Hi, I collect license plates and I bought one at Mercari when I was in Japan. Hotel receptionist helped me with it and he said those plates are real.
Mine in fact has a circle hole in it, which would suggest it was invalidated but I'm skeptical it's ever been on the road because it's in flawless condition (just some minor scratches at the back), see at Imgur, and it doesn't reflect light in the dark.
Do yellow Japanese license plates not reflect light in the dark?
Also, what's the meaning of the plate, like region and vehicle type?
by wigglepizza