How to read a JAV code

What a JAV code is

Every commercially released Japanese adult video carries a product code — in Japanese, hinban (品番). It looks like ABC-123: a short letter prefix, a hyphen, and a number. The prefix identifies the label (a studio’s release line), and the number is the sequential release under that label. If you have the code, you can find the exact title, cast and release date — which is why the code, not the title, is how most people search.

Reading the two parts

1. The letter prefix = the label

The letters before the hyphen are a label code. A studio usually operates several labels, each with its own prefix and numbering. The prefix tells you who released the film and often what series or genre line it belongs to. You do not need to memorize prefixes: searching the full code on an official store resolves it instantly.

2. The number = the release sequence

The digits after the hyphen are simply the running number of that label’s releases. Higher numbers are newer releases within the same label. Numbers generally restart only when a label is renamed or relaunched.

Where to find the code

• On the product page: official stores print the code on every product page — on FANZA it appears in the product details block (品番).
• On physical packaging: the spine and back cover of DVD/Blu-ray releases.
• In the URL: FANZA product URLs contain a content ID (cid=) derived from the code — usually the prefix and number run together in lowercase with zero padding (for example, a code like ABC-123 becomes something like abc00123). The letters and digits of the printed code are always recoverable from the cid.

Why the same film can show two “different” codes

The printed code (ABC-123) and the store’s internal content ID (abc00123) are the same identifier in two spellings. Some retail listings also prepend distribution-channel letters to the cid. If a search for the hyphenated code returns nothing, try the run-together lowercase form, and vice versa.

How to search by code

1. Type the full code, with the hyphen, into the store’s search box. FANZA’s search accepts the hyphenated code; the cid form also works in URLs.
2. If you only remember the prefix, search the prefix alone to browse that label’s catalogue, then sort by release date.
3. If you found the code on another website, verify it on the official product page before buying — the page shows the cast list, runtime and release date, so you can confirm it is the title you meant.

Codes you cannot look up on FANZA

Not every code resolves on every store. Amateur-platform releases (for example FC2’s numeric IDs) and releases by studios that do not distribute through FANZA will not appear there. A code that returns no result is not necessarily wrong — it may simply be sold elsewhere or no longer distributed.

FAQ

Is the code unique?

Within a label, yes. Two different labels can coincidentally share a prefix style, which is why searching the complete code (prefix + number) is more reliable than the prefix alone.

Does the code tell me the actress?

No — the code identifies the release, not the cast. Open the product page the code leads to; the cast is listed there. If you are starting from a performer instead of a code, see our guide to finding JAV by actress.

Can I buy from overseas with just a code?

The code finds the product; buying it from outside Japan has its own steps. See how to buy JAV legally from overseas and which payment methods work.