The Bank of Japan published its April 2026 Payment and Settlement Statistics, showing higher year-on-year activity in BOJ current account settlements and in the Zengin System, while bill and check clearing was sharply lower. Settlement via BOJ current accounts averaged 95,496 transactions a day worth JPY 251.5 trillion, up 1.3 percent and 3.6 percent year on year. The monthly average of the daily peak of intraday overdrafts rose 14.0 percent to JPY 15.8 trillion. In BOJ-NET Japanese government bond settlement, the Book-Entry System averaged 38,335 transfers a day worth JPY 158.5 trillion, with volume down 1.7 percent and value up 1.7 percent year on year. In private clearing systems, the Zengin System averaged 9.363 million transactions worth JPY 19.2 trillion a day, up 5.0 percent and 12.1 percent, including 12.5 percent volume growth and 16.5 percent value growth in the More Time System for small-value payments. The Electronic Clearing House's bill and check clearing system fell to 43,000 items and JPY 116.3 billion a day, down 47.9 percent and 59.8 percent, while the Foreign Exchange Yen Clearing System rose to 35,570 transactions worth JPY 30.8 trillion a day, up 2.4 percent and 7.2 percent.
Bank of Japan2026-05-29
Bank of Japan publishes April 2026 payment and settlement statistics with BOJ current account settlements averaging JPY 251.5 trillion a day
The Bank of Japan’s April 2026 Payment and Settlement Statistics showed higher year-on-year activity in BOJ current account settlements and the Zengin System, and sharply lower bill and check clearing. BOJ current account settlements averaged 95,496 daily transactions worth JPY 251.5 trillion, with peak intraday overdrafts up 14.0 percent to JPY 15.8 trillion. Zengin System volumes and values increased, especially in the More Time System for small-value payments, while Electronic Clearing House bill and check clearing fell and Foreign Exchange Yen Clearing System activity rose.