My Number personal identification cards are again a topic of widespread conversation following digital minister Taro Kono’s recent announcement of plans to essentially phase out national health insurance cards by integrating them into My Number cards by the fall of 2024.
The move would give previously hesitant members of the public virtually no other option but to create My Number cards, which feature a chip storing personal information.
First introduced in 2016 and billed as a way to enhance public convenience, develop a fairer and more just society, and improve administrative efficiency, My Number cards are linked to the holder’s individual 12-digit ID number, making them a key element of the government’s social security and tax collection infrastructure.