Japan’s Pokémon Card stores use facial recognition for entry

Five official temporary Pokémon Card stores in Japan use facial recognition to manage entry, numbered tickets and purchase limits from July 31 to August 16, 2026. The system aims to stop one person receiving multiple tickets or entering repeatedly in one day, while The Pokémon Company cites safety, crime prevention and rule enforcement.

Locations and purpose

The stores are in Miyagi, Tokyo, Aichi, Hiroshima and Fukuoka. Opened alongside Storm Emeralda, they sell Pokémon TCG products and Pokémon Center merchandise and offer free introductory activities. They are smaller specialist locations, separate from Pokémon Centers.

How verification works

Primary-school-age customers and older must consent to face capture and comparison when receiving a numbered ticket and again at entry. Duplicate tickets or repeat same-day entry can be refused. Customers who do not consent receive neither a ticket nor entry.

Preschool children are exempt and must enter with an adult. Staff may also question groups suspected of using several people to bypass purchase limits.

Data collected

The notice lists the facial image and number of visits. The Pokémon Company says data is securely stored for a set period under its privacy policy. The system compares visits during the day, so customers should tell staff before temporarily leaving, including for the restroom.

Scope and resale controls

Facial matching links daily limits to biometric identity and is intended to reduce resale abuse, but the announcement does not establish retention time or provider accuracy.

The confirmed scope is only these five temporary stores. It must not be generalized to all Pokémon Centers or retailers. A separate photo-ID requirement applies to some Pokémon TCG purchases at certain Pokémon Centers; document checks and facial recognition are related but different measures.