Japan

Japan Airlines (JAL) has added coupons and special offers to its NFC-enabled boarding pass service and announced plans to extend operations to include customers of all three of Japan's mobile network operators. KDDI customers have... More

Nintendo is looking at using the NFC functionality on the Wii U controller to let users make payments for games using contactless cards, as well as for interacting with NFC-enabled toys and cards, the company... More

"We are bringing the traditional, static in-store experience to life with Codemasters," tag platform provider Tapit's Niklas Bakos has told NFC World. "We are creating a digital experience to allow customers to interact with the product on a different level." More

Identive has launched a Japanese version of its online NFC tag store. "In addition to an array of tags in the globally accepted NFC Forum Types 1, 2 and 4, for the Japanese market Identive... More

NEC has launched a turnkey prepaid payments service that includes cloud-based system servers, cards, smartphone apps and payment terminals and is available in both Japan and internationally. The Integrated Electronic Money Solution provides customers with... More

The first game to make use of the NFC capabilities in the Nintendo Wii U is to launch in Japan on 24 April. The new Pokemon Rumble U Pokemon Scramble U game will work with... More

Mobile network operators in the three countries have agreed technical specifications that will enable consumers to make use of NFC payments and other services in both their home country and abroad. More

Dog owners can use the Fujitsu Wandant NFC-enabled pedometer, an Android NFC phone and a cloud-based analysis service to collect and track detailed information about their pet's health and fitness. More

Drinks distributor Suntory is promoting the launch of Pepsi Special in Japan via NFC tags placed on two Tokyo railway lines that offer travellers the chance to win free samples and access information about the new "fat-busting" soda drink. More

Japanese payment brand JCB has begun a one month trial of a new JCB Mobile Wallet platform in Tokyo's Omotesando shopping district and says it will launch the product commercially in 2013. The JCB Mobile... More

The Japanese carrier, founder of Japan's Osaifu-Keitai mobile wallet service, has signed a deal with MasterCard that will see its 17m iD mobile credit card holders being able to use a new generation of phones to make payments at MasterCard Paypass merchants in 41 countries as well as at 560,000 Osaifu-Keitai points of sale in Japan. More

"Docomo and KT plan to share the results of their commercial endeavor with global associations and standardization bodies, aiming to promote the realization of a commercial environment for globally compatible NFC services," the Japanese and Korean carriers say. More

Consumers buying a range of Panasonic appliances including washing machines, rice cookers, air conditioners, washer/driers, a microwave oven, a refrigerator and a range of healthcare devices will be able to interact with the devices using either an NFC phone or a Japanese Osaifu-Keitai mobile wallet phone. More

Fashion chain Gap has used wristbands and NFC phones to allow customers to vote for the best dressed staff at two stores in Tokyo. Customers were given contactless wristbands which were then "high fived" against... More

Japanese mobile operator KDDI will offer the world's first phone with both NFC and Felica support from this summer. The Sharp Aquos Phone Serie will support Japan's widely-used Felica contactless payment system as well as... More

The first international NFC marketing service is to go live on 1 April, allowing customers of NTT Docomo and KT to collect and redeem special offers from NFC posters in both Japan and Korea — and payments and ticketing services as well as the participation of carriers in additional Asian countries are set to follow. More

The chip maker has followed Samsung in announcing it will work with FeliCa Networks to develop solutions that allow phones to work with both NFC and Japan's existing Osaifu-Keitai mobile wallet service. More

The Japanese firm has developed a field service and asset management system that integrates with Salesforce, allowing data gathered by technicians reading NFC tags in the field to be automatically posted back to the CRM system.  More

The world's first physical retail store specialising in NFC has been opened in Yaesu, Tokyo. The RFID/NFC Real Touch Shop offers NFC tags from UPM RFID, NFC applications, starter kits, and printing and encoding services.... More

The mobile network operator will begin commercial NFC services from the end of January with partners including Japan Airlines, credit card issuers, loyalty programme providers and retailers. More