This article is written by a Japanese local.
Japanese municipal offices (ward/city halls) are highly congested, inefficient infrastructures where you can easily waste several hours for simple administrative procedures. For foreign expats on the front lines of business, visiting a ward office during weekday daytime hours represents a significant opportunity loss.
The sole defensive measure to eliminate this time loss is adopting the “MynaPortal” app, officially provided by the Japanese government. This article explains the objective practical procedures to complete administrative tasks on your smartphone using your MyNumber Card, and how to avoid the system’s inherent traps.
1. Practical Tasks Enabled by “MynaPortal”
[Summary] By adopting MynaPortal, you can complete most counter services on your smartphone, such as submitting moving-out notifications, checking tax/pension records, and registering the card for use as a health insurance card.
MynaPortal is Japan’s official online infrastructure for centrally managing personal administrative information. Once a foreigner who has obtained a MyNumber Card sets up this app, the following practical tasks can be executed 24/7.
- Simplifying Moving Procedures: When moving to a different municipality, you no longer need to visit the ward office of your old address; you can submit the “Moving-out Notification” (Tenshutsu-todoke) online.
- Viewing Public Records: You can objectively check your paid taxes (resident tax, income tax), pension, and health insurance information as raw data.
- Registering a Public Funds Receipt Account: You can link your bank account to the system to automatically receive tax refunds and public benefits.
2. Login Requirements and NFC Reading Defense Tactics
[Summary] Logging in requires the “physical MyNumber Card,” an “NFC-compatible smartphone,” and your “4-digit PIN.” To prevent errors, you must remove your smartphone case before scanning the card.
The absolute condition for using MynaPortal is downloading the app to your smartphone and scanning the MyNumber Card’s IC chip using the NFC (Near Field Communication) function.
Here, many foreigners face the trap of “reading errors.” The sensitivity of the IC chip in Japan’s MyNumber Card is extremely strict. Thick smartphone cases or cardholders will block the radio waves. When attempting to log in, thoroughly execute the objective procedure: “Remove the case completely,” “Place the card flat on a desk, place the smartphone directly on top of it, and do not move it for 5 seconds until the scan is complete.”
3. The Biggest Trap: The 4-Digit PIN Lock
[Summary] The “4-digit PIN” entered when logging into the app will be permanently locked if entered incorrectly 3 consecutive times. Never guess your PIN if your memory is vague.
The most fatal risk you must be aware of when using MynaPortal is the lock placed on your “PIN” (User Certification Electronic Certificate Password).
These 4 digits, required at login, were set by you when you received the card at the ward office. By system design, for security protection, if you enter it incorrectly “3 consecutive times,” it will instantly lock, rendering the app completely unusable. To unlock it, you are forced into the highly inefficient task of physically going to the ward office counter on a weekday to perform a reset procedure. Avoid entering it based on vague memory, and take the defensive measure of reliably checking your written records.
4. Practical Q&A (Language Support and Health Insurance Linking)
[Summary] While MynaPortal supports some English, detailed procedures switch to Japanese. Furthermore, you must complete the process of linking your card to act as your “Health Insurance Card” within the app.
Q. Can I use the app in English or Chinese?
A. The basic interface, such as the top screen and login procedure, can be switched to multilingual displays like English. However, when you proceed to the input screens for individual administrative procedures (like moving-out notifications), it almost always switches to “Japanese only” because it is based on Japanese legal and administrative terminology. The practical approach to breaking through this language barrier is to operate it while using the camera translation function (e.g., Google Translate) on a secondary device.
Q. What is the “Myna Health Insurance Card” registration?
A. In conjunction with Japan’s transition to digital infrastructure, traditional paper health insurance cards are being phased out, making the “Myna Health Insurance Card” (which integrates health insurance functions into the MyNumber Card) the standard. You can link your health insurance data to your card via the “Apply for Health Insurance Card Use” button on the MynaPortal app’s top screen. Because this is an indispensable procedure for receiving medical care at clinics, complete it immediately after your first login.
Conclusion: Defend Your Time by Adopting Digital Infrastructure
Japanese administration is rapidly transitioning from a culture of paper and Hanko (seals) to a digital one. Simply obtaining the MyNumber Card does not allow you to fully reap its benefits. Execute the roadmap: on the exact same day you receive your card, install the MynaPortal app, complete the NFC reading and PIN input tests, and establish your personal online administrative infrastructure.