"If I only had a little more money…" is a quiet need shared by many. To meet this need, Recruit MUFG Business, Co., Ltd. (RMB), a company jointly funded by Recruit Co., Ltd. and MUFG Bank, Ltd., launched the personal loan service “AirWALLET Quick Loan” (Japanese Only) in July 2025. We spoke with Genta Nishiwaki, COO and Director of RMB, who spearheaded the service's development, to learn about the background and philosophy behind its creation.

Genta Nishiwaki, COO and Director of RMB

Financial Hurdles Limit People’s Aspirations and Choices

“In daily life, many people think, ‘If I just had a little more money…’ whether for tuition fees, unexpected medical bills, a wedding, or a funeral, travel, or self-investment. In the fields Recruit has supported, education, employment, job changes, and relocation, we've heard lots of people say, ‘If I had the exam fees, I could have tried to get that certification…’ or 'I could have moved and changed jobs if I had the upfront costs…’,” explains Genta.

At the same time, Genta points out that in Japan, there is still a strong aversion to borrowing money. He says that through interviews with users^*1, primarily part-time workers, it became clear that many people hesitate to borrow and, as a result, lose opportunities and options. In fact, more than 80% have experienced a lack of funds, and of those, 30% gave up without borrowing.

Genta explains the significance of Recruit offering AirWALLET Quick Loan: “It was born from the desire to support people in every situation where they need ‘just a little more,’ regardless of their profession or age. By making the most of the existing AirWALLET^*2 service, we’re working to eliminate the difficulty of borrowing. Our goal is not simply to provide loans. It’s a means of supporting people’s potential and expanding our services.”

A Service Designed to Be Both “Easy” and “Secure”

In developing the service, Genta and his team focused on lowering both psychological and physical barriers. “First, we lowered the barrier to borrowing, which is often considered tedious because of the multiple steps involved such as entering personal information and undergoing a review. The biggest feature of AirWALLET Quick Loan is that it’s just simple. While a user must have an AirWALLET account to apply, those who already have one only need to enter two pieces of information^*3: their desired amount and a login password. After applying, the money is added to their app balance or transferred to a designated bank account in as little as five minutes^*4. Another significant advantage is that you can apply and receive funds even at night or on weekends,” Genta says, highlighting their commitment to making the process faster and simpler.

At the same time, Genta says they were also mindful of the potential pitfalls of making it too easy to borrow. “We want to make it easy to borrow, but not encourage casual borrowing. We were also very particular about removing the anxiety of overspending,” Genta emphasizes.

“For example, we require users to complete a repayment simulation before applying, which encourages planned usage by clarifying the repayment schedule. A push notification system reminds users of their repayment schedule, and the My Page feature allows them to always track their borrowing and repayment status. This way, users can see how much they’ve borrowed and how much they need to repay anytime, anywhere. Furthermore, we plan to expand features such as warnings to prevent over-borrowing and linking with our Shift Board part-time job app to allow users to plan their borrowing based on their past earnings and future shifts. We consider these important mechanisms to ensure peace of mind, not just functional upgrades for convenience,” Genta says.

GeNiE Inc., which provides embedded finance within the Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, is responsible for credit screening and lending operations, while Recruit acts as an agent by collecting applications and mediating transactions. This ensures an appropriate operational system.

In this way, AirWALLET Quick Loan balances ease of borrowing with security for users. “In the financial industry, attempts like ours to reduce input fields to the bare minimum are rare, and we faced countless rounds of trial and error to reduce the burden on users while complying with legal requirements and security,” Genta recalls.

Providing Funds to Create More Opportunities for More People

“Money is inextricably linked to many of life’s important choices. I think it would be a missed opportunity if people had to give up or lose options just because they didn't have enough,” Genta says. “In Japan, I understand that loans carry both pros and cons because of their image in society. However, mechanisms such as credit cards and scholarships, where you borrow and repay, are already part of our daily lives, and there's no fundamental difference between them and a loan. I felt a sense of dissonance that only loans are viewed so negatively. What's important is that people who truly need them can use them at the right time and in an appropriate range.’ If we don’t lose sight of that perspective, I believe providing funds can become a means to open up someone’s future,” he says, sharing his thoughts on the service’s development.

Finally, Genta talks about his future aspirations. “We are not pushing loans as the only solution. We believe that by delivering a properly designed system to the people who need it at the right time, we can expand their future options. We will continue to refine the service so that AirWALLET Quick Loan can truly support that goal.”

Genta Nishiwaki

COO and Director, Recruit MUFG Business, Inc. Vice President, New Payment Product Management Unit, SaaS Domain Product Management Office, Recruit Co., Ltd.

After working in strategic consulting, where he developed strategies across diverse industries, he joined Recruit Lifestyle Co., Ltd. (now Recruit Co., Ltd.) in 2015. There, he worked on the travel information magazine Jalan and new business planning before being seconded to RMB and appointed COO and Director.