Japan tests stablecoin retail payments via Lawson pilot and Netstars
Japanese retailers are beginning to accept stablecoin payments at the checkout counter, signaling that the country's strict regulatory framework is finally translating into commercial adoption.
Convenience store operator Lawson will test yen-denominated stablecoin payments at a Tokyo location this August. In parallel, Japanese payments company Netstars launched a commercial service on Monday that allows merchants to accept major stablecoins, marking a concrete step toward everyday crypto retail adoption.
The Lawson pilot involves blockchain company HashPort and telecom group KDDI, targeting the retailer's Takanawa Gateway City store. Customers will use a non-custodial wallet provided by HashPort. The system is designed to integrate directly into standard point-of-sale terminals, meaning the store can process digital asset transactions without opening or managing its own cryptocurrency wallets.
Netstars' Stablecoin Pay service initially supports USDC, USDT, and the yen-backed JPYC across the Solana and Polygon networks, with MetaMask as the first supported wallet. The company has set a merchant payment fee of 0.98% and stated it plans to integrate additional blockchains and wallets over time.
For market professionals, the technical architecture of the Netstars launch is particularly notable. Merchants can utilize their existing payment hardware in most cases. More importantly, they can maintain product pricing, sales records, and final settlement entirely in yen, even when a customer chooses to pay with a dollar-denominated stablecoin like USDC.
This structure deliberately shields traditional businesses from the volatility and operational complexity that have historically kept digital assets out of mainstream commerce. By absorbing the exchange rate risk and eliminating the need for merchants to hold crypto on their balance sheets, Netstars and HashPort are building bridges between Web3 infrastructure and legacy retail systems.
These commercial deployments are the direct result of Japan's early move to regulate the sector. A dedicated stablecoin framework took effect on June 1, 2023, when amendments to the Payment Services Act created specific legal categories for fiat-linked tokens. The law requires intermediaries to register with the Financial Services Agency.
That regulatory foundation enabled a clear pipeline of product approvals. USDC distribution was approved in March 2025, followed by JPYC's registration as a fund transfer service provider in August of that year and its market launch in October. Netstars' commercial rollout follows earlier, localized trials at Tokyo's Haneda Airport and a trading-card store in Himeji, proving that the technology can now scale.
