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NEC Introduces Face Recognition System for Store Payments and Admission Control at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan
-Achieving safe, secure and efficient Expo operations and improving convenience through hands-free payments and prevention of identity theft -Tokyo, May 23, 2024 - NEC Corporation (NEC; TSE: 6701) will introduce a face recognition payment system at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan (the Expo) to be held from April 13 to October 13, 2025. In-store payments using face recognition and additional face-based authentication for admission management will improve user convenience through hands-free payments, and will ensure safe, secure and efficient Expo operations by preventing identity theft.


In addition, as part of the EXPO 2025 Digital Wallet, a proprietary electronic money, “MYAKU-PE!" (*1), will be offered as a face recognition payment service at Expo site stores equipped with stera terminals (*2). If a ticket holder registers their facial information and payment method, they are able to make payments without using smartphones or cards by simply going through face recognition at participating stores. MYAKU-PE! or credit cards (*3) may be selected as payment methods. This is the largest store payment system in Japan that links electronic money and face recognition (*4).
The admission control system is intended for Season Pass and Summer Pass ticket holders (*5). 51 admission gates at the entrances to the Expo site will be equipped with face recognition to prevent impersonation through ticket lending and borrowing, etc. When a person with a valid pass enters the Expo site, a QR code on their ticket is read by a gate, and then additional face recognition is performed by a camera installed at the gate. The number of registered visitors is expected to reach 1.2 million, making it the largest face recognition service provided by NEC in Japan.
In addition, Season Pass and Summer Pass ticket holders will be able to use both the on-site payment and admission services with a single face registration (*6), providing a comfortable and convenient experience at the Expo site.
This service is available to customers who have registered and agreed to the use of their biometric information. All personal information, including facial images, will be safely stored within a platform in Japan. Personal information will not be used for any other purpose without an individual's consent.
NEC provides the “NEC Digital Platform" for supporting the realization of digital transformation (DX) for customers, including strategic consulting and implementation. In addition to the Expo, NEC utilizes its leading biometric authentication technology, one of the core technologies of the NEC Digital Platform, to implement safe, secure, and reliable technologies throughout society and in cooperation with a wide variety of partners.
About NEC's face recognition technology (*7)
NEC has ranked first in the world multiple times in the “1:N authentication" test, which requires higher accuracy than any other face recognition technology benchmark test sponsored by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the United States. While improving the performance of the core algorithm, NEC has promoted the social implementation of face recognition and developed face recognition business in more than 50 countries and territories around the world.
The technology has been deployed in 80 airports globally, and is being used in various applications such as immigration, customs declaration, boarding procedures, and hospitality, and is becoming a representative use case for face recognition technology.
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- (*1)EXPO 2025 Digital Wallet is a wallet service offered at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan and can be downloaded as a smartphone application. "MYAKU-PE!" is one of the functions provided in the EXPO 2025 Digital Wallet, an electronic money payment service that can be used both inside and outside the Expo site.
About EXPO 2025 Digital Wallet:https://expo2025-wallet.com/en
About MYAKU-PE!:https://www.expo2025-dwfs.jp/en/
- (*2)A stera terminal is a stationary all-in-one payment terminal that can handle a variety of payment methods with a single terminal.
stera terminal (page 23)https://www.smfg.co.jp/english/investor/financial/latest_statement/fy2019/fy2019_2q_e_summary.pdf
- (*3)Visa and Mastercard credit cards may be registered.
- (*4)Based on the number of face registrations and the number of stores using face payment during the implementation and operation phases, as of the time of this announcement, according to NEC.
- (*5)The Season Pass is a ticket that allows unlimited admission from the opening day to October 3, 2025, from 11:00 a.m. every day. The Summer Pass is valid from July 19 to August 31, 2025, and allows admission any number of times during the period from 11:00 a.m. daily.
For information on admission ticket types:https://www.expo2025.or.jp/en/tickets-index/price/
- (*6)Face registration will be provided after ticket purchase for Season Pass and Summer Pass ticket purchasers. Face registration is scheduled to be available near January 2025. Information will be announced on the official website. The use of face payment is optional, and registration is only possible upon agreeing to the terms of use for payment at the Expo site.
- (*7)Placed 1st in the face recognition benchmark test by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) multiple times.
- *NIST evaluation results do not constitute an endorsement of any particular system, product, service, or company by the U.S. government.
https://www.nec.com/en/global/solutions/biometrics/face/index.html
About NEC Corporation
NEC Corporation has established itself as a leader in the integration of IT and network technologies while promoting the brand statement of “Orchestrating a brighter world.” NEC enables businesses and communities to adapt to rapid changes taking place in both society and the market as it provides for the social values of safety, security, fairness and efficiency to promote a more sustainable world where everyone has the chance to reach their full potential. For more information, visit NEC at https://www.nec.com.

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