Is Japan Finally Going Cashless? The Pros and Cons

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1. 01Is Japan Finally Going Cashless?

   Good afternoon, everyone. Japan has long been known as a country that loves cash. But when I visited my grandmother in Fukuoka last year, even she paid for her groceries with her phone. Today, I'll look at how fast Japan is going cashless, and the pros and cons.

   大家午安。日本一直以來都被認為是一個熱愛現金的國家。但是去年我去福岡看望奶奶時，連她買菜都是用手機付款。今天，我想看看日本無現金化的速度有多快，以及它的利與弊。

2. 02The Numbers

   According to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, cashless payments made up forty-two point eight percent of consumer spending in 2024. That passed the government's goal of around forty percent.

   根據經濟產業省的資料，2024年，無現金支付佔消費者支出的百分之四十二點八。這超過了政府設定的大約百分之四十的目標。

   Source: Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), "2024 Ratio of Cashless Payment Among the Total Amount Paid by Consumers" (March 2025)

3. 03How People Pay

   Most of it is still credit cards, about eighty-three percent of cashless payments. QR code payments on smartphones are around ten percent, followed by electronic money and debit cards.

   其中大部分仍然是信用卡，約佔無現金支付的百分之八十三。智慧手機上的二維碼支付約佔百分之十，其次是電子貨幣和簽帳金融卡。

   Source: Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), "2024 Ratio of Cashless Payment Among the Total Amount Paid by Consumers" (March 2025)

4. 04Pro: Convenience and Speed

   The advantages are easy to see. Paying with a card or phone is faster, there's no heavy coin purse, and visitors from abroad don't need to carry large amounts of yen.

   好處顯而易見。用卡或手機付款更快，不用帶沉甸甸的零錢包，外國遊客也不需要攜帶大量日元。

5. 05Pro: Help for Small Shops

   Cashless payments can also help shops. Staff spend less time counting cash at night, and sales records are created automatically, which helps shops with only a few staff.

   無現金支付也能幫助店鋪。店員晚上花在清點現金上的時間更少了，銷售記錄也會自動生成，這對人手很少的店鋪很有幫助。

6. 06Con: Not Everyone Can Keep Up

   However, there are real concerns. Some older people find apps confusing and prefer cash. Small shops pay fees on every card payment. And in an earthquake or power outage, cash may be the only thing that works.

   不過，也確實存在一些擔憂。有些老年人覺得應用程式很難用，更喜歡用現金。小店每一筆刷卡交易都要支付手續費。而且一旦發生地震或停電，現金可能是唯一能用的東西。

7. 07Finding the Balance

   In my view, the goal shouldn't be a completely cashless Japan. Shops should keep accepting cash, communities could offer simple classes on payment apps, and families should keep a little cash at home for emergencies.

   在我看來，目標不應該是讓日本完全無現金化。店鋪應該繼續接受現金，社羣可以開設簡單的支付應用課程，家庭也應該在家裡留一點現金以備緊急情況。

8. 08Conclusion

   To conclude, Japan is changing faster than many people expected. The challenge now is to enjoy the convenience without leaving anyone behind. Thank you.

   最後，日本的變化比很多人預想的都要快。現在的挑戰是，在享受便利的同時，不讓任何一個人掉隊。謝謝大家。