How to start collecting Japanese Pokémon cards

Japanese Pokémon cards are a great place to start collecting. The sets come out first, the boxes are good value and the cards are printed beautifully. You don't need to read any Japanese to enjoy them either, since the artwork, the rarity codes and the card numbers are the same things every collector reads. Here is a simple path from your first pack to your first full box.

Decide what you want to collect

Collections grow faster than you expect, so it helps to pick a direction early. Some people chase every card in one set, while others collect one favourite Pokémon across every set it appears in. Plenty of collectors focus on the full art trainer cards or simply enjoy opening packs and keeping whatever they like best. Our guides to Charizard, Pikachu and Eevee and Umbreon cards are a good start if you already have a favourite.

Start with a few packs

A pack bundle is the easiest way in. Ours are five sealed packs from one set, from $28.88, which is enough to get a feel for a set and its cards before spending more. The Mega Symphonia · 5-Pack Bundle at $33.88 is a good first pick. A standard Japanese pack holds 5 cards, which is fewer than an English pack, so it is priced to match.

Learn the rarity codes

Every Japanese card has a small rarity code printed near the bottom, such as AR, SR, SAR or MUR. Those letters tell you how rare a card is and roughly where it sits in value. It takes about five minutes to learn them. Our rarity guide has the full list in order.

Protect your cards from day one

The cards you care about should go into a sleeve as soon as they come out of the pack. A pack of Standard Sleeves and a few Top Loaders 35pt toploaders cost very little and keep your best pulls in the condition they were printed in. Our guides on opening a box and storing cards cover the rest.

When a full box makes sense

Once you know you enjoy a set, a full booster box is better value than buying it a few packs at a time. A standard Japanese box holds 30 packs and, going by what collectors report, typically gives three Art Rares, a Trainer SR and one card of SR or better. That pattern is unofficial and never guaranteed, which our pull rates guide explains in full. Standard Mega era boxes start from $118.88. Our guide on which box to buy helps you choose one.

Want to play as well?

Start Deck 100 is a ready to play deck of 60 cards, which makes it a fun way to learn the game at home. If you want to play at official tournaments in Australia you will need English cards, because the official rules don't allow Japanese cards. Our guide on Japanese cards in tournaments explains why.

Buy one card instead of chasing it

If there is one particular card you love, buying that single is often cheaper than opening packs hoping to pull it. Our price checking guide shows where to see what a card is worth, while the fake card guide helps you buy singles safely.

Sources

• SNKRDUNK Magazine, East vs West: comparing English and Japanese Pokémon TCG cards
• Gamepedia Pokéca, pull rates and rarities by box (Japanese)
• Mirai Card Shop, Japanese booster box hit rates by era
• Tokyo Card Report, Japanese rarity chart
• Screen Rant, Mega Evolution set release date

More guides

• 🎴Japanese vs English Pokémon booster boxesPacks per box, cards per pack, which comes out first and how the rarity names line up.
• 🧭Which Japanese Pokémon booster box should I buy?Our picks for big chase cards, a first box, tight budgets, favourite Pokémon and sealed collectors.
• 🔤Pokémon card collecting terms explainedHits, chase cards, SAR, MUR, raw, slabbed and the rest, in plain English.
• 🔠Pokémon ex, V, VMAX and VSTAR cards explainedWhat ex, Mega ex, V, VMAX and VSTAR mean and how many Prize cards each gives up.
• ♊Japanese twin sets compared: which one to openEvery twin pair we stock side by side, with top hits, card counts and prices.
• 🎁Japanese Pokémon cards as a gift: a buying guideGift picks at every budget, the extras worth adding and when to order.

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