Banknotes of the Japanese yen

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A series D 1000 yen note, featuring the portrait of Natsume Sōseki. It has been replaced by the series E 1 note since November 1, 2004.

Several series E 10,000 yen notes

The banknotes of the Japanese yen is part of the physical form of Japan's currency. The issuance of the yen banknotes began in 1872, two years after the currency was introduced. Throughout its history, the denominations have ranged from 10 sen to 10,000 yen.

[edit] Before World War II

In 1872, the Ministry of Finance introduced notes in denominations between 10 sen and 100 yen. "Imperial Japanese Paper Currency" followed in 1873 in denominations of 1 yen up to 20 yen. "Imperial Japanese Paper Money" was issued between 1881 and 1883 in denominations between 20 sen and 10 yen.

In 1877 and 1878, the Imperial Japanese National Bank issued 1 and 5 yen notes. In 1885, the Bank of Japan began issuing notes, in denominations of 1, 5, 10 and 100 yen. 20 yen notes were added in 1917, followed by 200 yen in 1927 and 1000 yen in 1945.

Between 1917 and 1922, the government issued 10, 20 and 50 sen notes. 50 sen notes were reintroduced in 1938. In 1944, 5 and 10 sen notes were introduced by the Bank of Japan.

[edit] Allied forces notes

The Allies issued notes in denominations of 10 and 50 sen, 1, 5, 10, 20, 100 and 1000 yen between 1945 and 1951, during which time the Bank of Japan also issued notes. Banknotes below 1 yen became invalid on December 31, 1953 by the same legislation mentioned above.

Australia actually made notes for the invasion as well and those can be seen at the Australian Reserve Bank website [1]

[edit] Regaining sovereignty

By the early 1950s, notes below 50 yen had been replaced by coins, followed by those for 50 and 100 yen in the late 1950s. In 1957 and 1958, 5000 and 10,000 yen notes were introduced. The 500 yen notes were replaced after 1982, while 2000 yen notes were introduced in 2000.

[edit] 1946-48

[edit] 1950-53

The series B introduced a new high value banknote ¥1000.

[edit] 1957-69

The series C introduced two new high value banknotes ¥5000 and ¥10000.

[edit] 1984

Due to the discovery of a large number of counterfeit Series D banknotes at the end of 2004, all Series D banknotes except ¥2000 were virtually suspended on January 17, 2005 [11]. And they were officially suspended on April 2, 2007. [12] According to a news release [13] from the National Police Agency, they seized 11,717 counterfeit Series D banknotes (excluding the ¥2000 denomination) in 2005. However, they seized only 486 counterfeit current issue banknotes, namely Series E ¥1000, ¥5000, ¥10000, and Series D ¥2000.

[edit] 2000

2000 yen note with The Tale of Genji and Murasaki Shikibu on the right corner

This is the current issue. The 2000 yen note was first issued on July 19, 2000 to commemorate the G8 Economic Summit in Okinawa and the millennium year as well. Pictured on the front of the note is Shureimon, a famous gate in Naha, Okinawa near the site of the summit. The other side features a scene from the The Tale of Genji and the author Murasaki Shikibu on the lower right corner. The motif of the scene was taken from the 12th century illuminated handscrolls of the novel kept at the Tokugawa Art Museum in Nagoya.

These notes are hard to find (except at banks, where they are readily available) and many Japanese consider it a novelty as it is the only denomination in the factor of 2 (from 1 and 5). Some say it was a way to stimulate the economy from building new vending machines to be able to process the note, to creating wider cash registers to handle the bill.^{[citation needed]}, those has yet to materialise, and some businesses will refuse this note. To increase the circulation of the notes, some companies started paying wages in these notes. The series D is the first to display the EURion constellation.

[edit] 2004

This is the current issue. The EURion constellation pattern can be observed on the series E.

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Bills of Japan

• List of banknotes valid in Japan
• Currency Museum of the Bank of Japan

[edit] Japanese

• Museum of Bank notes and Coins