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Japanese Money

About Japanese Money

PLEASE NOTE: This page was created in 2000. The images need updating to the new paper money.

Money.  Every country has it peculiarities.  In America, for example, why is the nickel twice as big as the dime, but half the value?  Some coins in Japan have holes in them.   Go here to read some thoughts about why this is so .

MOOD SETTING: I magine the Disney’s Japanese Uncle Scrooge saying, “GWA GWA” while diving into a mound of 500 yen coins

Someone once told me the ichi en coin is the only coin in the world that can float on water.  If you have one, try it! If not you now have a cultural reason for visiting Japan.

This bronzed colored coin has a hole in the middle for no apparent reason. The plant seen on the coin is rice.

One side has a picture of a temple in Kyoto called Byodouin.  The other side has a big 10 surrounded by a plant which no one I asked could identify. sorry, ne.

This is the second coin to have a hole in the middle for no apparent reason. The flower on the back is Kiku (chrysanthemum).  The coin is silver in color.

One side has Sakura (cherry) blossoms.  The other side has a big “100” and the date.

The fanciest of the coins, the 500 yen coin is also the biggest of the 6 coins.

You will notice a big white egg in the middle of most of the money.  This egg when held to a light reveals a person’s face to authenticate the bill. Please wait a moment while the graphics load.

1,000 yen note 千円 sen en The face on this note is Natsume Soseki. The back has 2 Tsuru (Cranes) dancing (my interpretation 🙂 ). Natsume Soseki was a very famous writer during the Meiji period.  His most famous book is entitled, I am a Cat. ( Wagahai wa neko de aru ) It is about a cat who spends his time making comments on the way the humans run things.  I think this is mandatory reading in Japanese schools.

2,000 yen note 二千円 ni sen en (New for the year 2000) This note was made specially for the new year.  The picture on the front is ‘shurei no mon’ (the Gate of Shurei) in Okinawa.  The back has a scene from ‘ Genji Monogatari ‘ (the Tale of Genji). To the lower right (bottom) is a portrait of the writer, Murasaki Shikibu. She lived in Japan 1000 years ago!

5,000 yen note 五千円 go sen en Nitobe Inazou’s face graces the front.  And Mount Fuji is on the back. Every year thousands scramble to climb this active volcano.  Interesting. Nitobe Inazou established a woman’s university in Tokyo.

10,000 yen note 一万円 ichi man en This is, as far as I know, the biggest (in value & is actually slightly longer than all other bills). Fukuzawa Yukichi graces this bill. The birds are kiji (pheasant)

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