This is an English translation of our Japanese article. The Japanese version, the Kita City portal and the official Hoku Pay site are authoritative. This is written before the service launches. Anything marked as proposed or expected is not yet confirmed; check the official sites before acting.
Last updated: 31 August 2026. Based on the Tokyo Kita City portal, the official Hoku Pay site, Kita City budget and supplementary budget documents, the mayor's press conference transcript, and the Kita City newsletter.
The short answer. Kita City's digital local currency, Hoku Pay, goes live on Monday 5 October 2026. The same day opens applications for a 30%-premium issue and starts a download bonus for anyone who installs the app. On 26 August the ward published a supplementary budget that would add 1,500 points for residents, first come, first served, capped at 30,000 people. The ward expects to issue more than 1.8 billion yen in total. At that scale, waiting until launch day to start reading the rules means arriving late.
Graduating from "Shibusawa-kun Pay": the ward builds its own rails
Kita City has issued premium digital vouchers before, under the name Shibusawa-kun Pay, starting in fiscal 2024. But the payment rails were not its own — it ran on PayPay.
At the 9 February 2026 press conference on the annual budget, the mayor put it this way.
"We will develop Shibusawa-kun Pay, introduced from fiscal 2024, into a new digital local currency. It will be usable not only by residents but by people who work here, study here, and visit. It will promote sustained economic activity within the ward and circulation of money within the area." (Kita City mayoral press conference transcript, 9 February 2026)
Hoku Pay is therefore a shift from borrowing someone else's payment app to owning the rails. The name combines Kita ("hoku") with hoku-hoku, the warm feeling of contentment; the logo is built around cherry blossom. After a competitive proposal process with two entrants, Pocket Change Inc. was ranked first for contract negotiation.
The schedule up to 5 October
Three separate things all start on 5 October.
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| 29 July 2026 | Merchant applications opened (done) |
| 26 August 2026 | Supplementary budget published, including the resident-only point top-up (done) |
| 8 September 2026 | Third regular session of the Kita City assembly opens; the supplementary budget is tabled |
| 15 September 2026 | User support desk expected to open |
| 5 October 2026 | App launch / applications open for the 30%-premium issue / download campaign begins |
| 2 November 2026 | The 30%-premium issue becomes usable (successful applicants purchase up to their allotted units) |
Applying and spending are a month apart. 5 October opens applications; the premium value is only spendable from 2 November. The official site says successful applicants "purchase (top up) Hoku Pay up to their allotted number of units", which points to a lottery rather than first come, first served. Whether you can buy at all is not settled until you apply.
The 30%-premium issue
This is the headline. A premium-bearing digital local currency issued by the ward at 30% — up from the 20% of the old Shibusawa-kun Pay.
The price is currently press-reported, not official. Local media covering the mayor's press conference report a design of 5,000 yen for 6,500 yen of value. As of 31 August 2026, neither the Kita City site nor the official Hoku Pay site carries terms covering price, unit limits or how to apply. Formal terms are expected alongside the opening of applications on 5 October. Treat the figures below as an indication built on that reporting.
If it is 5,000 yen for 6,500 yen of value
Uplift per unit = 6,500 − 5,000 = 1,500 yen
Premium rate = 1,500 ÷ 5,000 = 30%
How many units one person may buy has not been published. Two units would mean 3,000 yen of uplift, four units 6,000 yen. The per-person unit cap is what really determines your take, and it is the first number to check when the terms appear on 5 October.
For reference, the ward's paper premium voucher for fiscal 2026 sold at 10,000 yen a book for 12,000 yen of value (a 20% premium), two books per person, 10,000 books, and sold out. Its expiry ran to 31 March 2028. Whether the digital terms resemble this remains to be seen.
The download bonus, and the proposed 1,500 points for residents
Separate from the vouchers, there are points simply for installing the app. These are first come, not a lottery.
First, 500 points for anyone
The official site says that from 5 October, "a first-come point gift for people who download the app and register an account". Local media covering the mayor's press conference report 500 points for the first 60,000 people.
Then a proposal to add 1,500 points for residents
This part is only days old. Kita City's supplementary budget (No. 4) for fiscal 2026 contains the following item.
"1. Kita City digital local currency project (increase) 45,000 thousand yen
Drawing on the national emergency grant for responding to price increases, an addition of 1,500 points for residents only, first come, capped at 30,000 people, will be made to the initial download campaign (500 points) for the digital local currency Hoku Pay, which begins operating in October." (Kita City press release, "Supplementary budget (No. 4) for fiscal 2026 compiled", 26 August 2026)
If passed, residents get 2,000 points in total
Open to anyone …… 500 points
Residents only …… 1,500 points (first 30,000)
Total 2,000 points
The 45 million yen divided by 1,500 points is exactly 30,000 people. There is no slack in the budget. And since the ward is targeting roughly 60,000 users by the end of fiscal 2026, the top-up covers half of them.
This is still a proposal. The supplementary budget is tabled at the third regular session of the Kita City assembly, opening on Tuesday 8 September. It only becomes certain once passed, and amounts or conditions could change during deliberation. Check the outcome before 5 October.
So how much is it worth?
| Component | Uplift | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Download campaign | 500 points | First 60,000 (press-reported). Install the app and register |
| Resident-only top-up | 1,500 points | Proposed. First 30,000, residents only |
| 30%-premium issue (one unit) | 1,500 yen | Apparently a lottery. 5,000 yen for 6,500 yen (press-reported). Unit cap unpublished |
| Total (one unit, if you make the top-up cut-off) | 3,500 yen | |
Non-residents — people who commute into Kita, study there, or visit to shop — can use Hoku Pay too, and the 500-point download bonus applies to them. The 1,500-point top-up is residents only, and the premium issue is likely aimed at residents as well; that needs confirming when the terms appear.
First-come caps can fill fast. The ward targets around 60,000 users by the end of the fiscal year, but the top-up covers 30,000. Have the app downloaded and your account ready so you can register on the morning of 5 October.
Points for taking part, not just for spending — a first among the 23 wards
One design choice sets Hoku Pay apart from other wards' apps: you can earn points by joining community activities.
The mayor said the scheme would "introduce a mechanism allowing points earned through community activities to be used at participating shops", naming three qualifying activities for fiscal 2026.
- The coming-of-age gathering
- The food education fair
- The shopping-street community supporters programme
The third recruits and registers people interested in running shopping-street events and working on the challenges those streets face; the mayor described it as "a ward-original initiative, the first among the 23 wards". Supporters receive digital local currency points.
On headline shopping rebates alone, Shibuya's Hachi Pay (8% year-round with ward verification) and Saitama's Sai Coin (3% on top-ups) are clearly higher. Hoku Pay front-loads its first-year campaigns instead, and no standing rebate rate has been published. The weight sits on earning by participating.
For shops in Kita: three fees at zero
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Setup cost | 0 yen |
| Payment fee | 0 yen (for the time being) |
| Transfer fee | 0 yen (for the time being) |
| Equipment needed | Just place a QR code. No special hardware or till modification, though an internet-connected PC is needed for operations such as cancellations |
| Settlement cycle | Payments from the 1st to the 15th land at month end; payments from the 16th to month end land on the 15th of the following month |
| Applying | Via the form on the official Hoku Pay site. Applications are checked and screened |
Shops applying late will not make the launch. The Kita City newsletter of 1 August 2026 states that shops wanting to accept Hoku Pay from 5 October are "recommended to apply by the end of August". This article publishes on 31 August, so that recommended deadline is today. Registering later is still possible, but being ready on day one is not.
Briefings for businesses are also scheduled for 7, 12 and 27 September and 11 and 21 October (advance booking; attendance is not required to apply).
Note the qualifier on the zero payment fee: "for the time being". Shibuya's Hachi Pay sets 0% permanently for small and medium-sized businesses and sole proprietors, whereas Hoku Pay's wording is time-limited. Watch the terms and the ward's announcements for any future change.
What to do now
- Check whether the supplementary budget passes at the assembly on 8 September. The resident-only 1,500 points is decided there
- The user support desk opens on 15 September if you want somewhere to ask questions
- On the morning of 5 October, download the app and register. The download bonus is first come
- The same day, read the terms for the 30%-premium issue. Check four things: price, per-person unit cap, application deadline, and lottery or first come
- On 2 November the premium value becomes spendable. If selected, purchase up to your allotted units
If smartphones are a barrier. The supplementary budget also carries 3,896 thousand yen for a smartphone advice desk aimed at closing the digital divide for older residents, planned at mobile carrier shops in the ward from January to March 2027 (by phone booking). It adds that a dedicated Hoku Pay desk is planned from launch through to the end of the year.
How serious is the ward about this?
The budget papers allocate 690,000 thousand yen across the 2026 industry revitalisation vision and the digital local currency project together. The ward's industrial and economic budget rose by about 900 million yen on the back of this currency and a large premium voucher programme. Reaching 60,000 users and 1,000 shops in half a year is an aggressive target.
The flip side is that the first year's campaigns are likely to be the most generous. These rebates run on municipal budgets, and launch periods are typically the peak. Shibuya's Hachi Pay likewise opened with campaigns totalling roughly 450 million yen.
Frequently asked questions
When can I start using Hoku Pay?
The app is scheduled to launch on Monday 5 October 2026. The same day opens applications for the 30%-premium issue and starts the download campaign. The premium value itself is only spendable from Monday 2 November, roughly a month after applications open. A user support desk is expected to open on Tuesday 15 September.
Can I use it if I do not live in Kita City?
Yes. The ward states it will be usable "not only by residents but by people who work here, study here, and visit", and the official Hoku Pay site says it is for residents and visitors alike. It only works at participating shops inside Kita City. The 1,500-point top-up in the supplementary budget is limited to residents.
How many points do I get for downloading?
The official site advertises "a first-come point gift for people who download the app and register an account", and local media covering the mayor's press conference report 500 points for the first 60,000 people. On top of that, the supplementary budget (No. 4) for fiscal 2026, published on 26 August 2026, proposes adding 1,500 points for residents only, first come, capped at 30,000 people. If passed, residents would receive 2,000 points in total, but this must clear the assembly session opening on 8 September and remains a proposal for now.
What does the 30%-premium issue cost?
As of 31 August 2026 neither Kita City nor the official Hoku Pay site has published terms covering price, unit limits or how to apply. Local media covering the mayor's press conference report a design of 5,000 yen for 6,500 yen of value, with formal terms expected alongside the opening of applications on 5 October. Because the official wording refers to successful applicants purchasing "up to their allotted number of units", it appears to be a lottery rather than first come. The per-person unit cap matters most for your take, so check that first when the terms appear.
Does it cost a shop anything to join?
Setup costs nothing, and payment and transfer fees are zero for the time being. No special hardware or till modification is needed — you simply place a payment QR code — although an internet-connected PC is required for operations such as cancellations. Payments taken from the 1st to the 15th are transferred at month end, and those from the 16th to month end on the 15th of the following month. Applications go through the form on the official Hoku Pay site and are checked and screened. Kita City recommended that shops wanting to accept Hoku Pay from 5 October apply by the end of August.
Sources
- Tokyo Kita City, "Kita City digital local currency project: Hoku Pay"
- Official Hoku Pay site
- Kita City press release, "Supplementary budget (No. 4) for fiscal 2026 compiled" (26 August 2026)
- Kita City, "Main projects in the fiscal 2026 budget proposal" (PDF)
- Kita City, mayoral press conference transcript, 9 February 2026 (PDF)
- Kita City, Hoku Pay merchant recruitment flyer (PDF)
- Kita City, digital local currency project proposal review result
- Kita City, sale of premium paper vouchers
This article is general information based on published material and does not recommend any particular app or municipality. Hoku Pay has not launched yet. The price, unit limits and application method for the 30%-premium issue, and the first-come cap on the download campaign, had no published official terms when this was written; passages drawn from press reporting are marked as such. The resident-only 1,500-point top-up is at the proposal stage and becomes final only once voted through at the third regular session of the Kita City assembly, opening on 8 September. Check the Kita City and Hoku Pay official sites for the latest position.