TASPO

I tried buying cigarettes off of vending machines and failed, twice. The machine lights up a green rectangle and won't give my my cigs even when I've already inserted enough money.

The second time I was at a supermarket and I tried asking a clerk where their tabako was but he just pointed me towards another vending machine because apparently they only sold them per "carton", not per pack. So I tried the machine again but it kept asking me for a TASPO?

What is a TASPO exactly? (I'm not even sure if I remember that right so please correct me if I got that wrong.)

I've only been here for two weeks so I can't seem to run out of questions. Sorry. But your help in this forum is really huge to me, thank you all so much!

Taspo is an ID card that verifies your age, and as such, prevents underage people from buying cigarettes from the machines. If you don't have a Taspo, you can't buy from the machines. (Now, if you find the increasingly rarer sake vending machines, those are fine).

https://www.taspo.jp/english/index.html

Oh, sorry, and if you don't have a Taspo, just go to a conbini or a small street stand and get them there. They don't ID anyway, but if they did, they don't need a Taspo, just a regular ID of any kind that shows age.

You can buy a packet of cigarette at combini counter without TASPO card.
The vending machines require to scan your TASPO card for not selling cigarette under 20 yrs old. It's illegal to smoke people under 20 in JP.

Oh, so that's what it is! I might just get myself one of those cards then. This is Japan after all, and vending machines are everywhere. LOL

Thank you all so much!