Kyodai Remittance Acquired by Ria Money Transfer in Push for Asia Expansion
Ria Money Transfer, a global leader in the cross-border money transfer industry and a business segment of NASDAQ-listed Euronet, has become the majority shareholder through the acquisition of 60% of the shares of Unidos, the operator of Kyodai Remittance, a Japan-based funds transfer business and overseas remittance specialist. Leveraging Kyodai’s deep market insight, nuanced understanding of local customer needs and its distinction as the first remittance operator in Japan to be granted a Type 1 Funds Transfer Service Provider license—enabling the processing of high-value transactions exceeding JPY 1 million (approximately USD $6,800)—Ria is set to expand its footprint across the Asia Pacific region.
Ria and Kyodai have maintained a close and collaborative relationship since 2010. Over the past 15 years, the companies have leveraged their omnichannel strategies to deliver a seamless and integrated customer experience across multiple touchpoints in Japan, such as 44,000 ATMs in Japan Post Bank and Lawson Bank locations nationwide. With the acquisition of a majority stake, Ria will now fully integrate Kyodai’s operations, including its digital products, and provide customers access to its expansive global network of more than 624,000 locations, 4 billion bank accounts, 3.2 billion digital wallets, and Visa debit cards worldwide.
This acquisition comes amid significant demographic changes in Japan that are reshaping both its society and economy. According to the latest "International Migration Outlook" report by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), 144,000 new immigrants moved to Japan on a long-term or permanent basis in 2022, with 55% of them being labor migrants. The top three nationalities were Vietnam, China and Indonesia, reflecting a 150% increase compared to the previous year. This labor market transformation has also impacted the remittance sector. According to the World Bank Group, more than USD $6.07 billion was paid in personal remittances from Japan in 2024, ranking among the top third sending countries in Asia.
Norbert Gehrke
