From meiwaku to tokushita!: lessons for digital money design from japan

Based on ethnographically-inspired research in Japan, we report on people's experiences using digital money payment systems that use Sony's FeliCa near-field communication smartcard technology. As an example of ubiquitous computing in the here and now, the adoption of digital money is found to be messy and contingent, shot through with cultural and social factors that do not hinder this adoption but rather constitute its specific character. Adoption is strongly tied to Japanese conceptions of the aesthetic and moral virtue of smooth flow and avoidance of commotion, as well as the excitement at winning something for nothing. Implications for design of mobile payment systems stress the need to produce open-ended platforms that can serve as the vehicle for multiple meanings and experiences without foreclosing such possibilities in the name of efficiency. Author Keywords Digital money, e-cash, e-wallets, mobile payment, ethnography, Japan, ubiquitous computing. ACM Classificatio...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2008
• Where: CHI
• Authors: Scott D. Mainwaring, Wendy March, Bill Maurer
• Keywords: CHI 2008, Digital Money Payment, Human Computer Interaction, Keywords Digital Money, Mobile Payment Systems