Japanese cards guide
Japanese Pokémon cards: how to read them and how they differ from English
Japanese Pokémon cards come out weeks before English ones, often with the same art. They print the set code and rarity right on the card, so they are easy to read once you know where to look. Prices go both ways: in 8 chase cards with the same art, the English copy sold for more in 4, the Japanese copy in 2, and 2 were within 10%.
$377 Umbreon ex
$388 Charizard ex
$685 Mega Charizard X ex
What are Japanese Pokémon cards?
Japanese Pokémon cards are official cards made by The Pokémon Company for stores in Japan. It's the same game with the same rules. Only the text and a few printed marks change.
Most English sets are built from Japanese sets. That's why the same art shows up in both languages. Terastal Festival ex came out in Japan on December 6, 2024. Its English version, Prismatic Evolutions, followed on January 17, 2025. In the 8 set pairs we checked, English came 3 to 14 weeks after Japanese.
Collectors pick Japanese cards for a few reasons: they get new sets first, many cards cost less, and some art is only printed in Japan. The MonZap catalog lists 399 Japanese sets, from the 1996 Base Set to 30th CELEBRATION (September 16, 2026).
Japanese vs English Pokémon cards
Same Pokémon, same attacks, same rules. These are the differences that matter when you buy, sort or price a card.
| What changes | Japanese cards | English cards |
|---|---|---|
| Release date | First. New sets come out in Japan weeks or months earlier. | Later: 3 to 14 weeks after the Japanese set in the pairs we checked. |
| Set mark | A Japanese set code, like sv8a | An English code, like PRE, plus "EN" |
| Rarity | Printed as letters, like SAR or AR | Printed as symbols: a circle, a diamond or stars |
| Pokémon name | Printed in Japanese, like ブラッキー for Umbreon | English |
| Price | Depends on the card: in 8 chase cards with the same art, the English copy sold for more in 4, the Japanese copy in 2, and 2 were within 10%. See every pair. | |
| Where to buy in the U.S. | TCGplayer's Pokémon Japan category, eBay, import shops | Stores, TCGplayer, eBay |
Many collectors say Japanese cards have better centering and print quality. That's a reputation, not a rule, so check each card before you buy or grade it.
How to read a Japanese Pokémon card
Everything you need to identify the card is in English letters and numbers. Only the name and attack text are in Japanese. Here's Umbreon ex 217/187 from Terastal Festival ex.
- Name, top left. Printed in Japanese: ブラッキーex means Umbreon ex. Pokémon names often differ between languages, so match cards by set code and number, not by name.
- Regulation mark, bottom left. The letter in the white box (H here) shows which tournament formats can use the card. English cards print the same letter.
- Set code. The box next to it names the set: sv8a is Terastal Festival ex. Look up any code in our Japanese set list.
- Collector number. 217/187 means card 217 in a set of 187. A first number bigger than the second marks a secret rare.
- Rarity letters. SAR means Special Art Rare. English cards show stars here instead. See the rarity table.
- Illustrator. The artist's name is printed in English letters above the set code: YASHIRO Nanaco.
Cards from before mid-2001 work differently. They have no collector number, so you identify them by the art, the rarity symbol and the set symbol (Base Set cards have none). See vintage Japanese cards.
Japanese rarity codes, explained
Japanese cards print the rarity as letters after the collector number. Here's what each code means, the closest English name, and the highest-priced example from that era among the Japanese sets MonZap prices.
| Code | Japanese name | Closest English name | Highest-priced example we track |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | Common | Common | Sylveon 068/187 Terastal Festival ex $0.52 |
| U | Uncommon | Uncommon | Vivillon 006/106 Super Electric Breaker $0.45 |
| R | Rare | Rare | Gengar 094/165 Pokémon Card 151 $2.58 |
| RR | Double Rare | Double Rare (ex cards) | Mega Charizard X ex 013/080 Inferno X $2.60 |
| AR | Art Rare | Illustration Rare | Seismitoad 109/086 Black Bolt $80.49 |
| SR | Super Rare | Ultra Rare (full art) | Pikachu ex 122/106 Super Electric Breaker $31.44 |
| SAR | Special Art Rare | Special Illustration Rare | Mega Charizard X ex 110/080 Inferno X $685 |
| UR | Ultra Rare | Hyper Rare (gold) | Pikachu ex 136/106 Super Electric Breaker $75.08 |
| MUR | Mega Ultra Rare | Mega Hyper Rare | Mega Charizard X ex 116/080 Inferno X $662 |
| S | Shiny Rare | Shiny Rare | Pikachu 236/190 Shiny Treasure ex $40.29 |
| SSR | Shiny Super Rare | Shiny Ultra Rare | Mew ex 327/190 Shiny Treasure ex $18.30 |
| ACE | ACE Rare | ACE SPEC Rare | Sparkling Crystal 152/187 Terastal Festival ex $0.33 |
| BWR | Black White Rare | Black White Rare | Reshiram ex 174/086 White Flare $310 |
| Code | Japanese name | Closest English name | Highest-priced example we track |
|---|---|---|---|
| RRR | Triple Rare | VMAX and VSTAR cards | Umbreon VMAX 048/069 Eevee Heroes $8.32 |
| HR | Hyper Rare | Secret rares: rainbow cards and alternate-art VMAX | Glaceon VMAX 091/069 Eevee Heroes $370 |
| CHR | Character Rare | Trainer Gallery and Galarian Gallery | Charizard 187/184 VMAX Climax $17.66 |
| CSR | Character Super Rare | Trainer Gallery V and VMAX | Rayquaza VMAX 252/184 VMAX Climax $109 |
| K | Kagayaku | Radiant Rare | Radiant Charizard 015/172 VSTAR Universe $5.66 |
| A | Amazing Rare | Amazing Rare | Yveltal 117/190 Shiny Star V $0.60 |
Prices are TCGplayer market references for raw Japanese cards, updated November 5, 2026. Rarity names have shifted between eras, so the English match is the closest one, not always exact. Some top cards have no market price yet and are left out, such as Pikachu Illustrator (PMCG Promos) and Umbreon VMAX 095/069 (Eevee Heroes). Promo cards print a promo code such as SV-P instead of a rarity.
What are Japanese Pokémon cards worth?
Most Japanese cards are worth less than a dollar. Across 3,246 priced cards in 20 popular Japanese sets, the middle price is $0.40, and 59% sell for under $1.
The top of the market is a different story. 48 of those cards have a TCGplayer market price of $100 or more. The highest we track right now is Charizard from Base Set at $800.
Are Japanese cards worth more than English? Not as a rule: in 8 chase cards with the same art, the English copy sold for more in 4, the Japanese copy in 2, and 2 were within 10%. Our Japanese card value guide shows every pair, the price tiers and the highest-priced Japanese cards right now.
Recent Japanese expansions and their codes
The set code on the card is the fastest way to tell which set it's from. These are the four newest main expansions. Search all 399 sets by English name, Japanese name or code in the full Japanese set list.
- M6a 30th CELEBRATION 30th セレブレーション
- M6 Storm Emeralda ストームエメラルダ
- M5 Abyss Eye アビスアイ
- M4 Ninja Spinner ニンジャスピナー
Vintage Japanese Pokémon cards
The Japanese Base Set came out on October 20, 1996, more than two years before the English Base Set. Old Japanese cards read differently from new ones.
- No collector number. Japanese cards printed no set number like 4/102 until the Pokémon Card★VS set in July 2001. A small number on these cards is the Pokédex number. Identify old cards by the art, the rarity symbol and the set symbol. Base Set cards have no set symbol at all.
- "No Rarity" Base Set cards. The first print run of the 1996 Japanese Base Set has no rarity symbol in the bottom corner. Collectors call these "No Rarity" copies and price them separately.
- Cards that never came out in English. Vending machine sheets and many promos were only released in Japan.
- Condition matters most. Old cards are rarely mint, so two copies of the same card can sell for very different prices.
Vintage prices are TCGplayer market references for raw cards, updated November 5, 2026. TCGplayer may combine "No Rarity" and later copies of the same Base Set card. Card links go to TCGplayer; MonZap may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Scan and price Japanese cards with MonZap
The MonZap iPhone app scans Japanese Pokémon cards and shows each card's English name, set, number and price.
- Open the scanner and tap the Scanner language menu at the top left.
- Choose 🇯🇵 Japan. The scanner stays on Japan until you pick 🇺🇸 United States again for English cards.
- Hold the card in the frame. MonZap shows the English name with "(JP)" after it, the set and the number.
- See the price from TCGplayer (USD) or Cardmarket (EUR), based on the Price Source setting. Save the card to your collection next to your English cards.
To search instead, use the Card region menu in Search and pick Japan, then search by name or card number. Japanese scanning needs an internet connection. When no market price exists yet, MonZap says so instead of guessing.
Japanese Pokémon card questions
Are Japanese Pokémon cards real?
Yes. Japanese Pokémon cards are official cards made by The Pokémon Company for stores in Japan. They use the same rules as English cards, and many share the same art. Fake cards exist in every language, so check the print, the font and the card stock before you buy. Our guide to spotting fake Pokémon cards covers the checks.
What is the letter in the white box on a Japanese card?
It's the letter in a small white box in the bottom-left corner, such as H or I. It shows which tournament formats can use the card. Japanese and English cards print the same letter for the same card, so it also helps you match a Japanese card to its English version.
Do Japanese Pokémon cards come out before English cards?
Yes. Most English sets are built from Japanese sets that came out earlier. In the 8 set pairs MonZap checked, the English version arrived 3 to 14 weeks after the Japanese set. Terastal Festival ex, for example, came out in Japan on December 6, 2024, and its English version, Prismatic Evolutions, followed on January 17, 2025.
How do I find the English name of a Japanese Pokémon card?
Read the set code and collector number in the bottom-left corner, such as sv8a and 217/187. Look up the set code in our list of Japanese sets to get the English set name, then match the number. The MonZap app does this for you: set the scanner to Japan and it shows the English name with "(JP)" after it.
How do I read the rarity on a Japanese Pokémon card?
Look right after the collector number. Japanese cards print the rarity as letters, such as C, U, R, RR, AR, SR, SAR or UR. English cards use symbols instead: a circle, a diamond or stars. The rarity table on this page lists each code.
Can MonZap scan Japanese Pokémon cards?
Yes. In the MonZap iPhone app, open the scanner, tap the Scanner language menu at the top left and choose Japan, then hold the card in the frame. MonZap shows the English name with "(JP)", the set, the number and a TCGplayer (USD) or Cardmarket (EUR) price when one exists. The scanner doesn't switch by itself, so pick United States again for English cards. Scanning Japanese cards needs an internet connection.
