Shufti and AML Certification Centre logosWebinarThe FRAML Convergence: Unifying Fraud and AML MonitoringExplore Now WebinarThe FRAML Convergence: Unifying Fraud and AML MonitoringExplore Now The FRAML Convergence — Unifying Fraud and AML MonitoringExplore Shufti and ICA 25 Years logosWebinarFinancial inclusion and AML/CFT: Managing access and risk in practiceRegister Now WebinarFinancial inclusion and AML/CFT: Managing access and risk in practiceRegister Now Financial inclusion and AML/CFT — Managing access and riskRegister Shufti and Finance Magnates logosWebinarTransaction Monitoring & KYC: Cutting False Positives Without Missing Real FraudRegister Now WebinarTransaction Monitoring & KYC: Cutting False Positives Without Missing Real FraudRegister Now Transaction Monitoring & KYC — Cutting False PositivesRegister WebinarPix Fraud 2026: Are Your Fraud Controls Ready for the Next Generation of Instant Payment Scams?Explore Now WebinarPix Fraud 2026: Are Your Fraud Controls Ready for the Next Generation of Instant Payment Scams?Explore Now Pix Fraud 2026 — Are Your Fraud Controls Ready?Explore Gavel on AMLR rule bookAMLR applies 10 July 2027. See your stack against every obligationBook a Demo AMLR applies 10 July 2027. See your stack against every obligationBook A Demo AMLR applies 10 July 2027 — see your stackBook Demo Globe with pKYC, Onboarding, Screening and Transactions labelsShufti’s Glocal PlatformGlobal Coverage. Local Depth. Full Compliance Lifecycle.Explore More Global Coverage. Local Depth. Full Compliance Lifecycle.Explore More Glocal Platform — Global Coverage. Local Depth.Explore INNOVATION DROPSUMMER
EDITION
20
26
Qualified Electronic Signature
WATCH NOW
INNOVATION DROP - Qualified Electronic SignatureWatch Now Innovation Drop — Qualified Electronic SignatureWatch
INNOVATION DROPSUMMER
EDITION
20
26
Transaction Trust Monitoring
WATCH NOW
INNOVATION DROP - Transaction Trust MonitoringWatch Now Innovation Drop — Transaction Trust MonitoringWatch
INNOVATION DROPSUMMER
EDITION
20
26
Travel Rule Compliance
WATCH NOW
INNOVATION DROP - Travel Rule ComplianceWatch Now Innovation Drop — Travel Rule ComplianceWatch
Datos Insights 2026 Impact Awards badgeDatos Insights 2026 Impact AwardsShufti Named Best KYC/KYB Innovation SolutionExplore The Win Shufti Named Best KYC/KYB Innovation SolutionExplore The Win Shufti Named Best KYC/KYB Innovation SolutionExplore Liminal 2026 KYC IndexShufti: A top vendor for product executionRead The PR Shufti: A top vendor for product executionRead The PR Liminal 2026 KYC Index — Shufti: A top vendor for product executionRead PR Gavel on AMLR rule bookAMLR Applies 10 July 2027. Don't Wait for the Deadline to Find the GapsBook Consultation AMLR Applies 10 July 2027. Don't Wait for the Deadline to Find the GapsBook Consultation AMLR Applies 10 July 2027 — Find the GapsConsult Bank card and cashBank Account Verification: Get Secure Payouts with Confirmed OwnershipSee How It Works Bank Account Verification: Get Secure Payouts with Confirmed OwnershipSee How It Works Bank Account Verification — Secure PayoutsSee How Geo Compliance Ties Verified Location to a Verified IdentityBook A Demo Geo Compliance Ties Verified Location to a Verified IdentityBook A Demo Geo Compliance — Verified Location, Verified IdentityBook Demo Journey Builder dot gridConfigure Verification Flows as Per Your Needs with Journey BuilderSee How It Works Configure Verification Flows as Per Your Needs with Journey BuilderSee How It Works Journey Builder — Configure Verification FlowsSee How Shufti MCP toggle with ChatGPT and ClaudeShufti MCP: Verification Tools, Ready to Use Inside Claude or ChatGPTExplore Agent Shufti MCP: Verification Tools, Ready to Use Inside Claude or ChatGPTExplore Agent Shufti MCP — Verification Tools Inside Claude or ChatGPTExplore
4
Sign Up Book a Demo

Scale Identity Verification and KYC Operations in Japan

Verify residents and foreign nationals through My Number Card JPKI, IC chip reads and 10,000+ foreign ID document types, run KYB on registered companies and their beneficial owners, and monitor transactions and sanctions lists. One platform runs compliance and fraud prevention across the full customer lifecycle for FSA-supervised firms.

Banner Image for Japan
Trusted by 2000+ businesses that make identity decisions at scale
cashew gemone HERO Gaming Bitget IronFX PENN National Rakuten Witzeal Noteris banxy

Operational Performance for Japan KYC

Our Numbers Speak Volumes

99.60%

Pass
Rates

Under 5 secs

IDV
Verification

11%

eIDV
Verification

THE JAPAN VERIFICATION GAP

Japan IDV/KYC Challenges

Image-Based eKYC Ends on 1 April 2027

Image-Based eKYC Ends on 1 April 2027

From 1 April 2027, KYC for residents in Japan can no longer rely on a photo of an ID and a selfie, and in-person checks must read the card's IC chip. Shufti already runs JPKI and IC chip verification side by side in one flow.

Record Fraud Losses Raise the Bar at Account Opening

Record Fraud Losses Raise the Bar at Account Opening

Special fraud losses reached ¥142.3 billion in 2025, the highest on record, and social media investment and romance scams took another ¥183.4 billion, according to the National Police Agency. Shufti pairs identity checks with behavioral signals and money mule detection from the first session.

Japanese Names Rarely Match Character for Character

Japanese Names Rarely Match Character for Character

One customer can appear in kanji, kana and romanised spellings such as Ohno, Ono and Oono across a My Number Card, passport and sign-up form, and exact matching turns every variant into a manual review. Shufti resolves each spelling to one verified identity.

Beneficial Ownership Evidence Starts With a Declaration

Beneficial Ownership Evidence Starts With a Declaration

Japan's Beneficial Ownership List at the Legal Affairs Bureaus is optional and covers only joint-stock companies, so most ownership checks begin with a representative's declaration. Shufti tests that declaration against registry records, shareholder registers and screening results before onboarding.

Documents and Languages

Individual Documents Shufti Verifies in Japan

Shufti verifies 25 Japanese identity document types plus passports and ID cards from other countries. The cards below cover the core documents identity verification in Japan relies on, with the full list on the supported documents page.

View All Supported Documents

My Number Card Electronic Certificate (JPKI)

More than 104 million My Number Cards are in use, issued by municipalities under the My Number Act. Shufti authenticates the card's JPKI electronic certificate through a ministry-certified platform operator, using a card tap or the smartphone version on iPhone and Android, with no document image needed.

My Number Card Electronic Certificate (JPKI)

My Number Card

Shufti reads the IC chip by NFC, matches the chip photo to a live selfie with liveness detection and checks the card face for tampering. The Individual Number on the back is masked at capture, as the My Number Act restricts collecting it.

My Number Card

Residence Card and Special Permanent Resident Certificate

The Immigration Services Agency issues these cards to mid- to long-term foreign residents. On the card format introduced in June 2026, period of stay and permission details sit only on the IC chip, so Shufti reads the chip by NFC.

Residence Card and Special Permanent Resident Certificate

Japanese Passport

Shufti reads the Japanese IC passport chip by NFC and runs nine forensic detection layers, from MRZ checksum validation to hologram analysis, so a cloned or altered passport fails before onboarding. Passports issued since February 2020 carry no address.

Japanese Passport

Japanese Driver's License

Licenses issued by prefectural public safety commissions carry an IC chip, which Shufti reads alongside authenticity, expiry and facial matching checks. Since 24 March 2025, holders can also carry license data on their My Number Card, so Shufti accepts either credential.

Japanese Driver's License

Foreign Passports and National ID Cards

Shufti actively processes 10,000+ ID document types from 240+ countries and territories, and its zero-shot AI learns new document formats in minutes. Short-term visitors, overseas customers and non-residents outside the Japanese resident register onboard with these documents.

Foreign Passports and National ID Cards

Proof of Address

Tax receipts, social insurance receipts and utility bills issued within six months support an address under Article 6(2) of the Enforcement Ordinance of the Act on Prevention of Transfer of Criminal Proceeds (APTCP). Shufti verifies them in one step with the ID.

Proof of Address
My Number Card Electronic Certificate (JPKI) My Number Card Residence Card and Special Permanent Resident Certificate Japanese Passport Japanese Driver's License Foreign Passports and National ID Cards Proof of Address My Number Card Electronic Certificate (JPKI)
Certificate of Registered Matters Articles of Incorporation Certificate of Seal Impression Sector Licenses and Registrations Business Address Proof Certificate of Registered Matters

Entity Identity

Certificate of Registered Matters

Issued by the Legal Affairs Bureaus under Article 10 of the Commercial Registration Act, it proves a company's name, head office, purpose and officers. Shufti checks it against live registry data at every check, so a stale or edited extract fails.

Certificate of Registered Matters

Articles of Incorporation

AI-OCR reads business purpose, share structure and signing authority from the articles, and flags GAN-generated or edited pages before they reach a reviewer.

Articles of Incorporation

Certificate of Seal Impression

Issued under Article 12 of the Commercial Registration Act, the seal certificate supports a representative's authority to sign. Shufti matches the named representative to the registry's officer list and verifies that person's ID.

Certificate of Seal Impression

Sector Licenses and Registrations

Banking, money lending, funds transfer, crypto-asset exchange and real estate brokerage registrations are read and checked against the issuing authority's public register, so an unlicensed firm is caught before it becomes a counterparty.

Sector Licenses and Registrations

Business Address Proof

Head office addresses are cross-checked against the certificate of registered matters, utility bills and lease agreements, so a virtual office or mismatched address surfaces at onboarding.

Business Address Proof

Tax Identity

Corporate Number

The National Tax Agency designates and publishes each company's 13-digit Corporate Number under Article 39 of the My Number Act. Shufti confirms the number, legal name and registered address against the Corporate Number Publication Site.

Corporate Number

Qualified Invoice Issuer Registration Number

The T-prefixed number is registered under Article 57-2 of the Consumption Tax Act, under the invoice system in place since 1 October 2023. Shufti checks it against the National Tax Agency's publication site to confirm consumption tax registration.

Qualified Invoice Issuer Registration Number

Foreign Tax Registrations and FATCA/CRS Self-Certification

Foreign-owned entities and overseas parents are verified with their home-country tax identifiers, and FATCA and CRS self-certifications are captured in the same case file.

Foreign Tax Registrations and FATCA/CRS Self-Certification
Corporate Number Qualified Invoice Issuer Registration Number Foreign Tax Registrations and FATCA/CRS Self-Certification Corporate Number
Beneficial Owners under Article 11 of the APTCP Enforcement Ordinance Beneficial Ownership List Shareholder Register and Ownership Chart Directors, Representatives and Officers Beneficial Owners under Article 11 of the APTCP Enforcement Ordinance

Ownership and Control

Beneficial Owners under Article 11 of the APTCP Enforcement Ordinance

Article 11 defines the beneficial owner as the natural person holding more than 25% of voting rights, directly or indirectly. Shufti extracts every owner above that threshold, verifies each identity and screens them against sanctions and PEP lists.

Beneficial Owners under Article 11 of the APTCP Enforcement Ordinance

Beneficial Ownership List

Since 31 January 2022, Legal Affairs Bureaus certify Beneficial Ownership Lists that joint-stock companies file on request. Where a company holds one, Shufti reads the certified list and reconciles it with the representative's declaration and the shareholder register.

Beneficial Ownership List

Shareholder Register and Ownership Chart

Shufti maps ownership through intermediate holding companies and screens every entity and person in the chain against the Ministry of Finance asset freeze list, UN lists and global watchlists.

Shareholder Register and Ownership Chart

Directors, Representatives and Officers

Each officer listed in the commercial register is identity-verified and screened, and Shufti alerts the compliance team when the board or representative director changes.

Directors, Representatives and Officers

Languages We Cover

Kanji, Kana, English and Expat Document Parsing

Japanese IDs mix kanji, hiragana, katakana and Latin script, and expat documents add many more. Shufti's OCR reads 150+ languages and scripts at 99.7% accuracy, and scores 87% on kanji-based documents against Google Vision's 83%. Its zero-shot document intelligence reads layouts it has never seen, such as a new ID card design, on first sight.

Kanji, Kana, English and Expat Document Parsing

Japanese Name Matching

Native phonetic models compare kanji, kana and romanised forms, including Hepburn and long-vowel variants, so sanctions and PEP screening finds the same person however the name was entered.

Japanese Name Matching

Cross-Document Consistency Checks

Names, dates of birth and addresses are reconciled across the My Number Card, residence card, passport, driver's license and commercial register in one case file.

Cross-Document Consistency Checks
Kanji, Kana, English and Expat Document Parsing Japanese Name Matching Cross-Document Consistency Checks Kanji, Kana, English and Expat Document Parsing

Independent Validation

Shufti's Recognition Across Independent Evaluations

Liminal

Ranked Exceptional in the Liminal Index 2026 for age estimation

View Reportarrow-icon
Gartner

Differentiated by Gartner on document diversity and country coverage

Read morearrow-icon
iBeta

Certified at iBeta Level 3 PAD with 0% APCER

Read Blogarrow-icon
KuppingerCole

Broadest global reach in the 2025 KuppingerCole Extended IDV report

Download Reportarrow-icon
Homeland Security

Ranked Top 5 in the DHS RIVR 2025 for identity validation

Read Blogarrow-icon
Liminal

Top Vendor for Product Execution in the Liminal Index for KYC 2026

View Reportarrow-icon
Liminal

Ranked Exceptional for age verification by Liminal Index 2026

View Reportarrow-icon
G2

Recognised as a Leader in G2 Fall 2026 reports

Read Morearrow-icon

Regulatory Update

Every Verification Route Japan Regulators Recognize, in One Platform

Article 6(1)(i) of the APTCP Enforcement Ordinance recognises JPKI electronic certificates and IC chip data paired with a selfie for non-face-to-face verification, and from 1 April 2027 these chip-based routes replace image uploads for residents. Shufti supports them, plus chip, document and video routes for non-residents and customers without a My Number Card.

JPKI Electronic Certificate

Live

Customers tap their My Number Card on a phone, and Shufti validates the JPKI signature certificate through a ministry-certified platform operator, confirms it has not been revoked and stores the signed result in the case file. No document image is captured or needed.

Residence Card Validity Check

Live

For foreign residents, Shufti reads the residence card chip and checks the card number against the Immigration Services Agency's invalidity inquiry service, so a card that is no longer valid fails before onboarding.

Fraud Prevention Across the Japanese Customer Journey

Reduce fraud losses and protect customer trust across onboarding, account access, and payments. Shufti connects identity, behavioral, device, network, and transaction intelligence to help Japanese businesses act on risk while keeping legitimate customers moving.

  • 01

    Account Takeover and Recovery Abuse

    Stop attackers who take over online banking and securities accounts with phished credentials, as Japan saw in the 2025 wave of unauthorized trades. Shufti's account takeover prevention re-verifies the user with face verification and device checks at login, payout changes and recovery, before money or shares move.

  • 02

    Social Engineering and Manipulated Payments

    Catch customers being coached through a transfer by fake police officers or investment scammers. Behavioral biometrics and active-call detection spot hesitation, remote guidance and a live phone call during a payment, while transaction monitoring flags the unusual payee so the payment pauses before funds leave.

  • 03

    Device Spoofing and Automated Attacks

    Block bot-driven sign-ups and emulator farms that open accounts in bulk for resale to fraud groups. Device fingerprinting links every session to the hardware behind it and detects emulators, rooted phones, VPNs and tampered browsers, so one device cannot open dozens of accounts under different names.

  • 04

    Connected Fraud Rings and Repeat Offenders

    Shut out fraud groups that return under new names after an account is closed. Fraud network detection links identities, devices, phone numbers and payment details across sessions, and cross-company fraud intelligence flags people already tied to fraud elsewhere, so a known offender is stopped at sign-up.

  • 05

    Synthetic Identities and Fabricated Documents

    Reject identities built from borrowed details and forged cards. Zero-shot document checks catch fabricated My Number Cards and residence cards, while email and phone enrichment tests whether the contact details have any real history, exposing identities that exist only on paper before an account opens.

  • 06

    Deepfakes and Camera Injection

    Protect selfie onboarding and agent-led video sessions from face swaps, replayed footage and virtual cameras, the kind of impersonation Japan's chip-based verification rules target. Deepfake detection inspects both the camera feed and the face itself, while liveness checks reject masks, printed photos and phone screens.

  • 07

    Money Mules and Rapid Fund Movement

    Find accounts bought or rented to launder scam proceeds, an offence Japan punished more heavily from July 2026. Money mule detection watches for dormant accounts that suddenly receive and forward funds, new accounts with outsized inflows and shared devices, so mule accounts are flagged before the money moves on.

  • 08

    Fraudulent Businesses and Concealed Ownership

    Keep shell companies and fronts off your merchant and corporate books. Shufti checks the commercial register, Corporate Number and qualified invoice registration together, maps owners above the 25% threshold and screens everyone involved, so a company that exists only on paper never reaches account activation.

Governance & Controls

Audit-Ready Decisions, Lower Operational Drag

Fewer Avoidable Re-submissions

Capture guidance for My Number Cards, residence cards and kanji-heavy documents catches glare, cropping and failed chip taps before the customer submits.

Fewer Avoidable Re-submissions

Cleaner Audit Trails

Shufti's case management records sources, results, timestamps, evidence, analyst notes, and decision history, packaged as report-ready bundles for STRs filed through e-Gov.

Cleaner Audit Trails

One Workflow, One Back Office

Unify KYC, KYB, AML screening and transaction monitoring in one case file. Perpetual KYC/KYB tracks ownership, director and transaction behavior changes across the compliance lifecycle.

One Workflow, One Back Office

My Number Card and JPKI-First Flow Design

Residents verify through JPKI or a chip read first, while non-residents move to passport verification in the same flow.

My Number Card and JPKI-First Flow Design

Shufti's IDV/KYC Solutions for Japan

KYC Solutions

KYC verification in Japan serves My Number Card holders, foreign residents with residence cards and overseas customers with only a passport. One Shufti flow routes each by risk, so nobody faces checks they don't need.

Explore More
Face Verification

Face Verification

Under Japan's chip-based rules, remote checks for residents pair a live selfie with chip data instead of an ID photo. Shufti matches the selfie to the chip photo with liveness defence against masks, replays and injection, so a stolen card alone opens nothing.

.
Age Verification

Age Verification

Online dating services must confirm users are 18 or older before they post or message, and casino entry is barred under 20. Shufti estimates age from a selfie in under five seconds and blocks 99.8% of underage attempts, falling back to a document when needed.

.
Bank Account Verification

Bank Account Verification

Payouts and refunds fail when a bank code, branch number or katakana account name doesn't match. Shufti checks the account details and confirms the holder name matches the verified customer in real time, so funds reach the right person.

.
Address Verification

Address Verification

Utility bills, tax receipts and social insurance receipts vary by issuer and must be recent to count. Shufti extracts the address with layout-aware OCR, checks the issue date and fuzzy-matches the address to the ID, catching mismatched or outdated documents.

.
Document Verification

Document Verification

Japanese onboarding draws on My Number Cards, residence cards, driver's licenses, passports and foreign IDs, each with its own security features. Shufti verifies each within seconds and flags GenAI, screenshot and print-and-scan forgeries before a reviewer sees them.

.
Identity Verification

Identity Verification

Separate tools for documents, chip reads, selfies and addresses split one customer across several systems. Shufti runs JPKI, NFC, biometrics, address and eIDV checks in one API session, so a single case file holds every result.

.

KYB Solutions

Japanese corporate onboarding means reconciling the commercial register, Corporate Number and invoice registration with ownership that may run through several companies. Live registry calls and Article 11 of the APTCP Enforcement Ordinance shape every check, from declared owners and certified Beneficial Ownership Lists to the officers who sign.

Explore More
Business Verification

Business Verification

Onboarding a Japanese company means confirming its certificate of registered matters, Corporate Number, representative director and everyone who holds more than 25% of voting rights. Shufti's live registry call pulls that picture together in one check, putting corporate onboarding under two minutes.

.
Enhanced Due Diligence

Enhanced Due Diligence

Layered ownership, high-risk sectors, PEP links and foreign parents need more than a registry extract. Shufti's due diligence forms branch by risk, collect source of funds and source of wealth evidence and score each answer, so reviewers see the full picture in one file.

.

AML Screening

A customer who is clean at onboarding can land on a list next week. Shufti's perpetual KYC rescreens customers against 4,000+ watchlists, including the Ministry of Finance asset freeze list and UN Security Council lists, refreshed every 15 minutes, with every alert in one case file.

Explore More
Business AML Screening

Business AML Screening

A company's risk often sits with its owners and officers. Shufti screens the entity, its beneficial owners and directors against the Ministry of Finance list, UN lists and adverse media, and perpetual KYB rescreens the portfolio whenever ownership or lists change.

.
Transaction Monitoring

Transaction Monitoring

Mule accounts in Japan often receive scam proceeds and forward them within hours. Shufti's library of 500+ pre-built rules covering structuring, smurfing, and mule activity watches every transfer in real time, cuts false positives by 60% and builds report-ready case bundles for STRs filed through e-Gov.

.
Travel Rule

Travel Rule

Since 1 June 2023, Article 10-5 of the APTCP has required crypto-asset exchange service providers to pass sender and recipient details with transfers, with no minimum amount. Shufti connects to the major Travel Rule networks through one integration using IVMS101.

.
AI Compliance Co-Pilot

AI Compliance Co-Pilot

One common name can return 140+ screening hits. Shufti's AI Compliance Co-Pilot reviews each hit, assigns a confidence score with a written reason and leaves the final call with the compliance officer, so true matches surface fast.

.
REGULATORY ALIGNMENT

Built To Fit Japan's Compliance Landscape

The APTCP and its Enforcement Ordinance apply to every specified business operator in Japan, while each sector supervisor adds its own guidance and inspections. Japan AML compliance therefore spans several authorities, and Shufti maps its KYC, KYB, AML screening and transaction monitoring controls to every regime below, so one platform covers each license your group holds.

Act on Prevention of Transfer of Criminal Proceeds (APTCP)

Act on Prevention of Transfer of Criminal Proceeds (APTCP)

Act No. 22 of 2007 requires verification at the time of transaction under Article 4, keeps verification and transaction records for seven years under Articles 6 and 7 and mandates suspicious transaction reports under Article 8. Article 11 requires firms to keep verified customer information up to date.

APTCP Enforcement Ordinance

APTCP Enforcement Ordinance

Issued by the competent ministries, the Ordinance sets the non-face-to-face verification methods in Article 6(1)(i) and defines beneficial owners above the 25% voting threshold in Article 11. Amendments taking effect on 1 April 2027 abolish image and copy-based methods for residents and require IC chip reading face to face.

Financial Services Agency (FSA)

Financial Services Agency (FSA)

The FSA supervises banks, insurers, securities firms, money lenders, funds transfer providers and crypto-asset exchangers. Its Guidelines for AML/CFT, first issued in February 2018 and last revised on 31 March 2026, set required actions for risk assessment, ongoing customer due diligence and the management of outsourced AML controls.

Japan Financial Intelligence Center (JAFIC)

Japan Financial Intelligence Center (JAFIC)

JAFIC is Japan's financial intelligence unit within the National Police Agency. Specified business operators file STRs with their competent authority under Article 8 of the APTCP, electronically through e-Gov or on paper, and the reports reach JAFIC for analysis and dissemination to investigators and foreign counterparts.

National Public Safety Commission

National Public Safety Commission

The Commission oversees the National Police Agency and publishes Japan's annual National Risk Assessment under Article 3(3) of the APTCP, most recently in November 2025. It also designates terrorists for asset freezing under Act No. 124 of 2014, which implements UN Security Council Resolution 1267 and related resolutions.

Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission (SESC)

Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission (SESC)

The FSA delegates its APTCP inspection powers over securities firms to the SESC, whose annual monitoring priorities include AML/CFT. Its reviews test whether firms built frameworks meeting the FSA Guidelines' required actions by March 2024 and keep customer due diligence current for every account.

Bank of Japan

Bank of Japan

The Bank of Japan runs on-site examinations of the banks and other financial institutions that hold current accounts with it. Its FY2026 examination policy includes a dedicated AML/CFT section, and Bank examiners coordinate with FSA inspections so the same AML controls face both reviews.

Payment Services Act

Payment Services Act

Crypto-asset exchange service providers must register with the FSA under the Payment Services Act and are specified business operators under the APTCP. Act No. 64 of 2026 moves crypto-asset services under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act, with its main provisions taking effect by July 2027.

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)

METI is the competent authority under Article 22 of the APTCP for precious metals and stones dealers, credit card companies, finance leasing firms and postal receiving services. Dealers must verify customers on sales above ¥2 million, and card issuers verify when a card contract is concluded.

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT)

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT)

Real estate brokers are specified business operators supervised by MLIT or prefectural governors. Identity verification and seven-year record keeping apply to sale contracts and the agency or brokerage of land and building sales, while rental brokerage on its own falls outside the APTCP's scope.

Casino Regulatory Commission

Casino Regulatory Commission

The Commission supervises casino operators licensed under the IR Implementation Act, which are also specified business operators under the APTCP. Article 70 of that Act requires an identity check at every entry, using the My Number Card for residents, ahead of Osaka's planned opening around autumn 2030.

Digital Agency

Digital Agency

The Digital Agency leads My Number policy under the My Number Act, Act No. 27 of 2013, while J-LIS operates the card system. JPKI certificates are governed by Act No. 153 of 2002, and private firms verify signatures only after certification by the competent ministers under Article 17.

Ministry of Justice and the Legal Affairs Bureaus

Ministry of Justice and the Legal Affairs Bureaus

Legal Affairs Bureaus keep the commercial register under the Commercial Registration Act and issue certificates of registered matters and seal certificates. They also certify Beneficial Ownership Lists for joint-stock companies that file one, naming the person holding more than 50% of voting rights or, failing that, 25%.

Ministry of Finance (MOF)

Ministry of Finance (MOF)

Under the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act, the MOF publishes the list of persons and entities subject to asset freezes, covering UN Security Council designations and Japan's own measures. Payments and capital transactions with listed parties require permission, so screening has to track every update.

Japan Data Residency and Deployment

Shufti runs in Japanese cloud regions in Tokyo and Osaka across AWS, Azure, Google Cloud and Oracle, with on-premises and air-gapped deployment for firms that keep verification in their own infrastructure. Hosting locations and any transfers abroad under APPI Article 28 are defined in the agreement.

Act on the Protection of Personal Information (APPI)

The APPI, overseen by the Personal Information Protection Commission, treats facial recognition data as an individual identification code and requires a prompt breach report followed by a final report within 30 days. Shufti applies encryption, role-based access and configurable retention to identity and biometric data.

My Number Handling

The My Number Act bars businesses from collecting or keeping another person's Individual Number outside permitted tax and social security purposes, and the Commission's guidance warns against copying the back of the card. Shufti masks the number at capture, so it never enters the case file.

Outsourcing Controls

The FSA's AML/CFT Guidelines expect firms that outsource AML tasks to confirm the provider's controls are as effective as their own, and APPI Article 25 requires supervision of any trustee handling personal data. Shufti supplies audit logs, certifications and a data processing agreement for that review.

Retention Controls

Retention is configurable by client and license, covering the APTCP's seven-year minimum for verification and transaction records. Statutory minimums are not automatic deletion dates, so legal holds keep records longer when an investigation, audit or customer dispute calls for it.

Encryption and Security

Data is encrypted in transit and at rest, with role-based access and audit logging on every action. Shufti holds ISO 27001:2022 certification and SOC 2 Type 2 reports, giving your vendor risk and outsourcing reviews independent evidence to work from.

Automated Decisions and Biometric Data

The 2026 APPI amendment adds rules for specific biometric personal information such as face data, with its main provisions taking effect by July 2028. Shufti returns verification results and supporting details through the API and back office, so support teams can explain outcomes and escalate disputed results.

Scope of Our Role

Shufti handles personal data as an entrusted service provider on the firm's instructions, and the firm keeps its responsibilities as the business operator under the APPI. Shufti's privacy notice identifies any activities where it acts independently as a business operator in its own right.

Data Residency and Privacy Controls in Japan

BUILT FOR COMPLIANCE TEAMS

Japan AML Sources That Strengthen Decisions

Turn Japan Verification Requirements into a Smoother Customer Journey

Share your customer types, risk rules and current onboarding process. A Shufti specialist will show you how to connect identity verification, KYB and ongoing monitoring, reducing operational hand-offs while keeping decision evidence organised for compliance review.

INDEPENDENTLY AUDITED. GLOBALLY CERTIFIED.

Certified to Global Standards

PROVEN WORKFLOWS

Identity Verification Built Around Your Industry in Japan

Move Account Opening To Chip-⁠Based Verification Before April 2027

Banks completed the FSA Guidelines' required actions by March 2024 and now face chip-⁠only remote verification for residents from 1 April 2027. Shufti runs JPKI, IC chip and face matching for residents, passport routes for non-⁠residents, and ongoing screening and transaction monitoring in the same case file.

ICICI Bank CanadaSafwa Islamic BankAl Rajhi Bank

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Shufti support My Number Card JPKI, and what happens when customers cannot use it?

Yes. Shufti authenticates the JPKI certificate through a certified platform operator, by card tap or smartphone, and checks it has not been revoked. Customers without a My Number Card verify through residence card, driver's license or passport chip reads with a face match, and overseas customers by document and selfie.

Is a My Number Card image enough, or should verification include its chip?

From 1 April 2027, an image is no longer enough for residents under the amended APTCP Enforcement Ordinance. Shufti reads the IC chip by NFC and matches its photo to a live selfie, giving issuer-signed data that an edited image cannot imitate.

Can Shufti verify foreign documents or identity formats it has not encountered before?

Yes. Shufti's document coverage spans more than 240 countries and territories, and zero-shot learning lets it verify unfamiliar formats within minutes. Foreign residents, short-term visitors and overseas customers outside the resident register go through the same forensic and liveness checks.

How does Shufti OCR compare with Google OCR for Japanese identity documents?

On kanji-based identity documents, Shufti's OCR scores 87% against Google Vision's 83%. It reads kanji, hiragana, katakana and Latin fields on the same card, so names, addresses and dates of birth come out as structured data ready for matching.

How does Shufti verify ownership when a Japanese company has several corporate layers?

Shufti pulls registry records and any certified Beneficial Ownership List for each company in the chain, maps shareholdings through holding companies and identifies every natural person above the 25% voting threshold in Article 11 of the APTCP Enforcement Ordinance. Each owner is verified and screened.

Does Shufti's ongoing monitoring cover more than sanctions screening?

Yes. Article 11 of the APTCP requires firms to keep verified customer information up to date. Shufti monitors transactions against each customer's profile, rescreens when watchlists change and flags commercial register, officer and ownership changes, so a profile stays current between reviews.

How does Shufti keep screening current and handle Japanese name variations?

Watchlists, including the Ministry of Finance asset freeze list and UN Security Council lists, refresh every 15 minutes. Native phonetic models compare kanji, kana and romanised spellings, so a name entered as Saito, Saitou or 斎藤 resolves to the same screening subject.

Can we choose Japan hosting or run verification inside our own infrastructure?

Yes. Shufti runs in Japanese cloud regions in Tokyo and Osaka, and also deploys on-premises or air-gapped inside your own infrastructure. APPI Article 28 sets the conditions for transferring personal data abroad, so the hosting choice and any transfers are written into the agreement.

What controls help us protect identity and biometric data?

Shufti encrypts data in transit and at rest, applies role-based access and logs every action. The Individual Number is masked at capture, face data is handled as the identification code the APPI treats it as, and independent audit reports support your vendor review.

Can we configure different retention periods for different Japan licenses?

Yes. Retention is set per client, license and record type, so a group can keep APTCP verification and transaction records for the seven-year minimum, apply longer periods where internal policy requires and place legal holds on records tied to investigations.

What does Shufti provide when our compliance team needs to prepare an STR for e-Gov filing?

Shufti's case file holds the verified identity, screening results, transaction history, analyst notes and the reasoning behind the suspicion. Teams export it as a report-ready bundle for the Article 8 report they file with their competent authority electronically through e-Gov.

Can we add verification checks without rebuilding our onboarding journey?

Yes. The AI Journey Builder adds or reorders checks such as JPKI, NFC chip reading, address verification or AML screening by product, geography and risk tier, so your team can move residents to chip-based routes ahead of the deadline without new code.

How does Shufti make verification queries easier for our customer support team?

Every decision is shown in the back office with the reason, the failed check and the evidence behind it, such as an unreadable chip or a name mismatch. Support teams can explain the outcome in plain terms and escalate disputed results to compliance.

Let’s Build Trust Into Your Business

1B+Verifications Processed

240+Regions Actively Processed

99.7%Accuracy Rate

Samer Al Tamimi

CEO of Safwa Bank

Samer Al Tamimi

“We take our client’s privacy very seriously and always look for new innovative solutions to ensure a safe banking experience. Working with Shufti feels like a breath of fresh air, as their 100% in-house tech keeps our customer’s data free from vulnerabilities and fully safe and protected.”

Trusted. Compliant. Certified

cetificate-logos cetificate-logos cetificate-logos cetificate-logos

Explore Shufti For Your Business

Get a personalised demo from our experts.

    Which products would you like to check out?

    VideoIdent

    Address Verification

    eIDV (Docless)

    KYB

    AML Screening

    Fraud Prevention

    AMLR

    Face and ID Verification

    Age Verification

    Others

    What is your expected yearly verification volume?

    1 to 1,000

    1,001 to 5,000

    5,001 to 20,000

    20,001 to 50,000

    50,001 to 100,000

    100,001 to 1,000,000

    1,000,000+

    Valid Invalid number

    By clicking Submit, you accept our Privacy Policy and consent to marketing communications.

    PROVEN PLAYBOOKS

    Explore Practical KYC & AML Resources

    Read More
    Cover of Docless KYC Verification in APAC to Onboard More Genuine Users

    5 August, 2026

    Docless KYC Verification in APAC to Onboard More Genuine Users

    A practitioner's guide to docless verification in APAC, covering the three non-doc methods, the regulatory position in 16 markets, and real pass rate data by country.

    Product Guide

    Read More
    Read More
    Japanese passport specimen

    4 February, 2025

    Identity Verification Merchant's Guide Book: Japan

    A merchant's view of verifying Japanese identity documents, covering the document set now in active use and the OCR and verification approach behind every check.

    Merchant Guide Book

    Read More
    Read More
    Cover of KYC Compliance and Identity Fraud Challenge Across APAC

    19 June, 2026

    KYC Compliance and Identity Fraud Challenge Across APAC

    Shufti's own verification data shows fraud climbing alongside digital growth across APAC. Where that pressure lands, and what the leading markets are doing about it.

    Whitepaper

    Read More