NAHA, Okinawa Pref. — The sound of an electronic device is replacing the rustle of cash at many stores in Okinawa Prefecture, from fast-food restaurants to auto repair shops.
Okinawa is full of stores accepting a form of electronic money called Edy. The name is an amalgam of the euro, dollar and yen.
The sound emerges from reading devices installed in stores whenever customers settle a bill with IC cards or cell phones containing data on prepaid money.