Part 2 in this series on payment infrastructure examines developments in the nation’s wholesale payment infrastructure through the lens of the Bank of Japan Financial Network System (BOJ-Net), the backbone of the nation’s payment system and securities settlement system.

Part 1 primarily considered developments in the retail payment infrastructure with a focus on the extending of Zengin System operation hours — the so-called “more time" system — and provision of financial EDI services under the ZEDI (Zengin EDI) System.

Japan's payment infrastructure has made steady advances in line with the overarching policy proposals issued in 2015 by a working group under the Financial System Council of the Financial Services Agency. The expansion of the Zengin System discussed in Part 1 is seen laying the groundwork for innovation to create enhanced payment services in the retail sector to more seamlessly bring together financial and IT facets. Part 2 considers advancements in payment services that support corporate growth through the effective use of BOJ-NET.