Individual Number

An Individual Number (個人番号), also known as My Number (マイナンバー), is a twelve-digit ID number issued to all citizens and residents of Japan (including foreign residents) used for taxation, social security and disaster response purposes. The numbers were first issued in late 2015.

There are pros and cons regarding efficiency when using Basic Resident Registers Network and Number System.

Promotional campaign
To advertise the system's introduction, the Government of Japan hired actress Aya Ueto and created a mascot character named "Maina-chan".

Fraud
The first fraud related to the system occurred in 2015 when an elderly woman in the Kantō region was defrauded of several million yen.

Mainapoint
The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications promotes a cashless payment card called Mainapoint (マイナポイント) linked to a person's My Number.