Crypto Village Newsletter #44 - 8/31
Welcome back to our News Letter!
A huge thank you to all our new subscribers! This newsletter is brought to you by Crypto Village, where we share the latest updates on the Nishikigoi NFT project, Japanese local NFT initiatives, and much more.
The News of the Week:
"A New Way of Living and Building Communities with My Number Wallet"
This is the part 1 of a blog post series originally published in a Japanese magazine.
"A New Way of Living and Building Communities with My Number Wallet"
In Japan, more and more services are starting to make use of the My Number Card. One of the biggest updates recently is that you can now use your My Number Card on your iPhone. In this article, I’ll use that news as a starting point to introduce a pilot project in Yamakoshi, Niigata called My Number Wallet, and explore what it could mean for the future.
What exactly is the My Number Card?
The My Number Card is a plastic IC card, first issued in 2016, that you can apply for if you want one. It’s different from your actual My Number, which is the 12-digit ID given to everyone registered in Japan. The number itself is only used for three areas—social security, taxes, and disaster response. By law, it can’t be used for anything else.
The card doesn’t store your medical history or pension details directly. Instead, it contains your name, address, gender, date of birth, photo, and electronic certificates for identity verification. Since this is all sensitive personal information, handling the card safely is very important!
Bringing it closer to everyday life: My Number on your smartphone
Until now, using the My Number Card often meant extra hassle. You might need a special card reader, or you’d have to take the card to a local government office or convenience store. For many people, the card felt more like a burden than a convenience. And carrying it around every day just in case? That could be stressful too, especially with the risk of losing it.
That’s why the 2025 update is such a big deal: you can now use your My Number Card with your iPhone. Once added, you can access a range of government services with just your phone. Thanks to Apple’s Face ID and built-in encryption, security is strong and reliable.
For example, you can double-click the side button, scan your face, and quickly request a resident certificate or other official documents. Logging into the My Number Portal or filing taxes online (e-Tax) can now be done without carrying the physical card at all.
What it can—and can’t do (yet)
Not every feature of the physical card is available on iPhone just yet. For instance, since March 2024, the physical My Number Card can double as a driver’s license. But the iPhone version doesn’t replace your license.
Even so, being able to store the card on your phone is a big step forward. It makes public services feel much more accessible. No more long trips to the ward office, no more paperwork piles—it’s about completing more tasks online, quickly and smoothly.
As this shift continues, the barriers between us and public services will keep getting lower, making everyday life that much easier.
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