Abstract
Mobile payment started in Japan in 1999 with the introduction of i-Mode. Started in 1999, mobile
payment systems in Japan have evolved over several years, and today form a considerable component of
Japans economy. Mobile payments in Japan have been developed far beyond the trial or conceptual
stage today. A substantial proportion of rail tickets, air tickets, shares and investment and many
mail order goods such as books, music, DVDs, fashion and clothing are bought and paid for by or via
mobile phones in Japan. In many cases, for example purchasing Express Train Tickets for the
Tokyo-Osaka Shinkansen, the mobile phone is by far the most convenient way to purchase a ticket.
Most people take their personal mobile phone along everywhere they go, and there are many
advantages to use the mobile phone for paying services, transportation, and for shopping. In Japan,
mobile payments already amount for a substantial part of all payments, and therefore have large and
increasing economic impact.
The industry trend to flat-rate data and flat-rate voice forces mobile operators to look for new
business models to continue improving and developing mobile services.
The present report gives a comprehensive overview of the variety of mobile payment services in
operation in Japan, explains in detail how several proven mobile payment systems work, and explains
the trends for mobile payments. Although this report is focused on Japan, mobile internet
innovations from Japan tend to become global standard recently. Therefore we expect, that this
report also gives a good window into the future of mobile payment systems in Europe and the
Americas.
Our reports are primarily written for and purchased by senior executives in major blue-chip
corporations who need to be thoroughly informed about business and technology trends emanating from
Japan. Major global telecom carriers and equipment manufacturers from US, EU and Japan, investment
bankers, equipment manufacturers, service providers, Embassies and Government agencies, University
students and professors and many professionals from all over the world purchase our reports. The
Government of Finland has engaged us to advise on the research funding strategy for mobile services,
and the Harvard Business School (HBS) is using one of our reports for research and teaching.
Eurotechnology Japan KK cooperated in organizing and co-sponsored the Members meeting of the
global Mobile Payment Forum, and Eurotechnology-Japans CEO gave a two hour keynote presentation to
industry leaders at the Mobile Payment forum in Tokyo recently.
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