“Japan's mobile payment and QR code systems were proprietary Japan-only systems using custom standards.”
While Japan developed its own domestic QR code payment ecosystem (such as PayPay, Rakuten Pay, and the unified JPQR standard), these systems are based on the globally recognized, open-standard QR code technology (originally invented in Japan by Denso Wave) and have increasingly integrated with inter
Describing the systems as "proprietary Japan-only standards" is misleading because the underlying technology (QR codes) is a global open standard, and Japan has actively implemented initiatives like JPQR to unify domestic services while building compatibility with international payment systems and foreign QR standards.
Judged as of Oct 14, 2025— the video's publish date
QR codes were invented in Japan in 1994, and Japanese mobile carriers integrated QR code scanning and contactless mobile payment systems (such as FeliCa-based payments) into feature phones during the early 2000s, years before the iPhone's 2007 debut.