authentication (My Number Card) to buy select TCG products online and to enter tournaments, using a third‑party service that scans the card's chip on a smartphone—without storing the number—in a bid to curb scalpers, a move critics call dystopian and logistically problematic.