今日のテキスト E-MONEY SHOPPING SURGES

Cash has long been king in Japan. That is starting to change, as more people are using e-money. Central bank officials say the use of electronic money last year surged nearly 30 percent.
The Bank of Japan data looks at eight common forms of e-money issued by railways, supermarkets and other businesses. The officials say people in Japan flashed mobile phones, stored-value cards and other digital tools to make about 32 billion dollars' worth of purchases in 2014. That's up 28 percent from the previous year in yen terms. The trend is continuing. Monthly data this year shows growth of 15 to 25 percent year-on-year.
The statistics also indicate that shoppers are going digital for small purchases. The average e-money transaction in March was for about eight dollars. More and more of Japan's restaurants, retailers and a range of other businesses are responding by complementing their cash registers with dedicated digital scanners.