18-Jan-18, Nikkei Asian Review
A new restaurant that opened recently in central Tokyo, named Gathering Table Pantry Bakurocho, customers pay with e-money or credit cards using terminals provided by employees. Payments are quick and efficient, and the time the restaurant spends closing its till for the day is now 30 minutes shorter.
%20Nikkei%20Asian%20Review.jpg "Japan finally embraces alternative payments (c) Nikkei Asian Review")
Image: Nikkei Asian Review
It is a good sign that Japan's long-awaited shift toward a cashless society is finally underway, driven by a labor crunch in the food services and retail industries, and a sharp rise in foreign tourists to the country.
Cashless payments could even emerge as a new driver of economic growth.