Japan's finance

Orix will become the first player in Japan's finance industry to try to give Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding's online payment platform significant reach in Japan.

     Alipay, which boasts more than 450 million users, lets shoppers pay at brick-and-mortar stores with their smartphones. The cashier uses a special terminal to scan a bar code displayed on the phones' screen. The service's ease of use for consumers has fueled its explosive popularity in China, mainly among young people.