Passports

A passport is an official certificate issued by the Japanese Government to guarantee a citizen's nationality and identity as well as an official document requesting overseas governments to allow the bearer a safe and smooth passage. Accordingly, passports must meet counterfeit protection requirements set by the International Civil Aviation Organization as well as incorporating anti-counterfeiting technologies uniquely developed by the Bureau.

In 2025, the 2025 passport was first introduced. To enhance measures against forgery and alteration, the new series of IC passports adopts polycarbonate as the substrate of the data page, on which photos and text are laser engraved.

Until the 2020 passport, passports had been personalized at passport offices nationwide. Starting with the 2025 passport, centralized personalization at the National Printing Bureau has begun.

The design of the 2025 passport continues to feature Japan's representative ukiyo-e art, "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji" by Katsushika Hokusai, as seen in the 2020 passport. Each visa page uses a different print from "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji," enhancing the anti-counterfeiting measures.

Reference: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan website (external link)（外部リンク）(Japanese only)