You check the date on your smartphone. It's the 25th — payday. It's the perfect day to get that new item you've been saving up for, or perhaps it's date night for you and your significant other.
There's only one problem: It's everyone else's payday, too. You pop out to the bank at lunchtime to withdraw some cash and are met with a long lineup stretching out the door. You could come back later and in the meantime pay for any items via credit card, but having yen on hand is usually a good idea in cash-loving Japan. You also have bills to pay, transfers to make and would rather avoid the withdrawal fees at the convenience store machines. So you wait.
For decades, people have grumbled through this monthly ritual because bank accounts are pretty much the only way to receive their salaries.