Visiting Japan for your next vacation but concerned about managing payments?Worry no more!Indian tourists visiting Japan may soon be able to pay using the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), after NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL), the global arm of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), signed a deal with Japan’s NTT DATA on Tuesday.Under the agreement, UPI will be accepted at merchant locations managed by NTT DATA where Indian travellers will be able to pay by simply scanning QR codes using their usual UPI apps to make payments. This will offer a smoother and more familiar digital payment experience.“The MoU establishes the foundation for a strategic alliance, marking a significant step towards Unified Payments Interface (UPI) acceptance in the Japanese market to enhance payment experience for Indian tourists,” NPCI said.NTT DATA Japan, a key player in the country’s payment ecosystem, operates CAFIS, Japan’s largest card payment processing network, which links merchants, banks, and ATMs across the nation.
Here is a list of countries where you can pay using UPI:
Bhutan FranceMauritiusNepalSingaporeSri LankaUAEQatarRitesh Shukla, MD & CEO of NPCI International, said, “This partnership is an important step toward improving the digital payment experience for Indian travellers and simplifying cross-border payments. It also reflects our ambition to take UPI to more international markets and establish it as one of the most trusted digital payment systems globally.”Masanori Kurihara, Head of Payments in Japan at NTT DATA, added, “This collaboration marks an important milestone as we expand payment choices for inbound travellers from India. By enabling UPI, we aim to make shopping and payments easier for Indian tourists while supporting Japanese merchants to grow their business.”Between January and August 2025, over 208,000 Indian tourists visited Japan, up 36% from the same period in 2024, highlighting the growing importance of this travel corridor.