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A group of Buddhist temples in Kyōto Prefecture has begun rolling out a cashless payment system designed to conceal where people worship, an attempt to address long-standing concerns about religious freedom. The Kyōto Buddhist Organisation, which represents about 1,100 temples, said on 2 April that it had completed development of the Omairi Pay system. It allows visitors to pay admission fees or buy items such as protective amulets (お守り omamori) using credit cards, transport IC cards, or other forms of electronic money at dedicated on-site terminals.
The system was developed jointly with Tōkyō-based Valuedesign Inc. It has already been introduced at Eikandō Zenrin-ji (永観堂禅林寺), a temple known for its autumn foliage, where it began operating on 1 April at a shop on the grounds. Further roll-out is planned. Sites such as Kinkakuji (金閣寺) in Kyōto and Kōtoku-in (高徳院) in Kamakura, famous for the Great Buddha, are expected to follow. Payments for admission fees are due to start in July, and the system may eventually be extended to offerings.
At first glance, the system is simple. Visitors make payments at terminals, and transactions appear under a single label, Omairi Pay. What stands out is that the names of individual temples or shrines are not disclosed to payment service providers. The organisation said this was intentional. Officials had raised concerns as early as 2019 about the use of cashless systems in religious settings. If personal data or records of visits were accessible to third parties, they said, it could infringe on freedom of religion for both worshippers and temples. The group had also long been cautious about adopting such systems, arguing that religious practice should be kept separate from ordinary commercial activity. Practical pressures have been building. Cash use has been declining, and more visitors, particularly from overseas, expect to pay electronically. Some temples, including Zōjōji (増上寺) in Tōkyō, have already introduced existing cashless services, especially for foreign tourists.
Sojun Saburi, an executive director of the Kyōto Buddhist Organisation, said the group had struggled to address those concerns. He said he was pleased that their approach had been reflected in the final system, especially the decision not to disclose the names of temples and shrines in transaction data. The organisation said it aimed to enable cashless worship while preserving anonymity. The concern, they added, is that if religious activity becomes traceable, even indirectly, it could affect how freely people choose to visit temples or shrines.
Hm, technically, how can cashless payments be "anonymous"? And why not use other, existing cashless payment providers, such as PayPay?
about.omairipay.jp
The system was developed jointly with Tōkyō-based Valuedesign Inc. It has already been introduced at Eikandō Zenrin-ji (永観堂禅林寺), a temple known for its autumn foliage, where it began operating on 1 April at a shop on the grounds. Further roll-out is planned. Sites such as Kinkakuji (金閣寺) in Kyōto and Kōtoku-in (高徳院) in Kamakura, famous for the Great Buddha, are expected to follow. Payments for admission fees are due to start in July, and the system may eventually be extended to offerings.
At first glance, the system is simple. Visitors make payments at terminals, and transactions appear under a single label, Omairi Pay. What stands out is that the names of individual temples or shrines are not disclosed to payment service providers. The organisation said this was intentional. Officials had raised concerns as early as 2019 about the use of cashless systems in religious settings. If personal data or records of visits were accessible to third parties, they said, it could infringe on freedom of religion for both worshippers and temples. The group had also long been cautious about adopting such systems, arguing that religious practice should be kept separate from ordinary commercial activity. Practical pressures have been building. Cash use has been declining, and more visitors, particularly from overseas, expect to pay electronically. Some temples, including Zōjōji (増上寺) in Tōkyō, have already introduced existing cashless services, especially for foreign tourists.
Sojun Saburi, an executive director of the Kyōto Buddhist Organisation, said the group had struggled to address those concerns. He said he was pleased that their approach had been reflected in the final system, especially the decision not to disclose the names of temples and shrines in transaction data. The organisation said it aimed to enable cashless worship while preserving anonymity. The concern, they added, is that if religious activity becomes traceable, even indirectly, it could affect how freely people choose to visit temples or shrines.
Hm, technically, how can cashless payments be "anonymous"? And why not use other, existing cashless payment providers, such as PayPay?
Link:
おまいりPay｜寺院と神社でキャッシュレス決済ができる
「おまいりPay」のマークがある全国の寺院・神社でクレジットカードや各種電子マネーのキャッシュレス決済がご利用いただけます。永観堂禅林寺 / 相国寺承天閣美術館のほか、今後も順次、導入寺院の拡大を予定しています。
You can never be too careful when Interpol are after 
