Individual Number

This article is about national identification number. For smart card for ID, see My Number Card.

An Individual Number (個人番号, kojin bangō), also known as My Number (マイナンバー, mai nambā), is a twelve-digit ID number automatically 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.^[1][2][3]

The Individual Number is the de-facto Japanese equivalent to a U.S Social Security Number, and is required when applying for a Japanese bank account. Individuals may write this number down and keep it in a safe location, or apply for the free My Number Card, which contains the number.

There are pros and cons regarding efficiency when using Basic Resident Registers Network and Number System [ja].^[4]

See also

• My Number Card
• Corporate Number (Japan)
• Social Security number
• National identification number

References

1. Osaki, Tomohiro Ready or not, government will soon have your My Number September 20, 2015 The Japan Times Retrieved October 6, 2015
2. The Social Security and Tax Number system Archived 2016-07-14 at the Wayback Machine Cabinet Secretariat Retrieved October 6, 2015
3. Japan introducing “My Number” system, some information Archived 2017-01-30 at the Wayback Machine Austrian Business Council Retrieved October 6, 2015
4. (水町 2017), p. 260 "住民基本台帳ネットワークシステムと番号制度が別個に併存していることが効率的かというと、そこは賛否が分かれるであろう。"

• 水町, 雅子 (2017-11-15). 逐条解説マイナンバー法 (1st. ed.). Kayaba-cho, Nipponbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan: Shojihomu Co., Ltd. ISBN 978-4-7857-2567-9.

External links

• The Social Security and Tax Number System Archived 2016-08-14 at the Wayback Machine (Official introduction by the government)