KOLEKSI WANG KERTAS: Japanese bank note1

Tuesday 7 June 2016

Japanese bank note1

Japanese Bank Notes

The Japanese unit of currency is the Yen or en represented by the symbol ¥ and the code JPY.

Bank notes in circulation in Japan are in denominations of 10,000, 5,000, 2,000 (rarely seen) and 1,000 yen. Japanese bank notes and coins are issued by the Bank of Japan in Tokyo.

The 10,000 yen note has a portrait of Yukichi Fukuzawa (1835-1901), the Meiji Period scholar on the front and the reverse has an illustration of the famous Phoenix from Byodo-in Temple in Uji, near Kyoto, which also features on the 10 yen coin.

The 5,000 yen note features Ichiyo Higuchi (1872 -1896), Japan's first important female writer of the Meiji era. On the reverse are irises from a byobu folding screen by Ogata Korin (1658-1716), which flower in the 5th month (may), hence the connection. The previous series featured Inazo Nitobe (1862-1933), the author of Bushido - The Soul of Japan, on the front.

The 2,000 yen note is rarely seen in circulation and did not prove popular after its introduction in 2000 to celebrate the millennium. The 2,000 yen note features the Shureimon Gate in Naha, Okinawa on the front and an image of scene from the The Tale of Genji and the author Murasaki Shikibu on the lower right corner.

The latest 1,000 yen note (Series E) issued in 2004 has Noguchi Hideyo (1876-1928), the bacteriologist on the front and an image of Mt Fuji, Lake Motosu and cherry blossoms on the reverse. The previous series of notes issued from 1984-2004 had the novelist Soseki Natsume (1867-1916) on the front and two Red-crowned cranes on the reverse.

Japanese 1000 yen note — D Series Japanese 1000 yen bank note showing novelist Soseki Natsume, no longer in circulation

Japanese 10000 yen note — Japanese 10,000 yen bank note showing Fukuzawa Yukichi the founder of Keio University

Japanese Coins

Japanese coins are for 1 yen, 5 yen, 10 yen, 50 yen, 100 yen and 500 yen. The weight of the coins increases with value and it is said the lightest coin the 1 yen (1 gram) will float in the foam of a beer or even in a glass of water.

The 5 yen coin has a hole in the middle and a design that represents rice (agriculture), water (fisheries) and industry.

The 10 yen coin has an image of the Phoenix Hall at Byodo-in, in Uji.

The 50 yen coin also has a hole in the middle and depicts the imperial chrysanthemum.

The 100 yen coin is silver in color and shows cherry blossoms on the obverse.

The 500 yen coin is also silver in color and depending on fluctuations in exchange rates of the yen the 500 yen coin is often the highest valued coin in the world. The obverse design features the paulownia. The coin has been the target of counterfeit in the past and for a time the Korean 500 won coin could be passed off in Japanese vending machines.

Japanese 5 yen and 100 yen coins

Japanese 10 yen and 50 yen coins

Japan Currency Museums

There are a number of currency museums in Japan dedicated to the history of money in the country.

These include the Bank of Japan Currency Museum a short walk from Mitsukoshi-mae Station B1 Exit on the Tokyo Metro's Hanzomon Line or Nihonbashi Station A1 Exit on the Tozai Line; the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Money Museum in Nagoya, a walk from Amagasaka Station on the Meitetsu-Seto Line and the Bank of Japan Museum in Otaru, Hokkaido.