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My Number Card, passport, resume — all major Japanese ID photos officially require a "plain background." It sounds simple, but getting a plain background at home is often surprisingly hard.
This article covers why plain backgrounds are required, how to prepare one at home, and how automatic background removal works so you can shoot anywhere.
Plain, light-color backgrounds (white, light blue, light gray) are the official rule for Japanese ID photos. There are three reasons:
A plain background makes the face contour stand out. Patterned or busy backgrounds reduce both automated face-recognition accuracy and human verification clarity.
Airport automated gates, bank counters, and municipal offices compare the photo to the person. A simple background keeps attention on the facial details (outline, features, expression).
Passport photos follow the ICAO international standard. To enable consistent face verification across systems worldwide, backgrounds are standardized to plain.
The simplest and cheapest:
Check your home:
For frequent shooting:
A service that swaps the background after capture means you don't need to prepare a background at all.
mynaphoto.jp provides AI-based automatic background removal.
Freedom to shoot anywhere
With mynaphoto.jp's automatic background removal, you can shoot anywhere — living room, bedroom, office — and get a compliant ID photo. Covers 19 document types including My Number, passport, resume, and visa.
People sometimes worry: "Is it really OK to submit a photo with an edited background?"
Per the official My Number Card photo guidelines, "plain background" means "a solid-color, pattern-free background." Replacing the original background with a solid color post-capture is officially permitted.
A confirmation with MIAC also states that background replacement and shadow-lightening are within accepted edits. Municipalities sometimes perform their own background processing.
What's not allowed: editing facial features or contour — eye enlargement, nose reshaping, face slimming. See Why 80% of My Number Photos Get Rejected for details.
For lighting and background shooting tips see home ID photo lighting tips.
Shoot anywhere, background handled
AI removes the background and swaps in a regulation-compliant solid color. Covers 19 document specifications.
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This article is based on official information current as of May 2026. For specific document requirements, refer to the relevant authority's official information.
To make the face outline clear and improve identity-verification accuracy. My Number Card, passport, and other official documents officially require plain light-color backgrounds.
Use a white sheet or plain cloth taped to the wall, or shoot in front of a white door. Alternatively, an automatic background-removal service handles it regardless of where you shoot.
Yes. The official My Number Card guidelines permit replacing the background with a solid color. Municipal offices sometimes do background processing themselves during application review.
Our AI analyzes your uploaded photo, separates the subject from the background, and replaces the background with a regulation-compliant solid color (white, light blue, or gray). You can shoot anywhere.
Yes — shadows in the background are handled automatically. Strong shadows on the face itself still need attention during capture (lighting setup).