The cards can be read by a ~2k JPY USB device and many other phones/tablets. I think the software might be the higher barrier to entry. Whether or not the PIN is required is an interesting question. If the data is merely passthrough to the insurance/govt systems, it may not be. Then again, they may require it to prove the card is yours (because no one would ever share a password, right?). Granted, this is speculation on my part.
The cards can be read by a ~2k JPY USB device and many other phones/tablets. I think the software might be the higher barrier to entry. Whether or not the PIN is required is an interesting question. If the data is merely passthrough to the insurance/govt systems, it may not be. Then again, they may require it to prove the card is yours (because no one would ever share a password, right?). Granted, this is speculation on my part.
No, the medical institutions require government mandated hardware which you can see in the article below. It does facial recognition, too.
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20230223/p2a/00m/0na/009000c