An aspirational digital identity project is dragging down the likability of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. In a Kyodo News poll from July 16, the approval rating for the Kishida government slid to around 34%, with the dissatisfaction linked to a key issue: errors with Japan’s My Number identification system.
In Japan, many administrative errands are done in person: banking, tax filing, paperwork for moving house, you name it. The My Number ID card, which allows digital verification, moves some of this burden online. But since its launch in 2015, no politician has been able to make it stick — just 15% of the population used it in 2019, partly due to data privacy concerns.
In 2022, Kono Taro, Japan’s current Minister for Digital Transformation, renewed the effort. It’s since been a rocky ride. Here, we chart the ups and downs — which have culminated in damaged poll numbers and an official investigation.
August 2022
Meet the new boss
Kono, a Twitter-friendly politician previously lauded for speeding up a slow Covid-19 vaccine rollout, is made the Minister for Digital Transformation. He is the third minister to take on this portfolio in less than a year. Kono kicks off his tenure with a long list of ambitions, one of which is to finally make the My Number card useful. If anyone could do this, some think, perhaps it’s the “vaccine czar.”
October 2022
An ultimatum
Kono brings out a “stick,” declaring that the Japanese health insurance card will be phased out in 2024, and instead merged with My Number. This means, if Japanese residents want to cash in their hard-earned health insurance at the doctor from 2024, they’ll need a My Number card.
Soon after, the Ministry for Digital Transformation launches a feel-good campaign to promote the benefits of the system. One tactic rallies the popular appeal of the hit Netflix show Spy x Family, with anime characters cheerleading the handiness and versatility of the program. An earlier campaign attempted to sway residents by offering up to 20,000 yen (around $140) in redeemable points if they signed up.
December 2022
Pushing for success
Prime Minister Kishida urges Apple CEO Tim Cook to incorporate a digital version in the Apple Wallet. There’s talk of making the card multipurpose — by using it in place of a driving license, for instance. By March, over 67% of Japanese people will have a My Number card. For the first time, My Number is approaching the mainstream.
May 2023
It’s glitchy
After a few quiet months, a glitch comes to light. Some new My Number users say they received the documents of strangers when they tried to get copies of their official family registers. This serious compromise of private information is widely criticized, and the government blames it on a software error.
The same month, the health ministry reveals that some 7,000 My Number accounts have been wrongly linked to other people’s data. Human errors in inputting data, between October 2021 and November 2022, is blamed. Though the time period partly predates Kono, it’s a blow to his plans.
June 2023
More stumbles
A review of My Number data reveals that around 130,000 cards have been linked to bank accounts of other people. Kono defends the system, but the public mood is turning against the project. “Flaws often emerge when new systems are introduced,” says a lengthy, disapproving editorial in the Mainichi Shimbun. “The systems must undergo regular inspections until they are stable, with operators having no choice but to take one step at a time.”
July 2023
“We are extremely sorry”
The Kishida government, under pressure to do something, announces an investigation into the Digital Agency, which is handling the rollout. Every single My Number card registration is to be checked, though it’s not clear how resources would be mobilized to achieve this. Kono apologizes in parliament. “We are extremely sorry,” Kono tells a special committee. “We will do our best to speedily check the system and win back people’s trust.”
