Chinese travelers to Japan can rely on more payment options as Alipay says it is now supported by nearly 4,000 retail vendors in Japan.

Those Japanese vendors include international airports like Narita International Airport and Kansai International Airport; home appliance stores like Bic Camera, Yamada Denki, Edion, and Joshin; department stores like Takashimaya, Daimaru, Tokyu, Odakyu, Tobu, and Kintetsu; duty free shops like Don Quijote, Takeya, and Laox; apparel brands like Uniqlo, United Arrows, and Beams; convenience stores like 7-11, Lawson, and Family Mart; and cosmetic outlets stores like Kirindo, Kyorindo, and Welcia.

At the end of September 2015, China's Ant Financial Group and Japan's Recruit Lifestyle jointly announced Alipay's formal entry into the Japanese market and access to the smart POS network of Recruit's 176,000 vendors.

Alipay's major target customers in Japan are Chinese tourists. Meanwhile it serves important vendors where Chinese tourists purchase the most. However, this Chinese third-party payment service provider has not yet implemented services targeting Japanese consumers.

Chen Qingyang, head of Japan market of Ant Financial's overseas business unit, said that different countries have different regulatory styles, business habits, and market volumes. They will make strategies in accordance to the features of specific countries and may introduce Alipay to Japanese based on further research.