JCB, Digital Garage and Lawson to Test USDC Payments in Tokyo

JCB is Japan’s largest credit card network, with about 40 million merchants worldwide, while Circle issues the U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin USDC. Since Japan amended its Payment Services Act in 2023 to establish a legal framework for stablecoins, regulators and businesses have continued working to integrate the tokens into everyday commerce. A partnership between a traditional card network and a stablecoin issuer could bring stablecoin payments directly to mainstream merchants and consumers through existing acquiring and settlement infrastructure, making the initiative an important indicator of changes in Japan’s payments landscape.

JCB and Circle signed a memorandum of understanding in July 2026 to test USDC payments in Japan. The first phase will use internal JCB fund transfers for a proof of concept. If the technology proves viable, the partners plan to expand it gradually to cross-border payments and merchant transactions, aiming to improve payment efficiency and reduce foreign-exchange costs for international visitors. If fully implemented, the project could give USDC access to about 40 million merchants through JCB’s network, making it one of Japan’s largest stablecoin commercialization efforts.

As fintech and blockchain applications expand rapidly, stablecoins are gradually moving beyond online transactions into everyday physical settings. Japanese convenience-store giant Lawson’s latest initiative marks the country’s first attempt to integrate a yen-denominated stablecoin directly into a physical retailer’s point-of-sale system. The project could substantially streamline checkout and signals stablecoins’ expansion from conventional financial remittance services into mainstream brick-and-mortar retail, making it a significant industry benchmark.

Lawson plans to launch a pilot for payments using the yen-denominated JPYC stablecoin in August 2026, with blockchain technology company HashPort providing the core technical support. The pilot will focus on testing transaction-system stability in physical stores and the smooth real-time updating of balances at checkout. If completed successfully, the trial would offer an important practical example of seamlessly linking decentralized financial tools with traditional retail checkout systems in Japan.