One Piece TCG card language rules: which cards are legal where
The official region-by-region list of Japanese, English, French, Chinese and Korean cards, and where you can mix two languages in one deck.
The short version
- Bandai's rules for the use of different languages set which card languages are legal in each region, rather than leaving it to each organiser.
- English cards are legal in North America, Latin America, Europe and Oceania, and in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand.
- Japanese cards are legal in Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand, but not in North America or Europe.
- French cards are legal only in Europe, Simplified Chinese cards only in inland China and Korean cards only in Korea.
- Bandai allows mixing English and French cards in one deck in Europe, and Japanese and English cards in Taiwan and Thailand.
Bandai decides which card languages are legal in each region, and it publishes the list. In North America, Latin America and Oceania you play English cards. In Europe you can play English or French, mixed in one deck. Japanese cards are legal in Japan and seven Asian regions, and not at official events in North America or Europe.
The source is Bandai's "Rules for the use of Different Languages", dated 7 November 2025 and still the current version on the English rules page when we checked on 30 October 2026. A lot of advice online says language legality is up to each organiser. For official events, it isn't.
Which card languages are legal in each region
| Card language | Legal in |
|---|---|
| English | North America, Latin America, Europe, Oceania, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand |
| Japanese | Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand |
| French | Europe |
| Simplified Chinese | Inland China |
| Korean | Korea |
Two dates sit in the notes. English cards became legal in Taiwan and Thailand on 28 November 2025. French cards are listed as legal in Europe from 7 February 2025. Nothing about the list has changed since.
Where you can mix languages in one deck
Being allowed in a region and being allowed in the same deck aren't quite the same thing. Bandai spells out two mixes:
- Europe: English and French cards in the same deck.
- Taiwan and Thailand: Japanese and English cards in the same deck.
Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines list both Japanese and English as legal, but the page doesn't mention mixing for them. If you play there and want a deck with both, ask the organiser before the event rather than at deck check.
What it means for Japanese cards outside Japan
If you play in the US, the UK or anywhere else in Europe, Japanese cards aren't legal at official events. That includes the Japanese parallel you imported because it was cheaper. Collect them, trade them, play them at the kitchen table, but build your tournament deck in English (or French, in Europe).
The reverse is true in Japan: English isn't on Japan's list. Our Japanese vs English cards guide covers the buying side of the question, and importing Japanese cards covers costs if you still want them for the binder.
Gaps in the list
The Middle East isn't on the page, even though Bandai's English site has a Middle Eastern region. If you play there, the organiser's rules are your guide until Bandai adds it. Unofficial events can set their own language policy; most stores we know follow Bandai's list anyway, because their players also go to official events.
Language is one of three checks before an event. The other two are whether a card has been out long enough, which our guide to when new cards become tournament legal covers, and the banlist.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I use Japanese cards in One Piece TCG tournaments?
- Only in the regions where Bandai lists Japanese as legal: Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand. Japanese cards aren't legal at official events in North America, Latin America, Europe or Oceania.
- Can I play French cards in the US?
- No. Bandai lists French cards as legal in Europe only. In Europe you can mix French and English cards in one deck.
- Are English cards legal in Japan?
- Not according to Bandai's list. Japan only lists the Japanese version; English cards are legal in other Asian regions such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand.
- Can I mix Japanese and English cards in one deck?
- Bandai explicitly allows it in Taiwan and Thailand. Other regions that accept both languages don't have a mixing rule on the page, so ask the organiser.
Sources
Stop guessing what your cards are worth
Bounty's Collector Pro inventory records the language of each lot, and Japanese cards are priced separately from English ones, so you can keep tournament cards and imported binder cards in one collection without mixing up their values.
