APA Hotel has launched a pilot program with blockchain developer UPBOND and travel booking platform JapanTicket that combines AI travel recommendations with payments through JPYC, a yen-denominated stablecoin. The service is aimed at foreign travelers visiting Japan and is intended to connect itinerary suggestions and checkout into a single flow while addressing common issues such as high foreign exchange fees, exchange-rate losses, and failed credit card payments.
Check-in serves as the starting point
The project begins when travelers check in at an APA Hotel. It runs through the Login 3.0 platform, which combines identity verification and payment functions to deliver personalized services. The system uses an Agentic Wallet computing architecture and relies on AI-generated data to recommend local dining and cultural experiences to guests.
Examples listed in the report include sushi restaurant and izakaya reservations, handmade chopsticks workshops, and department store discount coupons. In practice, the hotel stay is being extended into spending across nearby commercial areas.
JPYC is used as the payment rail
The payment layer is built around JPYC, a yen stablecoin issued by JPYC Corporation. According to the report, foreign visitors in Japan often face high fees on overseas card transactions, losses tied to currency conversion, and cases where cross-border card payments are rejected by the system.
By bringing in JPYC, the partners are using blockchain-based real-time settlement and lower transaction costs to offer a smoother checkout option for travelers. The setup is also meant to help local merchants reduce cross-border payment disputes and fee burdens.
Existing usage data for JPYC and Login 3.0
The report said JPYC’s cumulative transaction value has reached about 2.8 billion yen, a figure it presented as a sign that Japanese companies are showing stronger willingness to adopt stablecoins in real business settings. Login 3.0 already has about 1 million crypto wallet users, with more than 4,000 daily active users, giving the demonstration program an established user base and technical support.
The partnership ties together APA Hotel’s accommodation traffic, JapanTicket’s local travel inventory, and UPBOND’s blockchain infrastructure to show how stablecoins can be used in tourism.
JPYC recently closed an extended Series B round
The article also noted that JPYC recently completed an extended Series B fundraising round worth about 6 billion yen, or roughly $38 million. Tokyo Stock Exchange-listed logistics company AZ-COM Maruwa Holdings led the round with a 1 billion yen investment, while Metaplanet Ventures, a unit of listed company Metaplanet, invested 400 million yen.
ABMedia described the initiative as a new attempt to combine Web3 technology with Japan’s tourism industry. If the model is expanded to more tourist destinations and hotel chains, it could help accelerate upgrades and internationalization in Japan’s digital payment ecosystem.