How to Read a Japanese Pokémon Card

A Japanese Pokémon card has the same layout as an English one: at the top are the stage, the name in katakana and the HP, and at the bottom left, in Latin letters and numbers, are the illustrator, the regulation mark, the set code, the card number and the rarity.

If you do not read Japanese, a Japanese Pokémon card may look complicated. But the layout is exactly the same as on an English card, and everything you need to know as a collector is in numbers and Latin letters. With this explanation you can read any card.

Top: name, stage and HP

Stage (top left). たね (tane) means Basic: a Pokémon you can play directly. 1進化 is Stage 1 and 2進化 is Stage 2 (進化, shinka, means evolution).
Name. In katakana, the Japanese script for names. Pikachu is ピカチュウ, Charizard is リザードン. If it says “ex” after it, it is an ex card.
HP (top right). The hit points, simply in numbers.
Type. The symbol next to the HP, just like on English cards: Fire, Water, Grass, Lightning, Psychic, Fighting, Darkness, Metal, Dragon or Colorless.

Paradox cards: 未来 and 古代

Some cards from the Scarlet & Violet era have an extra label at the top right: 未来 (mirai, Future) or 古代 (kodai, Ancient). These are Paradox Pokémon. Future cards have a digital-looking dot or grid pattern, Ancient cards a stone texture. That is design, not a misprint. See print lines, scratches and white edges: what is normal?

Middle: the image and the Pokédex line

Below the image is a narrow line with 全国図鑑 NO. (the number in the National Pokédex), the category, the height (高さ) and the weight (重さ). Handy for looking up a Pokémon if you cannot read the name: just search by the Pokédex number.

Text box: Abilities and attacks

特性 (tokusei) is an Ability: an effect that is not an attack. You recognize it by the red label.
Attacks are below it: on the left the Energy symbols you need, in the middle the name of the attack, on the right the damage. A × or + after the damage means the damage can vary, explained in the text.
ex rule. On ex cards there is a box at the bottom with exルール: if this Pokémon is knocked out, your opponent takes two Prize cards instead of one.

Bottom bar: Weakness, Resistance and Retreat

弱点 (jakuten): Weakness, with the type and usually ×2.
抵抗力 (teikōryoku): Resistance.
にげる (nigeru): the cost to retreat your Pokémon, in Colorless Energy symbols.

Bottom left: everything a collector needs to know

This is the most important part of the card, and it is simply in Latin letters and numbers:

Illustrator. “Illus.” followed by the artist's name. Many collectors collect cards by their favorite illustrator.
Regulation mark. A letter in a small box, such as H, I or J. It determines whether a card is legal in the current play format. For collecting it does not matter.
Set code. For example sv8a (Terastal Festival ex) or M2 (Inferno X). That way you know exactly which set the card comes from. See how to read a Japanese set code
Card number. For example 055/187: card 55 of a set with 187 cards. If the first number is higher than the second, such as 217/187, it is a secret rare outside the base set. These are often the most sought-after cards.
Rarity. Letters next to the number, such as C, U, R, RR, AR, SR, SAR or UR. What they mean is in AR, SAR, SR and UR explained.

Trainer and Energy cards

グッズ: Item.
サポート: Supporter.
スタジアム: Stadium.
ポケモンのどうぐ: Pokémon Tool.
基本エネルギー: basic Energy.

Translating card text

Want to know exactly what an attack does? Look up the card by set code and card number: databases such as Bulbapedia and Limitless often also show the English text for Japanese cards. Or point your phone's translation camera at the card. For collecting you do not need it, for playing you do.

View all Japanese sets →

Popular at Kaikan Cards