The first in a series on payment infrastructure, this report examines developments in the retail payments infrastructure related to the extended Zengin System operating hours and operation of the EDI (electronic data interchange) system. In Part 2 of this series, the focus shifts to BOJ-NET (the Bank of Japan Financial Network System) to examine developments in wholesale payment infrastructure.

Japan’s payment infrastructure has been steadily evolving in line with a policy proposal produced in 2015 by a working group operating under the Financial Services Agency’s Financial System Council. Part 1 of this report examines the extended operation of the Zengin System and its significance in the retail sector as a foundation for building new payment services that bring together financial elements and IT. In Part 2, Celent considers advancements in payment services that support corporate growth through the effective use of BOJ-NET.