Original cards from JapanProtected shipping: top loader + rigid cardboardShipped within 2 business daysShipped from Italy · No customs−5% from 4 cards−10% from 8 cardsOriginal cards from JapanProtected shipping: top loader + rigid cardboardShipped within 2 business daysShipped from Italy · No customs−5% from 4 cards−10% from 8 cards
ZapFromJapan — carte Pokémon giapponesi originali

Collecting

Fake Japanese Pokémon cards: how to spot them (with photos)

Updated on 15/10/2026👁 3 readers

Fake Japanese Pokémon cards: how to spot them (with photos)

1. The text

Sharp text on a genuine card and blurry text on a fake (simulation)
On the left sharp, well-defined Japanese characters; on the right (simulation) smudged text, typical of counterfeit prints.

Fakes often have blurry characters, odd spacing or wrong characters. Compare the card with an official image or with its page in our shop: name, attacks and text must be identical, down to their position.

2. The colours

Correct colours on a genuine card and oversaturated colours on a fake (simulation)
Dusclops AR: on the left the original colours, on the right (simulation) oversaturated, high-contrast colours, common on fakes.

3. Surface and holo

Holographic, textured surface of a genuine SAR and flat surface of a fake (simulation)
N's Zoroark ex SAR: the genuine card has a fine texture and reflections that follow the artwork; the fake (simulation) is flat, uniformly glossy, with no detail.

Modern AR, SR and SAR cards have a worked surface: on SRs and SARs you can feel the raised texture with your finger, and the holo effect follows the details of the artwork. A smooth, evenly glossy card where there should be texture deserves suspicion.

4. Number, rarity and font

Number and rarity printed correctly and with the wrong font (simulation)
The number on a genuine card is in italics with a light outline; in the simulation it's in a different font and the print around it is smudged.

Number, rarity and set code must match a card that actually exists and always use the same font. You can check them in the card list of each expansion: if the number doesn't exist or the rarity doesn't match, the card isn't genuine. For the abbreviations read the guide to rarities.

5. The back

Back of a genuine card and back with altered colours on a fake (simulation)
Original back on the left; on the right (simulation) the wrong shade and blurry print. The blue of the back is one of the hardest details to imitate.

6. Edge and thickness

Genuine card (cross-section)printed frontdark inner layerprinted backTypical fake (cross-section)single sheet, often thinner or glossier
Genuine cards are made of several glued layers: looking at the edge against the light you can see the layered thickness. Many fakes are a single sheet, thinner or glossier.

7. Price and seller

A sought-after SAR sold for a fraction of its value is almost always a problem. Buy from sellers who show the real card (not photos taken from the web), answer questions and accept returns. Every card we sell is a genuine Japanese card, photographed, checked by hand and returnable within 14 days: details on the returns page.

Frequently asked questions

Does the light test work?+
Shining a torch behind the card, a genuine one lets little light through thanks to its dark inner layer; many fakes are more see-through. It's a useful clue, not definitive proof.
Is the rip test reliable?+
Tearing a card shows the inner layer, but it destroys it: it makes no sense on a card you want to keep or resell.
Do Japanese cards have a different back?+
Modern Japanese cards have the same back as international ones. If the back has odd colours, blur or uneven borders, that's a red flag.

More guides