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🚨 BREAKING NEWS: Pokémon Stores in Japan to Roll Out Mandatory Facial Recognition to Block Resellers and Scalping Pokémon Stores in Japan will begin requiring facial recognition for entry and queue-ticket collection starting with the next round of pop-up locations, a sharp escalation in anti-reseller measures that mirrors the recent My Number API authentication rollout on Pokémon Center Online. From July 31 to August 16, five temporary Pokémon Card Stores will enforce the system: AEON Mall Natori, Chofu PARCO, AEON Mall Higashiura, AEON Mall Hiroshima Fuchu, and AEON Mall Chikushino. Anyone elementary-school age or older must undergo facial recognition both at the door and when receiving a queue ticket. Preschool children remain exempt but must be accompanied by a guardian. Core rules are strict and automated: • One entry and one queue ticket per person per day. • The system flags any second attempt the same day and denies access. • Temporary exits require staff notification; leaving without clearance permanently blocks re-entry that day. The stated goal is straightforward: stop unauthorized entry and duplicate purchases by professional resellers so genuine fans, especially children, can shop without being squeezed out. Official notices frame the technology as a security and fairness tool that also enforces purchase limits. Personal-data handling is referenced but not detailed in the public announcements. The move lands alongside Pokémon Center Online’s new My Number-based account verification, signaling a broader shift toward identity-locked systems across official Pokémon retail channels. Whether permanent Pokémon Centers will follow remains unconfirmed, but the direction is clear: technical barriers are replacing reliance on staff vigilance alone. Do we need the same measures overseas?

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