The share of electronic money users in two major metropolitan regions has more than doubled from four years ago to 30 percent, a think tank said Tuesday.
A rising number of people view quick settlements without small change as attractive, the Hakuhodo Institute of Life and Living said.
"Smart shopping is becoming deep-rooted in Japan," it said in a report based on a survey of consumers in the Tokyo and Osaka metropolitan regions it conducts every two years. The latest survey was carried out in May and covered 3,389 people.
The rate of people using e-money rose from 12.1 percent in 2006 to 22.0 percent in 2008 and to 30 percent in 2010, it said.
The poll also found that the share of respondents who shopped via the Internet in the past year came to 38.3 percent, up 8.1 points from 2008.