Indian tourists visiting Japan will soon be able to make payments using their Unified Payments Interface (UPI) apps at select shops and businesses across the country.
This new facility follows a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the National Payments Corporation of India’s international arm, NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL), and NTT DATA Japan, a subsidiary of the NTT DATA Group, reported Economic Times.
Under the agreement, merchants in Japan who are part of the NTT DATA network will begin accepting UPI payments. This means Indian travellers will be able to pay for goods and services simply by scanning QR codes through their mobile UPI apps, just like they do in India. The initiative is expected to make transactions easier and reduce the need for cash or forex cards during travel.
Masanori Kurihara, Head of Payments at NTT DATA Japan, said the introduction of UPI payments will help both sides. “Indian tourists will be able to shop more conveniently, while Japanese merchants will be able to capture new business,” he said, reported Economic Times.
The move comes at a time when Japan is seeing a steady rise in Indian visitors. Between January and August 2025, more than 208,000 Indian tourists travelled to Japan, according to Travel and Leisure. The collaboration is expected to enhance Japan’s tourism ecosystem by offering a familiar, safe, and quick payment option for Indian travellers.
This marks the first time UPI services are being introduced in East Asia. Currently, Indian travellers can already use UPI in countries such as France, the UAE, Nepal, Mauritius, Peru, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Qatar, and Bhutan.
Shivam Verma is a journalist with over three years of experience in digital newsrooms. He currently works at NewsX, having previously worked for Firstpost and DNA India. A postgraduate diploma holder in Integrated Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, Shivam focuses on international affairs, diplomacy, defence, and politics. Beyond the newsroom, he is passionate about football—both playing and watching—and enjoys travelling to explore new places and cuisines.
