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July 13, 2025
 

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CASHLESS

Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda announces the start of the circulation of new banknotes on July 3, 2024.
BUSINESS
Jun 30, 2025
Japan’s new banknotes see slow adoption one year after launch
Roughly 5 billion new banknotes were in circulation as of the end of May, accounting for just 28.8% of all notes in use.
In addition to prepaid transportation integrated circuit (IC) cards, such as Suica and Pasmo, a growing number of railway operators are introducing contactless credit card payments.
BUSINESS
Jun 29, 2025
Railway firms diversify ticket gate access methods
A growing number of railway operators are introducing contactless credit card payments.
Although Japan's rate of cashless transactions remains relatively low compared with those of other countries, the share of such payments in personal consumption has surpassed 40% for the first time.
BUSINESS / FOCUS
May 21, 2025
Cashless payments top 40% of consumer spending in Japan
The country's cashless payment penetration remains low globally, with the risk of fraud and service interruptions due to natural disasters presenting hurdles to growth.
An expected collaboration between Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group and SoftBank will see the PayPay smartphone payment service being made available via the Olive general financial app provided by Sumitomo Mitsui Banking.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 14, 2025
Sumitomo Mitsui and SoftBank to tie up on digital payment services
The PayPay smartphone payment service operated by a SoftBank affiliate will be made available in Sumitomo Mitsui Banking's Olive app under the partnership.
Toyota is considering transferring some production in the key Tokai region, which is expected to be hit hard in a Nankai Trough earthquake, to the Tohoku and Kyushu regions.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Apr 8, 2025
Japanese makers rush to mitigate possible Nankai Trough earthquake damage
The government is calling on manufacturers to diversify their production bases and suppliers to mitigate the risks.
Citizens’ holdings of cash in the three months ended in December was down 3.4% from a year earlier in the biggest drop in the data going back to 1998.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 21, 2025
Japan’s households slash cash at record pace as inflation bites
The decline mostly likely reflects the wider adoption of cashless consumption as well as a rise in nominal consumer spending due to inflation.
Fujitsu says it plans to stop manufacturing ATMs, which it started selling in 1977.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 2, 2025
Fujitsu to withdraw from ATM production
The electronics company started selling ATMs in 1977.
A stack of ¥10,000 bills equivalent to the year-end balance of banknotes in circulation would be 1,240 kilometers high, or about 328 times higher than the 3,776-meter Mount Fuji.
BUSINESS
Dec 31, 2024
Japan's year-end banknote balance down for second straight year
The drop resulted from people increasingly opting for cashless payments.
The fall of financial assets held by households in Japan reflected a decline in stock prices following the central bank's decision in July to raise interest rates, as well as a weaker yen.
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 18, 2024
Japan household financial assets post first fall in eight quarters
The fall reflected a decline in stock prices following the central bank's decision in July to raise interest rates, as well as a weaker yen.
The East Japan Railway Shinjuku Station in Tokyo. Within the next 10 years, JR East will develop automated walk-through gate technology so that passengers can enter the train platform without having to tap their Suica card or phone on the ticket gates.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 11, 2024
JR East announces 10-year plan to drastically overhaul Suica
Dubbed the "Suica Renaissance," the plan involves redesigned ticket gates, new payment features and a subscription service.
Infcurion offers technology powering a range of payments services such as digital wallets and credit cards.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 11, 2024
Japanese payments company Infcurion says planning IPO in 2025
Infcurion, founded in 2006, offers technology powering a range of payments services such as digital wallets and credit cards.
A user receives ¥50,000 of their salary through the PayPay app.
JAPAN
Sep 25, 2024
SoftBank makes first salary payments via its digital platform PayPay
Employees asking to receive part of their salaries via cashless payment services received the money through the PayPay platform, operated by a SoftBank Group affiliate.
The PayPay app had about 60 million registered users as of October.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 8, 2024
SoftBank group firm PayPay Securities aims to double accounts
The company has been in the red since February 2021, with a net loss of ¥4.6 billion ($29 million) for the 2023 fiscal year.
Digital crime in Sweden has doubled since 2021 and become a growing risk for the Nordic economy.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jun 22, 2024
Ditching paper money makes Sweden a haven for digital criminals
Digital crime in Sweden has doubled since 2021 and become a growing risk for the Nordic economy.
A poster for digital coupons at a store in the city of Fukushima
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Fukushima
Mar 11, 2024
Fukushima’s welfare coupon campaign highlights digital divide
A call center dedicated to the initiative received so many calls that telephone lines were overloaded.
The PayPay app now seeks to keep its pace of double-digit growth with help from other SoftBank portfolio companies.
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 5, 2023
SoftBank’s PayPay app showcases Masayoshi Son’s clout in Japan
Seen to be next in SoftBank’s initial public offering pipeline, the startup now holds two-thirds’ share in QR-code payments in Japan.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 18, 2023
Bank of Japan to start new test of digital currency in April
In the experiment, which will involve payment service providers and financial institutions, technical challenges will be examined in the event a digital yen is issued.
JAPAN
Jan 3, 2023
Cashless 'saisen' religious offerings spread amid COVID pandemic
Many believe that cashless saisen offerings could help reduce the spread of COVID-19 as people can avoid crowds forming around offering boxes at temples and shrines.
Japan Times
JAPAN / FOCUS
Oct 8, 2022
More robots, less cash and new Shibuya await tourists back to Japan
Japan is opening up again after closing its borders due to the COVID-19 pandemic for almost three years — and boy have things changed. Here's a quick rundown of what to expect.
BUSINESS
Sep 14, 2022
Japan to allow businesses to pay salaries into app accounts
Designated service providers would be required to allow digital salary recipients to withdraw cash for free at least once a month using automated teller machines or through other means.
Tokyo hit by torrential rainfall at rush hour
People line up at Shibuya Station in Tokyo as they try to avoid the heavy rain on Thursday.
Foreign drivers in Japan to face tougher license conversion rules from October
According to the National Police Agency, there were 75,905 people who converted their foreign driver’s license to a Japanese one in 2024, up from 48,885 in 2019.
Nissan clinches $4.5 billion bond deal after orders soar
Nissan Motor has raised $4.5 billion through a junk bond sale in U.S. dollars and euros, part of which carries a record-high coupon rate.
Chinese fighters came within 30 meters of Japanese spy aircraft, Tokyo says
A Chinese JH-7 fighter jet makes an near an Air Self-Defense Force YS-11EB surveillance aircraft over the East China Sea this week in this image released Thursday.
What Japanese politics could look like after Upper House election
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who heads the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (center) waves to attendees as he departs after delivering a campaign speech in Yokohama on Sunday.
An emoji used to say it all. Now it might say too much.
Apple’s Craig Federighi shows off a set of emoji at a conference on June 13, 2016. While the small pictures have proved helpful in conveying nuance in our texts, younger people are using them less often.
‘Our ultimate goal is to save every single Japanese video game’
After nearly shuttering earlier this year, the Tokyo-based Game Preservation Society continues its work to save the early history of Japanese gaming.
Rare vintage shots and first-time shows at TOP’s 30th anniversary
The museum's curators selected a wide array of works from the archives for the milestone exhibitions. Among other photos, Nobuyoshi Araki's work from the series "Winter Journey" (1990) was included in the "Continuity and Change" exhibition that concluded in June.
New IG Arena set to dial down temperature at Nagoya Basho, in a good way
With IG Arena getting glowing early reviews as the Nagoya Basho’s replacement venue, it may be a while before fans wax nostalgic about the Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium.
Once a niche, anime is now mainstream content for Netflix and other streaming services
Though Netflix remains the dominant choice globally for anime viewers, Amazon Prime Video has also invested heavily in anime, steadily adding titles to their catalogue.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

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What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Muji has been sustainable from the beginning
Muji has been sustainable from the beginning

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