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Japanese Pokémon Cards: Set Codes, Numbers and Prices

Japanese Pokémon Cards: Set Codes, Numbers and Prices

Japanese Pokémon cards often come out about two months before their English versions, print their rarity as letters, and carry their own set codes and numbers. Once you can read the bottom left corner of the card, finding its English name and the right price is straightforward.

Facts checked October 29, 2026 · 4 min read

Reading the bottom of a Japanese card

The details that identify a Japanese card are printed together in the bottom left corner. The official Japanese Pokémon Card Game site lists cards the same way, for example SV2a 007/165 C, which is the common Squirtle from Pokémon Card 151.

Set code: a short code such as SV2a (Pokémon Card 151) or M1L (Mega Brave). It names the Japanese set, not the English one.
Card number: the card's number over the set's printed total, such as 029/063. A number above the total, such as 092/063, marks a secret rare.
Rarity: letters such as C, U, R, RR, AR or SAR instead of the circle, diamond and stars used on English cards.

On Mega Lucario ex 029/063 from Mega Brave, for example, the corner reads I (the regulation mark), M1L, 029/063 and RR.

Japanese Mega Lucario ex 029/063 Mega Brave Pokémon card with the regulation mark, the M1L set code, the card number and the RR rarity marked at the bottom left — Japanese Mega Lucario ex 029/063 from Mega Brave. The bottom left corner reads I, M1L, 029/063 and RR.

Japanese Mega Lucario ex 029/063 from Mega Brave. The bottom left corner reads I, M1L, 029/063 and RR.

Japanese rarity letters and their English names

RR rarity code after 029/063 on Japanese Mega Lucario ex from Mega Brave — Cropped from four Japanese Mega Lucario ex cards in Mega Brave, each code next to its card number.

SR rarity code after 078/063 on Japanese Mega Lucario ex from Mega Brave — Cropped from four Japanese Mega Lucario ex cards in Mega Brave, each code next to its card number.

Scarlet & Violet and Mega Evolution era codes. Older Japanese sets used some other codes.
Japanese code	Japanese name	English rarity	English symbol
C	Common	Common	Black circle
U	Uncommon	Uncommon	Black diamond
R	Rare	Rare	Black star
RR	Double Rare	Double Rare	Two black stars
ACE	ACE SPEC Rare	ACE SPEC Rare	Pink star
SR	Super Rare	Ultra Rare	Two silver stars
AR	Art Rare	Illustration Rare	One gold star
SAR	Special Art Rare	Special Illustration Rare	Two gold stars
UR	Ultra Rare	Hyper Rare	Three gold stars
S	Shiny Rare	Shiny Rare	Gold star outline
SSR	Shiny Super Rare	Shiny Ultra Rare	Two gold star outlines
MUR	Mega Ultra Rare	Mega Hyper Rare	Its own symbol

The names cross over. A Japanese UR is a gold card, the equivalent of an English Hyper Rare, while an English Ultra Rare is a Japanese SR. Older Japanese HR cards are rainbow cards from before Scarlet & Violet, not gold Hyper Rares.

How Japanese releases differ from English

Japan goes first. The Scarlet & Violet era began in Japan with Scarlet ex and Violet ex on January 20, 2023, and in English in March 2023. Mega Brave and Mega Symphonia came out in Japan on August 1, 2025, and English Mega Evolution followed on September 26, 2025 in most regions.
English sets can combine smaller Japanese sets. Mega Brave is numbered out of 063 and its packs hold five cards. English Mega Evolution brings in cards from both Mega Brave and Mega Symphonia and is numbered out of 132.
Japan has its own special products. Pokémon Card 151 added mirror foil cards with a Poké Ball pattern, and high class packs such as Shiny Treasure ex hold 10 cards per pack.
The card backs are different. Play! Pokémon treats Japanese cards as marked, and so not playable, at its tournaments because their backs differ from those of every other language.

Mega Lucario ex, same artwork in both languages. TCGplayer listings checked October 29, 2026
English rarity	Japanese Mega Brave (M1L)	English Mega Evolution
Double Rare	029/063 RR	077/132
Ultra Rare	078/063 SR	160/132
Special Illustration Rare	088/063 SAR	179/132
Mega Hyper Rare	092/063 MUR	188/132

Japanese Mega Lucario ex 029/063 RR Pokémon card from Mega Brave — Mega Lucario ex in Japanese and English with the same artwork. The Japanese cards print rarity letters where the English cards print symbols.

English Mega Lucario ex 077/132 Pokémon card from Mega Evolution — Mega Lucario ex in Japanese and English with the same artwork. The Japanese cards print rarity letters where the English cards print symbols.

The two languages do not move together on price. On October 29, 2026, TCGplayer's market price for the Japanese SAR was about $68 against about $164 for the English Special Illustration Rare, while the Japanese MUR was about $268 against about $206 for the English Mega Hyper Rare.

Finding the English name and price

Search by set code and number, not by name alone. Mega Brave has four different Mega Lucario ex cards, and Pokémon Card 151 has Squirtle 007/165 in regular, Poké Ball Pattern and Master Ball Pattern versions. TCGplayer market prices for those three Squirtles were about $0.19, $2.42 and $38.93 on October 29, 2026.

TCGplayer lists Japanese cards in a separate Pokémon Japan category, under English card names with the Japanese set code and number, so each Japanese card has its own listing and its own price.

The Cardmatic Japanese card database shows each card's English name first with the Japanese name underneath, set codes on the set list, and the rarity as its printed letters. You can search it by English name, Japanese name or card number. Japanese cards carry their own TCGplayer prices, kept separate from English prices, and the live camera recognizes Japanese cards and keeps them in the right language.

Put it into practice

Cardmatic scans your cards, tracks their value and helps you decide what to grade. The Free plan needs no credit card.

Browse Japanese sets More guides

Reading the bottom of a Japanese card

Japanese rarity letters and their English names

How Japanese releases differ from English

Finding the English name and price

Put it into practice

Sources