NieR creator Yoko Taro unveils secret trick to spot fakes as he reveals half of all resold autographs are counterfeit
Yoko Taro, the acclaimed game director known for his work on the Drakengard and NieR series, has revealed that he includes a secret, anti-resale measure in all of his authentic autographs.
The topic came up when an overseas fan on the social media platform X tagged Yoko Taro in a post about a NieR Re[in]carnation soundtrack, signed by both him and the composer Keiichi Okabe, that was being sold on the resale app “Vinted.”
In a direct reply to the fan, Yoko Taro stated, “This autograph is a fake.”
He then explained how he could be so certain, revealing that he has a built-in security feature to combat scalpers.
“I include small unknown features in my real autographs to prevent reselling,” he posted.
Yoko Taro concluded with a strong warning to fans who are looking to buy his signature on the secondhand market.
“I’ve confirmed that nearly half of the autographs being resold are actually fake, so please don’t buy them,” he cautioned.
The high-priced resale of signed goods from creators has been a persistent issue in the secondhand market.
A quick search on Japanese resale apps like Mercari shows numerous items listed as being signed by Yoko Taro, which are being sold for high prices.
Hopefully, with evidence of a fake autograph now being readily available online, fans looking to buy authentic signed merchandise can avoid being duped by unscrupulous traders.
This post may contain affiliate links, and Essential Japan may earn a commission if you purchase through them.
