About 300 shops and restaurants have already introduced PayPay and China's Alipay as part of efforts to follow the trend of cashless payments and to welcome more inbound tourists.

Nobumasa Takahashi, chairman of the Yokohama Chinatown Development Association. Some restaurants and shops in Yokohama Chinatown are pinning their hopes on a rebate program for cashless purchases aimed at mitigating the impact of the sales tax increase to 10 percent from 8 percent.

© Kyodo