Japanese convenience store chain Lawson will begin testing a yen-pegged stablecoin, as a payment option, at its Takanawa Gateway City store in Tokyo in early August. The pilot, conducted with digital asset wallet provider Hashport, will let shoppers pay for goods by presenting a wallet barcode on their smartphones, which store employees will scan using existing point-of-sale (POS) terminals.
The demonstration is the first stablecoin payment trial in Japan linked directly to a retail POS system. Payment information will automatically update customers’ balances while allowing stores to manage purchase records, inventory, and payment data through their existing retail software. Lawson said it will decide on a broader rollout after evaluating payment speed and system stability during the trial.
🇯🇵 JUST IN : LAWSON TO TEST IN-STORE PAYMENT USING JPYC pic.twitter.com/yiNzXf1LAV
— Tiger Research (@tiger_research_) July 13, 2026
Retail is becoming the next test for stablecoins
This testing is designed to maintain a one-to-one value with the Japanese yen and is backed by traditional financial assets. Unlike many cryptocurrency payments, stablecoins are being promoted as a way to reduce merchant costs compared with credit cards and QR-code payment services.
Stablecoin use is already spreading beyond financial services in Japan. Restaurant chain Chibo began accepting stablecoin at selected locations earlier this year, while dental clinics in Tokyo and Chiba are preparing similar integrations with Hashport. Japan’s three largest banks, Mitsubishi UFJ, Sumitomo Mitsui, and Mizuho, are also running stablecoin pilots under the supervision of the Financial Services Agency.
Will retail stores lead stablecoin adoption?
Lawson’s pilot is about more than adding another payment option. Large retail chains process millions of transactions every day, giving them influence over which payment methods become familiar to consumers. If stablecoins reach shoppers through stores they already visit instead of through crypto exchanges, retailers could end up shaping adoption as much as banks or fintech companies.
That possibility creates a different competitive landscape. Payment providers, wallet companies, and banks would need to compete for access to retail checkout systems rather than simply attracting crypto users online. The value of a stablecoin would no longer depend only on issuance or trading volume, but also on how many merchants are willing to accept it.
Japan is one of the few markets where regulators, banks, wallet providers, and retailers are moving in the same direction. If Lawson expands the trial nationwide, other major retailers may face pressure to decide whether they need stablecoin support as well.
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