Japan Passfoto

Japan Passport Photo -- Complete Guide

Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA / 外務省) enforces some of the strictest passport photo standards in the world. The requirements are published on mofa.go.jp and apply to all Japanese passport applications, whether submitted at a prefectural passport center (旅券事務所), a municipal government office, or through the online application pilot program launched in March 2023. Photo-related rejections remain the leading cause of application delays, with common issues including incorrect face-to-frame ratios, beauty mode artifacts, and glasses -- which have been completely banned since 2021.

Japan introduced new IC passport chip photo standards in 2023, tightening digital image specifications to improve biometric matching at automated gates (自動化ゲート) used at Narita, Haneda, Kansai, and other major airports.

Official MOFA Photo Requirements

Physical dimensions: 35 x 45 mm (standard ICAO size). Face height (顔の長さ) must be exactly 27mm with a tolerance of plus or minus 2mm. Head height from chin to top of hair should be approximately 36mm, with 2-6mm of space between the top of the head and the upper edge of the photo. The face must be centered horizontally.

Digital specifications: Minimum 600 x 600 pixels, JPEG format, file size under 2MB. Color only -- no monochrome or sepia.

Background and lighting: Plain white or very light background with no patterns, shadows, or gradients. Even, shadowless lighting on both face and background. No color cast -- lighting must produce neutral, natural skin tones.

Expression and pose: Neutral expression (無表情) with mouth closed and both eyes open. Face squarely facing the camera with eyes looking directly at the lens. Full face visible from forehead hairline to chin, both ears visible.

Clothing and accessories: No eyeglasses of any kind -- MOFA banned all glasses from passport photos effective 2021, including prescription, sunglasses, and clear-lens fashion glasses, with no exceptions. No colored or patterned contact lenses (カラーコンタクト). No hats, headbands, or hair accessories obscuring the forehead. No face masks. Hair must not cover the eyebrows or eyes. Head coverings permitted only for documented religious reasons.

Strictly prohibited: No digital retouching or beauty mode (美肌モード / 美白) -- this is the single most common rejection reason among younger applicants in Japan. No filters, skin smoothing, eye enlargement, face reshaping, or background replacement. The photo must represent your actual, unaltered appearance.

Recency: Must be taken within the last 6 months and accurately reflect your current appearance.

Head-to-Photo Ratio: The Critical Measurement

MOFA specifies exact millimeter measurements that passport offices verify with transparent overlay templates. Face length (chin to crown) must be 27mm plus or minus 2mm. Top margin (head to photo edge) must be 2-6mm. Head including hair should be approximately 36mm from chin to top of hair.

Passport offices check these with rulers and printed templates. A face even 1mm outside tolerance will be rejected. This precision is why most Japanese residents use dedicated photo booths (証明写真機) rather than home photography -- the machines are calibrated to produce exactly compliant proportions.

If you want to understand why Japanese applicants default to booths rather than casual phone shots, DNP's official Ki-Re-i overview gives a good sense of how established that network is. For cross-checking the base format, use our 35x45mm Photo page -- but remember that in Japan the 27mm face-length rule is usually the make-or-break detail.

Shashinki: Japan's Photo Booth Culture

Japan is home to the largest photo booth industry in the world, with an estimated 25,000+ ID photo machines nationwide. These shashinki (証明写真機) are installed at virtually every train station, convenience store parking lot, shopping center, and government building. The dominant manufacturers are:

• Ki-Re-I (キレイ) by DNP (Dai Nippon Printing) -- the most widespread brand, found at JR and private railway stations. Offers a "passport mode" that automatically frames your face to MOFA specifications. 800-1,000 yen per session.
• Fujifilm証明写真ボックス -- common at shopping centers and near municipal offices, with standard and premium print quality options.
• Ki-Re-i EX -- DNP's premium line with AI-powered face positioning and retake guidance if the shot does not meet specs.

A typical session costs 700-1,000 yen and takes about 5 minutes: select "パスポート" from the menu, follow the positioning guide, review the result, and collect your prints. Machines accept coins and sometimes IC cards (Suica, PASMO).

How to Take Your Japan Passport Photo at Home

Camera and distance: Use a smartphone rear camera or digital camera with at least 5 megapixels, positioned at eye level on a tripod. Stand approximately 1.5 meters from the lens. Have someone else take the photo -- selfies almost never produce correct framing.

Background: Plain white wall with no texture, switches, or frames. If needed, tape white poster board or a bedsheet to the wall. Stand 20cm from the wall to prevent shadows.

Lighting: Natural daylight from a window directly in front of you works best. For artificial light, place two lamps at 45-degree angles on either side. The critical point for Japanese requirements is zero shadows on face, chin, or background. Avoid ring lights, which produce suspicious catchlight patterns.

Framing for the 27mm rule: After taking the photo, crop so the face (chin to crown, not including hair) measures exactly 27mm when printed at 35x45mm. Use our passport photo tool to handle this automatically based on face detection and MOFA proportions.

Where to Get Passport Photos in Japan

• Shashinki booths (証明写真機) -- 700-1,000 yen at nearly every train station and konbini. Select "パスポート" from the document type menu.
• Yodobashi Camera (ヨドバシカメラ) -- staff-assisted passport photo service at major stores. 1,500-2,000 yen.
• Kitamura Camera (カメラのキタムラ) -- Japan's largest camera chain, staff verify compliance before printing. 1,500-1,800 yen.
• Passport Centers (旅券事務所) -- some prefectural offices have on-site photo booths.
• Konbini print services -- print a compliant digital photo at Seven-Eleven, Lawson, or FamilyMart using multifunction printers (マルチコピー機). Apps like "コンビニ証明写真" or "Pic-chan" format your photo for 200-300 yen -- the cheapest option.

My Number Card vs Passport Photo Specs

While My Number Card (マイナンバーカード) photos share the 35x45mm dimensions, the rules differ. My Number Card allows 26-30mm face height (more lenient than passport's strict 27mm plus or minus 2mm), accepts white or light blue backgrounds (passports require white only), and allows front-camera smartphone photos for digital submission. Both prohibit glasses, though the My Number Card ban took effect later. Do not assume a My Number Card photo will pass at the passport office -- the face-height tolerance is tighter and checked with physical templates.

Baby and Infant Photos

MOFA accommodates infants (乳幼児) who cannot sit. Babies may be laid on a plain white sheet and photographed from directly above, or supported in a chair draped with white cloth. Parents' hands and the chair must not appear. Both eyes should be open (slight leniency for very young infants), expression must be calm -- crying, laughing, or sleeping photos are rejected. No pacifiers, toys, or bibs visible. The 27mm face-height rule applies to children, with slightly more flexibility for infants under 1 year. Take 20-30 rapid shots to get one usable frame.

Common Rejection Reasons

Japanese passport offices are notoriously strict. Staff use transparent overlay templates to verify measurements. The most frequent rejections:

1. Glasses worn -- despite the 2021 ban, this remains common. All eyewear rejected, zero exceptions.
2. Beauty mode detected -- smartphone filters (美肌モード) that smooth skin, enlarge eyes, or slim faces. Staff are trained to spot these artifacts.
3. Face too small or too large -- the 27mm rule is enforced by physical measurement. Home photos frequently fail this.
4. Colored contact lenses (カラコン) -- decorative contacts that change eye appearance are prohibited.
5. Shadows on face or background -- any visible shadow results in rejection.
6. Background not uniform -- off-white, cream, or gray backgrounds rejected. Visible wall texture fails.
7. Hair covering eyebrows -- bangs (前髪) falling into the eye area must be pinned back.
8. Head tilted or turned -- even a slight angle is caught and rejected.

Online Application Pilot Program

Japan launched an online passport renewal system in March 2023, allowing digital photo uploads through MOFA's portal. The digital photo requirements are:

• JPEG format, minimum 600 x 600 pixels, file size under 2MB
• Same face-height, background, and expression rules as printed photos
• The system performs automated compliance checks and rejects non-compliant uploads with specific error messages in Japanese
• Photos taken within the last 6 months only

The online system is expanding but not yet available in all prefectures and covers renewals (切替申請) only. New applications and applications for minors still require in-person submission with printed photos at a passport center.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I wear glasses in my Japanese passport photo? A: No. MOFA banned all eyeglasses in 2021 -- prescription, reading, sunglasses, and fashion glasses alike. There are no exceptions.

Q: Can I use a purikura (プリクラ) photo? A: Absolutely not. Purikura machines apply heavy filters, skin smoothing, and eye enlargement. Use only shashinki (証明写真機) booths with dedicated passport mode.

Q: How strict is the 27mm face measurement? A: Very strict. Staff use overlay templates with printed measurement lines. If your face height falls outside 25-29mm, the photo is rejected on the spot. Photo booth machines handle this automatically.

Q: Can I use a convenience store print? A: Yes, if the source image meets all MOFA specifications. Prepare a compliant photo with a passport photo tool, then print at Seven-Eleven, Lawson, or FamilyMart using the multifunction copier for 200-300 yen.

Q: Is the online passport application available nationwide? A: As of early 2026, the online renewal system has been expanding but is not yet available in all prefectures. Check MOFA's portal for current availability. In-person applications at passport centers remain the standard process for most applicants.

Q: My baby will not keep their eyes open. What do I do? A: MOFA is slightly more lenient with very young infants. Lay the baby on a white sheet, photograph from above, and take many rapid shots. Choose the best one with eyes open and a calm expression.