For most of its history, Japan’s Zengin System processed transfers only during weekday banking hours. That changed in 2018 with the launch of the More Time System, which extended real-time transfers to run around the clock. A larger overhaul is now planned for the end of the decade. This page explains how real-time transfers work in Japan today and what is coming next.

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The Core Time and More Time systems

Japan’s real-time transfers run on two systems that work together to cover different hours of the day.

Core Time System

The long-established platform that operates during weekday business hours (roughly 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.), handling the bulk of daytime transfers.

More Time System

Launched in October 2018, this separate platform runs outside those hours, enabling banks to receive transferred funds 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Together, the two mean a customer can send a transfer at any hour and the recipient’s bank can receive it in real time, including nights, weekends, and public holidays. The Zengin System has supported 24/7 operations since 2018.
Alongside the More Time System, Japan introduced the Zengin EDI System (ZEDI), which lets businesses attach commercial information (such as transaction details) to their remittance messages. This is Japan’s move toward the kind of rich payment data that the ISO 20022 standard supports.

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Why adoption is still modest

Even with round-the-clock real-time transfers available, uptake has been gradual. Japan remains a cash-preferring market, and real-time transfers make up only a small share of total payments. The infrastructure is capable, but customer habits have been slow to shift.

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What is changing by 2030

A government-backed study group has proposed building a new payment system to replace the ageing Zengin platform, with a target launch around 2030. The plan aims to add capabilities that the current system cannot support.
Sending money using a phone number or email, powered by a new proxy directory, similar in spirit to Australia’s PayID.
Moving to the global data standard, with conversion tools so banks do not have to overhaul their core systems immediately.
Replacing the current one-way messaging model, which unlocks real-time status checks and better error handling.
Designed to be able to connect with regional fast-payment linking initiatives across Asia in the future.
The plan is a proposal with a target, not a finished system. The new platform is expected to run alongside the existing Zengin System at first, with a gradual transition. Treat 2030 as a direction of travel rather than a firm switch-over date.
If you are planning for Japan over the next several years, the takeaway is that real-time, alias-based, richly-detailed transfers are coming, but the current Zengin-based flow is what you build for today.