Japan on Tuesday started a service that allows certain functions of the My Number personal identification card to be installed on Apple's iPhones.
Through biometric authentication, iPhone users can now log in to the Mynaportal website for My Number-related administrative tasks and obtain copies of residential and other administrative certificates at convenience stores.
The My Number card has functions to confirm the holder's basic personal data, including the name and date of birth, and to serve as a digital certificate of the holder.
Smartphones running Google's Android operating system can already support the digital certificate function, while iPhones support both functions.
On Tuesday, digital transformation minister Masaaki Taira visited a convenience store in Tokyo and demonstrated how to obtain a copy of his residential certificate. He held his smartphone above the multifunctional photocopier, after verifying his identity using facial recognition on his smartphone.
"I was able to obtain (the certificate) smoothly," Taira told reporters.
The Digital Agency plans to gradually expand the smartphone-compatible functions of the card, including the ability to serve as a health insurance card.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.