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Banknotes of the Japanese yen

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This article is about Japanese banknotes issued by the Bank of Japan. For older government issued notes, see Meiji Tsuho.

Banknotes of the Japanese yen, known in Japan as Bank of Japan notes (Japanese: 日本銀行券, Hepburn: Nihon Ginkō-ken/Nippon Ginkō-ken), are the banknotes of Japan, denominated in Japanese yen (¥). These are all released by a centralized bank which was established in 1882, known as the Bank of Japan. The first notes to be printed were released between 1885 and 1887 in denominations of 1 to 100 yen. Throughout their history, the denominations have ranged from 0.05 yen to 10,000 yen. Banknotes under 1 yen were abolished in 1953, and those under 500 yen were discontinued by 1984. Higher end notes of 1000 yen and more made their appearance in the 1950s. These continue to be issued to the present in ¥1000, ¥2000, ¥5000, and ¥10,000 denominations. The formerly used notes of 1 to 500 yen from 1946 to the 1980s, while discontinued, continue to be valid. These are, however, worth more than their face value on the collector's market.

A series F 10,000 yen note, featuring the portrait of Shibusawa Eiichi.

At present, Japanese banknotes are printed with portraits of people from the Meiji period and later. This is because it is desirable to use an accurate photograph as the original for a portrait, rather than a painting, in order to prevent counterfeiting.[1][2]

Meiji era

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1885–1887

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Daikokuten (1885–87)
Image Value Dimensions Description Date of
Obverse Reverse Obverse Reverse Issue Issue suspension Expiration
    ¥1 78 × 135 mm[3][4] Daikokuten Silver obligation September 8, 1885[3][4] October 1, 1958[3][4] Valid[3][4]
  — ¥5 87 × 152 mm[5] Silver obligation Daikokuten January 4, 1886[5][6] — March 31, 1939[5]
    ¥10 93 × 156 mm Daikokuten Silver obligation May 9, 1887 — March 31, 1945
    ¥100 116 × 186 mm Daikokuten September 8, 1887 —

1888–1891

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Remodeled convertible banknotes (1888–91)
Image Value Dimensions Description Date of
Obverse Reverse Obverse Reverse Issue Issue suspension Expiration
— — ¥1 85 X 145 mm[5] Takenouchi no Sukune Silver obligation May 1, 1889[5] October 1, 1958[5] Valid[5]
  — ¥5 95 X 159 mm[7] Sugawara no Michizane Silver obligation December 3, 1888[7] — March 31, 1939[7]
  — ¥10 100 X 169 mm Wake no Kiyomaro Silver obligation September 12, 1890 — March 31, 1925
  — ¥100 130 X 210 mm Fujiwara no Kamatari Silver obligation November 15, 1891 — March 31, 1945

1899–1900

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Convertible Banknote A (1899–1900)
Image Value Dimensions Description Date of
Obverse Reverse Obverse Reverse Issue Issue suspension Expiration
  — ¥5 85 X 146 mm[8] Takenouchi no Sukune and Ube Shrine Gold obligation April 1, 1899[9] — March 31, 1939[8][10]
    ¥10 96 X 159 mm Wake no Kiyomaro and Goou shrine Wild Boar design with gold obligation October 1, 1899 — March 31, 1939
  — ¥100 130 X 210 mm Fujiwara no Kamatari and Tanzan Shrine Gold obligation 1900 1913 March 31, 1939

1910

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Convertible Banknote B (1910)
Image Value Dimensions Description Date of
Obverse Reverse Obverse Reverse Issue Issue suspension Expiration
  — ¥5 78 X 136 mm[11] Sugawara no Michizane Kitano Tenmangū shrine with convertible wording September 1, 1910[8][12] — March 31, 1939[8]

Taishō era

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1915–1917

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Taishō convertible banknotes (1915–17)
Image Value Dimensions Description Date of
Obverse Reverse Obverse Reverse Issue Issue suspension Expiration
  — ¥1 85 X 145 mm[3][4] Takenouchi no Sukune Silver obligation August 15, 1916[3][4] October 1, 1958[3][4] Valid[3][4]
— — ¥5 73 X 130 mm[13] Takenouchi no Sukune and Ube shrine Convertible wording December 15, 1916[8] February, 1927[14] March 31, 1939[8]
  — ¥10 89 X 139 mm Wake no Kiyomaro and Goou shrine Convertible wording May 1, 1915 — March 31, 1939
  — ¥20 86 X 149 mm Sugawara no Michizane Kitano Tenmangu shrine November 20, 1917 — March 31, 1939

Shōwa era

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1943–1945

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First Issue (1943–45)[a]
Image Value Dimensions Description Date of
Obverse Reverse Obverse Reverse Issue Issue suspension Expiration
    ¥0.1 51 × 106 mm Peace Tower Ornamental November 1, 1944 December 31, 1953 December 31, 1953
    ¥1 81 mm x 142 mm Takenouchi no Sukune Ube Shrine December 15, 1943 October 1, 1958 Valid[3][4]
¥5 76 mm x 132 mm Sugawara no Michizane Ornamental December 25, 1943 March 9, 1946 March 9, 1946
¥10 18 mm x 142 mm Wake no Kiyomaro Goō Shrine 1944 March 9, 1946 March 9, 1946
    ¥100 93 mm x 162 mm Prince Shotoku Hōryū-ji 1945 March 9, 1946 March 9, 1946

1946–1948

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Series A (1946–48)
Image Value Dimensions Description Date of
Obverse Reverse Obverse Reverse Issue Issue suspension Expiration
    ¥0.05 94 × 48 mm Prunus mume blossoms Geometric patterns May 25, 1948 December 31, 1953 June 30, 1954
    ¥0.1 100 × 52 mm Pigeons The Diet building September 5, 1947
    ¥1 124 × 68 mm Ninomiya Sontoku Geometric patterns March 19, 1946 October 1, 1958 Valid
    ¥5 132 × 68 mm Geometric patterns March 5, 1946 April 1, 1955
    ¥10 140 × 76 mm The Diet building February 25, 1946
    ¥100 162 × 93 mm Prince Shōtoku, "Yumedono" (A hall associated with Prince Shōtoku in Hōryū-ji Temple) Hōryū-ji Temple February 25, 1946 July 5, 1956
For table standards, see the banknote specification table.

1950–1953

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Series B (1950–53)[4]
Image Value Dimensions Main Color Description Date of
Obverse Reverse Obverse Reverse Issue Issue suspension
    ¥50 144 × 68 mm Orange Takahashi Korekiyo The headquarters of the Bank of Japan December 1, 1951 October 1, 1958
    ¥100 148 × 76 mm Brown-orange Itagaki Taisuke The Diet building December 1, 1953 August 1, 1974
    ¥500 156 × 76 mm Dark blue Iwakura Tomomi Mount Fuji April 2, 1951 January 4, 1971
    ¥1000 164 × 76 mm Grey Prince Shōtoku "Yumedono" January 7, 1950 January 4, 1965
For table standards, see the banknote specification table.

Series B introduced a new high value banknote ¥1000.

1957–1969

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Series C (1957–69)[4]
Image Value Dimensions Main Color Description Date of
Obverse Reverse Obverse Reverse Issue Issue suspension
    ¥500 159 × 72 mm Blue Iwakura Tomomi Mount Fuji November 1, 1969 April 1, 1994
    ¥1000 164 × 76 mm Yellow-green Itō Hirobumi The headquarters of the Bank of Japan November 1, 1963 January 4, 1986
    ¥5000 169 × 80 mm Green-brown Prince Shōtoku The headquarters of the Bank of Japan October 1, 1957 January 4, 1986
    ¥10,000 174 × 84 mm Brown-green Prince Shōtoku A pillar painting of Hōō in Byōdō-in Temple December 1, 1958 January 4, 1986
For table standards, see the banknote specification table.

The series C introduced two new high value banknotes ¥5000 and ¥10,000.

1984

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The 1984 series started the printing process from 1982 to 1984.

Series D (1984)[4]
Image Value Dimensions Main Color Description Date of
Obverse Reverse Obverse Reverse Issue Issue suspension
    ¥1000 150 × 76 mm Blue Natsume Sōseki Pair of cranes November 1, 1984 April 2, 2007
    ¥5000 155 × 76 mm Purple Nitobe Inazō Mount Fuji, Lake Motosu
    ¥10,000 160 × 76 mm Brown Fukuzawa Yukichi Pair of pheasants
For table standards, see the banknote specification table.

Due to the discovery of a large number of counterfeit Series D banknotes at the end of 2004, the issuance of new Series D banknotes except ¥2000 was virtually suspended on January 17, 2005,[17] and officially suspended on April 2, 2007.[18] According to a news release [19] 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, ¥10,000, and Series D ¥2000.

Heisei era

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2000

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Series D (2000)[4]
Image Value Dimensions Main Color Description Date of issue
Obverse Reverse Obverse Reverse
    ¥2000 154 × 76 mm Green Shurei-mon Scene from the Tale of Genji and portrait of Murasaki Shikibu July 19, 2000
For table standards, see the banknote specification table.
 
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 26th G8 summit in Okinawa and the 2000 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 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. The image of Murasaki Shikibu is taken from the Gotoh edition of the Murasaki Shikibu Diary Emaki held at the Gotoh Museum.

Many Japanese consider the 2000 yen note a novelty as it is the only Japanese denomination whose first digit is 2. To promote the circulation of the notes, some companies had started paying wages in them. The series D is the first to display the EURion constellation.

2004

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Series E banknotes were introduced in 2004 in ¥1000, ¥5000, and ¥10,000 denominations. The EURion constellation pattern is present in the designs. The 2004 series started the printing process from 2002 to 2004.

Series E (2004)[4]
Image Value Dimensions Main Color Description Date of issue Issue suspended
Obverse Reverse Obverse Reverse
    ¥1000 150 × 76 mm Blue Noguchi Hideyo Mount Fuji, Lake Motosu and cherry blossoms November 1, 2004 2025 - 2027
    ¥5000 156 × 76 mm Purple Higuchi Ichiyō Kakitsubata-zu (Painting of irises, a work by Ogata Kōrin)
    ¥10,000 160 × 76 mm Brown Fukuzawa Yukichi Statue of hōō (phoenix) at Byōdō-in
For table standards, see the banknote specification table.

Reiwa era

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2024

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On April 9, 2019, Finance Minister Tarō Asō announced new designs for the ¥1000, ¥5000, and ¥10,000 notes, for use beginning on July 3, 2024.[20] The ¥1000 bill features Kitasato Shibasaburō and The Great Wave off Kanagawa, the ¥5000 bill features Tsuda Umeko and wisteria flowers, and the ¥10,000 bill features Shibusawa Eiichi and Tokyo Station.

The 2024 series started the printing process from 2021 to 2024.

Series F (2024)
Image Value Dimensions Main Color Description Date of issue
Obverse Reverse Obverse Reverse
    ¥1000 150 × 76 mm Blue Kitasato Shibasaburō The Great Wave off Kanagawa (from Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji series by Hokusai) July 3, 2024
    ¥5000 156 × 76 mm Purple Tsuda Umeko Wisteria flowers
    ¥10,000 160 × 76 mm Brown Shibusawa Eiichi Tokyo Station (Marunouchi side)
For table standards, see the banknote specification table.

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

Notes

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  1. ^ The First issue series (い号券), is a collective term for notes issued after the Bank of Japan was re-organized in 1942.[15][16]

References

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  1. ^ 紙幣の肖像の選定理由を教えてください (in Japanese). Ministry of Finance. Japan. Archived from the original on September 10, 2021.
  2. ^ 紙幣肖像の変遷（2019年4月） (in Japanese). Jiji Press. Archived from the original on April 28, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i "One Yen Tickets". boj.or.jp. Bank of Japan. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Valid Bank of Japan Notes" (PDF). Bank of Japan. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 25, 2009. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g "大黒天 五圓 古紙幣の価値". Antique Coin Info (in Japanese). Retrieved February 13, 2020.
  6. ^ "旧兌換銀行券を高く売るには【参考買取価格あり】". Octopus Maro (in Japanese). Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  7. ^ a b c "菅原道真五圓札の価値と相場". Antique Coin Info (in Japanese). Retrieved February 13, 2020.
  8. ^ a b c d e f "日本の5円札(五圓)の価値と買取相場". Antique Coin Info (in Japanese). Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  9. ^ Japanese modern banknote overview (in Japanese). Bonanza. 1984. p. 182.
  10. ^ "甲号兌換銀行券の歴史について". Kosen Kaitori (in Japanese). Retrieved February 14, 2021.
  11. ^ "透し大黒5円札の買取相場(価値)と概要". Kosen Kaitori (in Japanese). Retrieved February 15, 2021.
  12. ^ The Japan Financial and Economic Monthly. Liberal news agency. 1910. p. 15. ( July 1910 ) Five yen notes were renewed , and new paper notes appeared on September ist. It is said that the 5 yon notes of the previous form were changed because they had been subject to counterfeit.
  13. ^ "大正兌換銀行券について". Kosen Kaitori (in Japanese). Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  14. ^ "丙5円券". Buntetsu (in Japanese). Retrieved February 15, 2021.
  15. ^ "不換紙幣5円札の価値と買い取り価格". Kosen Kaitori (in Japanese). Retrieved February 20, 2020.
  16. ^ "不換紙幣について". Kosen Kaitori (in Japanese). Retrieved February 20, 2020.
  17. ^ "偽造旧一万円券大量発生に伴う対処方針". www.boj.or.jp. Archived from the original on August 8, 2007.
  18. ^ 一万円券、五千円券および千円券の今後の支払について：日本銀行 Archived September 29, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  19. ^ "偽造通貨の発見枚数". www.npa.go.jp. Archived from the original on August 10, 2007.
  20. ^ "Japan announces new ¥10,000, ¥5,000 and ¥1,000 bank notes as Reiwa Era looms". Japan Times. April 9, 2019. Archived from the original on November 20, 2022. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
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