On February 25, Takehiro Suenari (Board Director and COO) and Takehiro Taguchi (Executive Officer) represented us at the “NIKKEI Digital Forum in ASIA — New Economic Growth ~ Next Generation Power ~” in Hanoi, Vietnam.
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Organized by Nikkei Inc. and Nikkei BP, the forum aimed to deepen cooperation between Japan and ASEAN under the vision of “Creating a more convenient and prosperous world through data and digital revolution from Asia.” Amidst a gathering of government and industry leaders, we joined a panel discussion titled “Design Innovation and Payment Services in Vietnam” alongside Takuya Wakui (JCB), Hirokazu Ishii (NTT DATA Vietnam), Daisuke Teruta (Payoo), and moderator Tetsuo Katsumata (Nikkei BP).
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In Vietnam’s rapidly digitizing landscape, the discussion focused on how to build “experiences that users choose” beyond mere functionality. The panel explored the future of service design in Asia through case studies, including the user-centric renewal process of the “MyJCB” app in Japan and the launch of Aeon Beta Cinema—Vietnam’s first cinema built on a “cashless-first” premise.
\n","type":"text"},{"ol":null,"ul":null,"headline1":"Service Design Rooted in the User's \"Daily Life\"","headline2":null,"headline3":null,"text":null,"type":"headline1"},{"ol":null,"ul":null,"headline1":null,"headline2":null,"headline3":null,"text":"The session opened with a focus on JCB’s digital strategy, discussing how to integrate services deeply into user behavior. A symbolic example was the renewal of the “MyJCB” app in Japan, which prioritized a deep dive into user psychology—insights that quantitative data alone could never reveal.
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\nTakehiro Taguchi (FOURDIGIT):
\n“For the renewal, we conducted face-to-face interviews with over 50 users. What became clear was that users aren’t unaware of the functions; rather, those functions aren’t connected to the context of their daily lives. Even if frequency data is low, latent needs often hide elsewhere. We re-designed the presentation of functions and the communication style by capturing ‘emotional shifts’—the specific moments, expectations, and anxieties users feel when they open the app. By shifting to a design that aligns with the user’s lifestyle flow, we directly impacted business results.”
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This philosophy of “entering the user’s living space” also aligns with the strategy for “Zalo Mini Apps” in the Vietnamese market. By building services within Zalo—the messaging app with a dominant share in Vietnam—the goal was to remove the barrier of downloading a standalone app and instead melt functionality into the platform users use every day.
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\n","type":"text"}],"youtube":{"size":"large","alternative_id":null},"visual_set":{"caption":null,"size":"large","visual":null}},{"type":"visual_set","block":{"sections":null,"title":null,"text":null},"info":{"text":null,"contact":null},"text_set":null,"youtube":{"size":"large","alternative_id":null},"visual_set":{"caption":null,"size":"small","visual":"/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/img_p4_03.jpg"}},{"type":"text_set","block":{"sections":null,"title":null,"text":null},"info":{"text":null,"contact":null},"text_set":[{"ol":null,"ul":null,"headline1":"A Trinity of Partners: Realizing Vietnam’s First \"Cashless-First\" Cinema","headline2":null,"headline3":null,"text":null,"type":"headline1"},{"ol":null,"ul":null,"headline1":null,"headline2":null,"headline3":null,"text":"Takuya Wakui (JCB):
\n“Digitalization is faster in Vietnam than in Japan, and mobile is the foundation of life. Previously, we provided services for high-net-worth individuals via a telephone hotline, but in today’s market, that had actually become a barrier. We chose Zalo because it is ‘where the users already are.’ By physically removing the hurdles of awareness, downloading, and logging in, and placing the service as an extension of daily communication, usage rates have increased 1.5 to 2 times compared to the telephone era.”
The next case study featured Aeon Beta Cinema, Aeon Entertainment’s first foray into Vietnam. In this project, we led the UI/UX design, working alongside NTT DATA Vietnam (system development) and Payoo (payment infrastructure). This close partnership from the upstream stages allowed the three companies to create an unprecedented customer experience. The primary challenge was to redefine operations from the ground up based on a “cashless” premise.
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\nHirokazu Ishii (NTT DATA Vietnam):
\n“We aimed for a seamless experience—from online reservations to ticket purchases at on-site kiosks and food orders. We pursued a balance of prioritizing user convenience while reducing the operational load on staff. This led to the decision to design for a ‘cashless-first’ environment from the start. Aligning payment and system logic from the design phase was a key factor in our success.”
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\n","type":"text"}],"youtube":{"size":"large","alternative_id":null},"visual_set":{"caption":null,"size":"large","visual":null}},{"type":"visual_set","block":{"sections":null,"title":null,"text":null},"info":{"text":null,"contact":null},"text_set":null,"youtube":{"size":"large","alternative_id":null},"visual_set":{"caption":null,"size":"small","visual":"/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/img_p4_04.jpg"}},{"type":"text_set","block":{"sections":null,"title":null,"text":null},"info":{"text":null,"contact":null},"text_set":[{"ol":null,"ul":null,"headline1":"From \"Function\" to \"Emotion\": The Future of Loyalty and Real-Time Experience","headline2":null,"headline3":null,"text":null,"type":"headline1"},{"ol":null,"ul":null,"headline1":null,"headline2":null,"headline3":null,"text":"Takehiro Suenari (FOURDIGIT):
\n“In Japan, we tend to replace existing offline experiences with digital ones. In Vietnam, however, we can leapfrog and provide a ‘new standard’ immediately. Users here are very flexible and ready to accept new technologies. The most significant factor in this project was that all three companies were completely aligned on the vision of ‘what value we wanted to deliver’ from the beginning. Because system, payment, and design were refined as a trinity, we achieved a staggering cashless ratio of over 90% immediately after launch.”
The discussion then turned to how payment—a functional act often associated with the “pain of paying”—can be transformed into positive emotions like joy. A specific solution highlighted was JCB’s “HAPPY WEEKEND” promotion, powered by Payoo’s technology.
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Daisuke Teruta (Payoo):
\n“Traditional cashback often arrives long after the purchase, making it hard for users to feel the benefit. To solve this, we used payment terminal functions to execute discounts the moment the payment is made. This real-time experience was incredibly effective; at some stores, sales grew 400%, generating an overwhelming response.”
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Takuya Wakui (JCB):
\n“We are aiming for ‘top-of-mind’ awareness—the idea that something good happens when you use JCB on the weekend. It’s not just a payment tool; it evokes the feeling that the weekend will be more fun. This digital experience embodies JCB’s brand concept, ‘Japan Cùng Bạn’ (Japan With You).”
In the closing remarks, the panel shared visions for the future, focusing on Vietnam’s unique speed and the evolving role of design in Asia.
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\nTakehiro Suenari (FOURDIGIT):
\n“There is much for Japanese companies to learn from the ‘quickness’ of Vietnamese firms, which release products at 70-80% completion and improve based on user feedback. Conversely, as the market matures, a shift from ‘quantity to quality’ becomes essential. I am confident that when Japan’s long-cultivated hospitality and meticulous UI/UX knowledge meet local needs, it becomes an incredibly powerful weapon.”
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\n","type":"text"}],"youtube":{"size":"large","alternative_id":null},"visual_set":{"caption":null,"size":"large","visual":null}},{"type":"visual_set","block":{"sections":null,"title":null,"text":null},"info":{"text":null,"contact":null},"text_set":null,"youtube":{"size":"large","alternative_id":null},"visual_set":{"caption":null,"size":"small","visual":"/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/P1001869-scaled.jpg"}},{"type":"text_set","block":{"sections":null,"title":null,"text":null},"info":{"text":null,"contact":null},"text_set":[{"ol":null,"ul":null,"headline1":null,"headline2":null,"headline3":null,"text":"Takehiro Taguchi (FOURDIGIT):
\n“No matter how much business accelerates or technology evolves, we must never forget the ‘origin’: how the user feels and uses the service. Valuing emotional resonance and keeping it at the core of business decisions is what will lead to true innovation in Asia.”
Participating in this forum was a significant opportunity to accelerate our expansion in Asia and reconsider how design can contribute to local challenges.
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As we continue to support DX and value creation through user-centered design, taking part in such forward-looking discussions provides vital momentum for our future activities. We will continue to serve as a bridge between Japan and ASEAN, co-creating solutions that solve social issues through design and working closely with local partners to create new value across the region.
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