On July 7, 2026, it was reported on China's SNS Weibo that Zentoshin, a Japanese credit payment processing agent, had filed for bankruptcy, linking it to the decline of the Japanese economy, which garnered significant attention.

On the 7th, "Guyen Muchan," a current affairs and politics influencer with approximately 7.35 million followers on Weibo, introduced Zentoshin's bankruptcy as "very welcome news."

"Guyen Muchan" stated that Zentoshin, which received a decision to commence bankruptcy proceedings from the Osaka District Court on the 6th, has a total debt of 125.929 billion yen, making it the largest bankruptcy case this year. Approximately 200,000 affiliated stores nationwide were affected, with credit card payment terminals suddenly becoming unusable, and the collection of sales becoming extremely difficult.

Regarding the factors behind the business failure, three points were listed: a drastic decrease in commission income due to temporary closures and reduced operating hours for affiliated restaurants during the COVID-19 pandemic starting in 2020; the arrest of employees in 2024 for allegedly signing illegal contracts with stores that failed inspections, and the company itself being referred to prosecutors on suspicion of violating the Organized Crime Punishment Law; and the interest rate hike by the Bank of Japan, which further exacerbated the difficult situation of using borrowed money for advances.

Furthermore, "Guyen Muchan" argued that amidst the depreciation of the yen and soaring raw material and labor costs, many SMEs relying on the domestic market are reaching their operational limits, and the BOJ's interest rate hikes are further increasing borrowing costs. He concluded by saying, "Structural problems that the Japanese economy has faced for decades have been exposed," and "The veneer of the Japanese economy has completely peeled off."

Finally, "Guyen Muchan" mentioned that July 7, the date of the post, was the day of the "Lugouqiao Incident" (Marco Polo Bridge Incident), which marked the start of the Sino-Japanese War. He concluded his article with a highly politically charged criticism, stating that Japan has now declined to the point where it cannot even save a single payment intermediary company that supports domestic SMEs, and that he "feels historical karmic retribution."

Regarding this matter, while some Chinese internet users expressed concern about the significant impact, saying, "The damage suffered by small and medium-sized businesses is immeasurable, like a domino effect," many others were seen making cynical remarks about Japan's outdated financial infrastructure and slow digitalization, such as, "Japan's old payment system, which takes 30 days to two months to collect sales, is unbelievable to begin with."

Additionally, there was harsh ridicule like, "Japan is now in such a state that it is dismantling air conditioners to search for rare earths because it lacks resources," and "This is the end result of 'Japanese-style self-satisfaction,' pretending to desperately try and solve problems." Comments agreeing with the poster's historically charged view of "karmic retribution" were prominent.