Indian tourists visiting Japan may soon enjoy the convenience of paying with the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), thanks to a new partnership between NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL), the global arm of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), and Japan’s NTT DATA. The agreement was signed on Tuesday and aims to simplify digital payments for Indian travellers.
Under the MoU, UPI will be accepted at merchant locations managed by NTT DATA, allowing tourists to make payments by simply scanning QR codes with their familiar UPI apps. This will provide a seamless and secure payment experience similar to what users are accustomed to in India.
“The MoU lays the foundation for a strategic alliance and marks a significant step towards UPI acceptance in the Japanese market, enhancing the payment experience for Indian tourists,” NPCI stated.
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About NTT DATA Japan:
NTT DATA operates CAFIS, Japan’s largest card payment processing network, which connects merchants, banks, and ATMs nationwide. The collaboration is expected to integrate UPI into this ecosystem, expanding payment options for Indian visitors.
Currently, UPI is accepted in several international markets, including:
Bhutan, France, Mauritius, Nepal, Singapore, Sri Lanka, UAE, and Qatar.
Comments from Officials:
Ritesh Shukla, MD & CEO of NPCI International, said, “This partnership is a major step toward enhancing the digital payment experience for Indian travellers. It also reflects our ambition to expand UPI globally and establish it as a trusted international payment system.”
Masanori Kurihara, Head of Payments at NTT DATA Japan, added, “This collaboration is an important milestone in offering more payment choices for inbound Indian travellers. Enabling UPI will simplify shopping and payments while helping Japanese merchants grow their business.”
Growing Indian Tourism in Japan:
Between January and August 2025, over 208,000 Indian tourists visited Japan, a 36% increase compared to the same period in 2024. This highlights the growing importance of India-Japan travel and the need for convenient digital payment options.
With this development, Indian travellers to Japan will soon be able to enjoy familiar, fast, and secure UPI payments, making their shopping and travel experiences smoother than ever.
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