Japan's Stablecoin Push: Lawson Tests JPYC, SBI Preps JPYSC Yield

Lawson will test JPYC stablecoin payments at a Tokyo store in August 2026, marking Japan's first POS-integrated yen-backed digital currency retail trial. SBI Group simultaneously prepares to launch a yield-bearing JPYSC lending service, signalling accelerating institutional adoption of yen stablecoins. If you are building stablecoin rails or payments infrastructure in Asia, Japan just moved from regulatory sandbox to retail POS — and the first mover (Lawson) is already live. SBI's yield product means the market is moving past payments into liquidity services; your competition is now institutional, not retail.