????日本這個國家的國民深深熱愛現(xiàn)金，甚至有些睥睨信用卡，如何去說服他們?nèi)ニ⑹謾C來支付商品和服務(wù)費用呢？不幸的是，對于日本低迷的經(jīng)濟和那些希望我們所有人都用上移動電子錢包的信用卡公司而言，這個問題依舊沒有明確的答案。

????最近針對日本人是否喜歡用電子錢包技術(shù)的一項調(diào)查透露了一些端倪。一位23歲的男子在受訪時稱：“我個人喜歡用現(xiàn)金。”這是一個典型的樣本回答。而這種技術(shù)已經(jīng)存在于日本6,500萬只手機中了。另一位40來歲的女士稱：“我覺得我無法去信任這種技術(shù)的安全性。”對于eBay公司和蘋果公司（Apple）而言，這不是什么令人鼓舞的消息。eBay公司在美國國內(nèi)的移動支付業(yè)務(wù)是它的一大支柱，而有傳言稱，蘋果公司將在下一代iPhone智能手機中搭載電子錢包芯片。

????為了提振低迷的經(jīng)濟，日本政府大約在8年前就提出了通過手機進行無線支付的設(shè)想（依據(jù)的理論是：無現(xiàn)金社會將有助于遏制日本揮之不去的通貨緊縮問題）。日本的數(shù)字錢包可在商店或通過與信用卡公司的安排進行充值。當消費者在零售商的終端旁觸碰或刷電子錢包時，采用短距離無線通信的近場通信（NFC）等技術(shù)就會進行無線金融交易。它支持了近距離設(shè)備之間的數(shù)據(jù)交換。駐東京的移動技術(shù)顧問史蒂夫?永田說：“日本在手機錢包技術(shù)領(lǐng)域的部署肯定遙遙領(lǐng)先于世界其他地區(qū)。”

????2004年，NTT DoCoMo公司為它的手機產(chǎn)品推出了名為手機錢包（Osaifu-Keitai）的電子錢包服務(wù)。這項服務(wù)基于近距離無線通信（NFC）標準之一——FeliCa通信協(xié)議。由于目前日本所有的移動電話運營商都支持手機錢包服務(wù)，F(xiàn)eliCa在當?shù)匾殉蔀槭聦嵣系臉藴省５侥壳盀橹梗毡救珖呀?jīng)擁有六大相互競爭的非現(xiàn)金支付系統(tǒng)，并已在手機中大量嵌入。手機錢包包括電子貨幣、身份卡、會員卡，甚至各種繳費功能。

????電子錢包的吸引力顯而易見。例如，在Docomo版的電子錢包中充入日元后，我發(fā)現(xiàn)能夠便捷地用它來搭乘公共交通，支付餐費，甚至在日本無處不在的自動售貨機上買些罐頭茶。其他近場通訊技術(shù)應(yīng)用程序還能讓用戶的手機變成登機牌或演唱會門票。那么，對便利性和新事物有點神經(jīng)質(zhì)般癡迷的日本人怎么會冷落如此新穎和極佳的工具呢？

????How do you persuade a nation that is deeply in love with cash -- and even looks askance at credit cards -- to pay for goods and services with the swipe of a phone? Unfortunately for Japan's dawdling economy and the credit card firms who hope to thrust such mobile e-wallets on all of us the answer to that question remains decidedly unclear.

????A recent survey tells the tale: "I'm a cash man myself," was a typical sample answer from a 23-year-old man in a poll that asked Japanese if they'd like to use the e-wallet technology that already exists in 65 million phones across the country. "I don't feel I can trust the security aspect," was another from a woman in her forties. Hardly encouraging for companies such as eBay (EBAY), boosted by mobile payments at home, and Apple (AAPL) which is rumored to be adding an e-wallet chip to its next iPhone.

????Conceived by a government determined to bolster a drooping economy (a cashless society would help snuff out Japan's dogged deflation is the theory) paying for stuff wirelessly through mobile phones has been around in Japan for eight years now. Japanese digital wallets can be loaded with cash at stores or through an arrangement with a credit card company. Technologies, such as near field communication (NFC) that employs short-range wireless communications, carry out financial transactions wirelessly when they touch or are swiped near a retailer's terminal. This allows data exchange between devices in close proximity. "Japan is certainly way ahead of the rest of the world with its 'Osaifu-Keitai' (literally 'wallet phone') implementation," says Tokyo-based mobile technology consultant Steve Nagata.

????NTT Docomo (DCM) launched an electronic wallet service named Osaifu-Keitai for its mobile phones in 2004 based on the "FeliCa communications protocol," one of the NFC standards. Now that Osaifu services are supported by all Japan's mobile phone carriers FeliCa has become a de facto standard there. So far, the country has six main competing cashless payment systems, many of them embedded into mobile phones. Osaifu services include electronic money, identity card, loyalty card, and even fare collection.

????The appeal of an e-wallet is obvious. For example, after loading Docomo's version with yen, I found it simple to access public transportation, pay for meals, and even persuade one of Japan's omnipresent vending machines to cough up some tinned tea. Other NFC apps allow you to turn your phone into a boarding pass or concert ticket. So how come Japan, with its slightly unhinged obsession for total convenience and the new, has managed to snub such novel and terrific expedience?