Why Fintech Is Not Changing Japanese Banking

Abstract

Several years have passed since fintech first attracted attention in Japan. Although various new fintech services have emerged due to deregulation and policies to promote fintech's development and adoption, the overall composition and functioning of Japan's financial industry has not changed significantly despite fintech advances in other economies. The industry in Japan continues to be dominated by face-to-face interactions and has experienced little digitization. In Japan, sophisticated financial services were available before the widespread use of the internet, and most people have resisted conducting financial transactions using their smartphones. In addition, there has been almost no progress in digitizing accounting work in corporations. However, this stagnation in digitization on the demand side of financial services is changing for several reasons. Digitization in the government sector and the introduction of a new invoice system in 2023 will provide an opportunity for change. This time, Japan's financial services should undergo a significant digital transformation.