On September 25, 2026, South Korea's Segye Ilbo published an article by a Korean reporter who arrived in Nagoya on the 18th to cover the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, reporting on the actual state of cashless payments in Japan.

Given that some statistics show Japan's cashless payment ratio at 58%, the reporter came to Japan thinking, "There probably won't be much inconvenience without cash," but he actually found that the smaller the store, the more limited the options for payment methods were.

For small restaurants such as ramen shops and udon shops around Kanayama Station and Higashi Betsuin Station in Nagoya City, many stores did not accept card payments, and at ticket vending machine restaurants, it was impossible to order without cash. On the other hand, major chains like Denny's and McDonald's, as well as convenience stores, did accept card payments, leading the reporter to point out that "the speed of Japan's cashless transformation varies by location and store."

Even at restaurants within the Asian Games venue, the ticket vending machines did not have card payment functions, and only cash could be used. The reporter states that "even at stadiums where international sports events are held, the cashless situation varies by store."

Kanayama Station is also a representative transportation hub in Nagoya, where JR Tokai, Nagoya Railroad, and Nagoya Municipal Subway all converge. According to Nagoya City, approximately 480,000 users pass through Kanayama General Station daily. It is also connected to Chubu Centrair International Airport, with many foreign tourists coming and going. The reporter points out that the "cashless variability" was similar even around such a station.

According to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan's cashless payment ratio in 2025 reached 58.0%, and the cashless payment amount reached 162.7 trillion yen. This was an increase of 6.3 percentage points from the 2024 domestic indicator base (51.7%).

However, the reporter pointed out that "the 58% figure should not be interpreted as 'card payments are possible at 58% of stores in Japan'." He explained, "It means that the cashless payment amount accounts for 58% of the total payment amount spent by consumers, not a ratio based on the number of stores or transactions."

The background for the low cashless usage rate in small restaurants includes the burden of merchant fees and the cost of introducing and maintaining payment infrastructure.

The reporter himself began to keep cash in his wallet during his stay in Nagoya. He reflected, "Rather than searching only for restaurants that accept card payments, having cash prepared expanded my choice of stores."

In response to this article, harsh comments such as "Japan, a digital laggard" were posted by Korean netizens.

On the other hand, many positive comments were also seen, such as "Korea promoted the spread of card payments under government leadership because tax evasion was too serious. Maybe Japan has less tax evasion," "Unlike Korea, which tries to squeeze out every penny, Japan probably creates options so that micro-entrepreneurs can survive," "Korea's card fees are about 1%, but Japan's are said to be about 3%," "Japan has earthquakes, so it's safer to carry cash," and "Cash payments also have a uniquely Japanese charm and are good." (Translation/Editing by Mae)