According to an article on one of Japan's leading tech newssites, PlusD ITMedia, Japan's "Suica" mobile phone payment system subscribers hit the 1m mark as of April 9th.
Mobile Suica is Japan Railways' license of Sony's touch-card Felica system embedded into your mobile phone. Many of you may be using this everyday unawares (in its non-mobile format) when you go to work everyday in the UK and Hong Kong using your "Oyster" card, and similarly when you use your "Navigo" pass on French public transport.
1m users two years after its start date on Jan 1st, 2008, means that discussions with manufacturers had been going on at least a few years previous to this, making the reality of seeing it on European mobiles still about 5 years away.
I can see mobiles being used more and more in the underground in Tokyo, although the use of the good-old card version, tucked into the folds of a wallet or pocket that you swipe over the reception area, is as popular in Tokyo as it is here in London or Paris...
