Wex Inc. is making its first foray into Japan. It will issue virtual payment cards for Japanese payment network JCB. Set to launch in the second half of 2019, the partnership makes Wex JCB’s first issuer of virtual cards. It's the latest move for the Portland, Maine-based Wex to expand its virtual card issuing business around the globe. In September, the company partnered with Australia-based Troovo to streamline the process of issuing Wex virtual cards in the Asia/Pacific region. And last year, Wex was granted a license to issue Mastercard-branded virtual cards in 31 European countries. On its third-quarter earnings call, Wex cited strong performance in Asia as a major driver of a 36 percent year-over-year surge in revenue for its travel and corporate solutions segment.