How to identify a Real Japanese Audio CD

This page aims at helping you to identify a real Japanese (animation) Audio CD, to spot an Unlicencied one (usually from Hong Kong) and, by extension, to authentify Japanese products (DVDs, books, etc.).

In most countries, Manga/Animation goods retailers sell various products :

Manga: Mostly translated in local language, but some retailers can sell Japanese ones.
Anime: Video tapes, DVDs, mostly in local language... Very few original DVDs for the actual Japanese series, and a bunch of unlicencied ones.
Audio CDs: As far as I know, there are a very few local Animation Audio CD editions, and since Japanese import is very expensive, pirates are already in.
Toys: The imported ones are expensive, there are a lot of unlicencied versions, and spotting them is quite hard.
Clothes: Same rules as Toys.

To learn how to spot unlicencied products, there is a very good FAQ here: Anime Digital FAQ (and for the specific Audio CD case, please check also: rec.anime.music FAQ)

This article will show you how a Japanese Audio CD is made (since the Anime Digital FAQ gives you the main keys to spot pirate ones)

1.Audio CD
1.1. Visual differences

Here comes a scan of the back of Ghost in the Shell Original Soundtracks (BVCR-729), and the pirate (SM) version.

Original Unlicencied

Picture¹ is purposely in low quality to avoid illegal use². Please, focus on the Japanese symbols at the lower corner of the back of the box. Here comes a zoom of the unlicencied one:

And the original one:

You can notice the symbol, and the number nearby: These are the Audio CD yen price. If you have an Audio CD with these characters, it is bound to be a licencied one.
These symbol and number do not appear on the unlicencied version, what you must first check.
In some case, the price is written including VAT with, in brackets, the price without tax: The Japanese VAT is 5% for this kind of product.

1.2. The editor et the Audio CD references

However, it seems that some old Japanese Audio CDs have no price at all, although quite unusual. In this case, please check the editors' names, and the Audio CD code: The pirate code and the original code NEVER match. If you seek a specific title, try to find the Japanese code on the Internet, and use it to check whether it is a pirate version.
In the example above, Japanese version code is BVCR-729 and unlicencied one is GA-044.
Here comes a Japanese editors' list. This may be useful to people who are about to buy something and do not seek a precise title, but do not want a pirate version. Each editor has a prefix code, enclosed in brackets here (when known):

BMG (BVCR,R32H).
Columbia (COCC,32CC,COCA,CA,CX,AF,AY).
Epic.
Forte Music.
FuturLand.
King Record (KICA, K30X, K32X, 292A,K32Y,K13P,KICP,292E,280E).
Pioneer (PIDA, PIKA,PICD).
Polydor (POCH,28MX,P32P,POCP).
Pony Canyon (D25P, PCCG).
Sony (KSC2,28AH).
Starchild (KICA, K30X, K32X, 292A).
Tokuma (TKCA).
Toshiba Emi (TYCY,TOCT, WTP,CT32,CA32,ETP,CT25).
Victor (VICL,VDR,SJX,VIH,R32H).

Note: May be uncomplete.

2.Other products

DVDs are easier to spot than Audio CDs, since unlicencied DVDs are usual Region 0 or All region: all the Japanese DVDs are Region 2. And the yen price is always present. Furthermore, the pirate DVDs do not usually have the same box design as the original ones. Moreover, an Animation Japanese DVD price starts at ¥6,000 (TV series, OAV) and may rise up to ¥10,000 for movies, except for the Ghibli ones, which are between ¥4,000 and ¥5,000. There is no hope to find any original Japanese DVD lower than €60 (let's say US$60).

Here comes a few examples (DVDs, books, model kits) which have yen prices:
Various examples (Lot of scans)

3. Where to buy? How much?

In France (my country), there are a very few import retailers. The web site Junku.fr is a trustworthy one, and have a shop in Paris. I did not know any other retailer who only sells original Japanese imports products. A Japanese Audio CD average price is ¥3,000, which makes about €25 (approx. the same price in US$), is actually sold between €35 and €40 (average price noticed in April 2003). A €15-sold Audio CD cannot be an original one, except in a bargain session: Please be careful in this case.

4. Conclusion

To sum up, here come the main keys to identify a Japanese Audio CD:

Check the yen price.
Check the references on the Internet.

Checking that yen price is written onto the product is also a good solution to spot DVDs and books.

Thanks to Iriakun and Reiga for the editors' list, and to Unreal, lucasbfr and xentyr for reviewing.

This web page has been written under the Free Art license. The pictures, used as illustrations, are protected by copyright laws.

Version 1.0 beta: Magically improved English by xentyr: Big kudos to him :). And reviewed by lucasbfr: Thanks, pals!

Version 1.0 alpha: First (poor) English.

...Picture ¹: Which may be removed in the case of copyright problem.
... illegal use ²: It's an anti-unlicencied product web page, I don't want to give any clue to pirates.
Le Loup Solitaire Last modified: Sat Aug 2 10:57:10 CEST 2003