Banknotes of the Japanese yen explained

Banknotes of the Japanese yen, known in Japan as, 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.

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

1885–1887

Daikokuten (1885–87)
Image		Value	Dimensions	Description		Date of
Obverse	Reverse	Value	Dimensions	width=180	Obverse	Reverse	Issue	Issue suspension	Expiration
			78 × 135 mm^[3] ^[4]		Silver obligation	September 8, 1885	October 1, 1958	Valid
			87 × 152 mm^[5]	Silver obligation	Daikokuten	January 4, 1886^[6]		March 31, 1939
			93 × 156 mm	Daikokuten	Silver obligation	May 9, 1887		March 31, 1945
			116 × 186 mm	Daikokuten	Silver obligation	September 8, 1887		March 31, 1945

1888–1891

Remodeled convertible banknotes (1888–91)
Image		Value	Dimensions	Description		Date of
Obverse	Reverse	Value	Dimensions	width=180	Obverse	Reverse	Issue	Issue suspension	Expiration
			85 X 145 mm		Silver obligation	May 1, 1889	October 1, 1958	Valid
			95 X 159 mm^[7]		Silver obligation	December 3, 1888		March 31, 1939
			100 X 169 mm		Silver obligation	September 12, 1890		March 31, 1925
			130 X 210 mm		Silver obligation	November 15, 1891		March 31, 1945

1899–1900

Convertible Banknote A (1899–1900)
Image		Value	Dimensions	Description		Date of
Obverse	Reverse	Value	Dimensions	width=180	Obverse	Reverse	Issue	Issue suspension	Expiration
			85 X 146 mm^[8]		Gold obligation	April 1, 1899^[9]		March 31, 1939^[10]
			96 X 159 mm		Wild Boar design with gold obligation	October 1, 1899		March 31, 1939
			130 X 210 mm		Gold obligation	1900	1913	March 31, 1939

1910

Convertible Banknote B (1910)
Image		Value	Dimensions	Description		Date of
Obverse	Reverse	Value	Dimensions	width=180	Obverse	Reverse	Issue	Issue suspension	Expiration
			78 X 136 mm^[11]		Kitano Tenmangū shrine with convertible wording	September 1, 1910^[12]		March 31, 1939

Taishō era

1915–1917

Taishō convertible banknotes (1915–17)
Image		Value	Dimensions	Description		Date of
Obverse	Reverse	Value	Dimensions	width=180	Obverse	Reverse	Issue	Issue suspension	Expiration
			85 X 145 mm		Silver obligation	August 15, 1916	October 1, 1958	Valid
			73 X 130 mm^[13]		Convertible wording	December 15, 1916	February, 1927^[14]	March 31, 1939
			89 X 139 mm		Convertible wording	May 1, 1915		March 31, 1939
			86 X 149 mm		Kitano Tenmangu shrine	November 20, 1917		March 31, 1939

Shōwa era

1943–1945

First Issue (1943–45)
Image		Value	Dimensions	Description		Date of
Obverse	Reverse	Value	Dimensions	width=180	Obverse	Reverse	Issue	Issue suspension	Expiration
			51 × 106 mm	Peace Tower	Ornamental	November 1, 1944	December 31, 1953	December 31, 1953
			81 mm x 142 mm			December 15, 1943	October 1, 1958	Valid
			76 mm x 132 mm		Ornamental	December 25, 1943	March 9, 1946	March 9, 1946
			18 mm x 142 mm			1944	March 9, 1946	March 9, 1946
			93 mm x 162 mm			1945	March 9, 1946	March 9, 1946

1946–1948

Series A (1946–48)
Image		Value	Dimensions	Description		Date of
Obverse	Reverse	Value	Dimensions	width=180	Obverse	Reverse	Issue	Issue suspension	Expiration
			94 × 48 mm	Prunus mume blossoms		May 25, 1948	December 31, 1953	June 30, 1954
			100 × 52 mm	Pigeons	The Diet building	September 5, 1947	December 31, 1953	June 30, 1954
			124 × 68 mm		Geometric patterns	March 19, 1946	October 1, 1958	Valid
			132 × 68 mm	Geometric patterns		March 5, 1946	April 1, 1955
			140 × 76 mm	The Diet building		February 25, 1946	April 1, 1955
			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

1950–1953

Series B (1950–53)
Image		Value	Dimensions	Main Color	Description		Date of
Obverse	Reverse	Value	Dimensions	Main Color	Obverse	Reverse	Issue	Issue suspension
			144 × 68 mm	Orange			December 1, 1951	October 1, 1958
			148 × 76 mm	Brown-orange		The Diet building	December 1, 1953	August 1, 1974
			156 × 76 mm	Dark blue			April 2, 1951	January 4, 1971
			164 × 76 mm	Grey		"Yumedono"	January 7, 1950	January 4, 1965

Series B introduced a new high value banknote ¥1000.

1957–1969

Series C (1957–69)
Image		Value	Dimensions	Main Color	Description		Date of
Obverse	Reverse	Value	Dimensions	Main Color	Obverse	Reverse	Issue	Issue suspension
			159 × 72 mm	Blue			November 1, 1969	April 1, 1994
			164 × 76 mm	Yellow-green			November 1, 1963	January 4, 1986
			169 × 80 mm	Green-brown		The headquarters of the Bank of Japan	October 1, 1957	January 4, 1986
			174 × 84 mm	Brown-green		A pillar painting of Hōō in Byōdō-in Temple	December 1, 1958	January 4, 1986

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

1984

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

Series D (1984)
Image		Value	Dimensions	Main Color	Description		Date of
Obverse	Reverse	Value	Dimensions	Main Color	Obverse	Reverse	Issue	Issue suspension
			150 × 76 mm	Blue			November 1, 1984	April 2, 2007
			155 × 76 mm	Purple		Mount Fuji, Lake Motosu
			160 × 76 mm	Brown		Pair of pheasants

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,^[15] and officially suspended on April 2, 2007.^[16] According to a news release ^[17] 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

2000

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

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)
Image		Value	Dimensions	Main Color	Description		Date of issue	Issue suspended
Obverse	Reverse	Value	Dimensions	Main Color	Obverse	Reverse	Date of issue	Issue suspended
			150 × 76 mm	Blue		Mount Fuji, Lake Motosu and cherry blossoms	November 1, 2004	2025 - 2027
			156 × 76 mm	Purple		Kakitsubata-zu (Painting of irises, a work by Ogata Kōrin)
			160 × 76 mm	Brown

Reiwa era

2024

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.^[18] 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	Value	Dimensions	Main Color	Obverse	Reverse	Date of issue
			150 × 76 mm	Blue		The Great Wave off Kanagawa (from Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji series by Hokusai)	July 3, 2024
			156 × 76 mm	Purple		Wisteria flowers
			160 × 76 mm	Brown		Tokyo Station (Marunouchi side)

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

References

Web site: https://www.mof.go.jp/faq/currency/07ap.htm. https://web.archive.org/web/20210910130626/https://www.mof.go.jp/faq/currency/07ap.htm. ja:紙幣の肖像の選定理由を教えてください. ja. Ministry of Finance. Japan.. September 10, 2021.
Web site: https://www.jiji.com/jc/graphics?p=ve_eco_kinyushoken20190409j-06-w490. https://web.archive.org/web/20210428103457/https://www.jiji.com/jc/graphics?p=ve_eco_kinyushoken20190409j-06-w490. ja:紙幣肖像の変遷（2019年4月）. ja. Jiji Press. April 28, 2021.
Web site: One Yen Tickets. boj.or.jp. Bank of Japan. January 18, 2021.
Web site: https://web.archive.org/web/20090325223705/http://www.boj.or.jp/en/type/list/yuko/data/money01.pdf . 2009-03-25. Valid Bank of Japan Notes. Bank of Japan. December 14, 2022.
Web site: 大黒天五圓古紙幣の価値. Antique Coin Info. Japanese. February 13, 2020.
Web site: 旧兌換銀行券を高く売るには【参考買取価格あり】. Octopus Maro. ja. February 13, 2021.
Web site: 菅原道真五圓札の価値と相場. Antique Coin Info. Japanese. February 13, 2020.
Web site: 日本の5円札(五圓)の価値と買取相場. Antique Coin Info. Japanese. February 14, 2020.
Book: Japanese modern banknote overview. Bonanza. Japanese. 1984. 182.
Web site: 甲号兌換銀行券の歴史について. Kosen Kaitori. Japanese. February 14, 2021.
Web site: 透し大黒5円札の買取相場(価値)と概要. Kosen Kaitori. Japanese. February 15, 2021.
Book: The Japan Financial and Economic Monthly. Liberal news agency. 1910. 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..
Web site: 大正兌換銀行券について. Kosen Kaitori. Japanese. February 16, 2021.
Web site: 丙5円券. Buntetsu. Japanese. February 15, 2021.
Web site: 偽造旧一万円券大量発生に伴う対処方針. www.boj.or.jp . https://web.archive.org/web/20070808131512/http://www.boj.or.jp/type/release/zuiji/bnnew16.htm . August 8, 2007.
http://www.boj.or.jp/type/release/zuiji07/un0701a.htm 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
Web site: 偽造通貨の発見枚数 . www.npa.go.jp . https://web.archive.org/web/20070810214710/http://www.npa.go.jp/toukei/souni/gizou.htm . August 10, 2007.
Web site: Japan announces new ¥10,000, ¥5,000 and ¥1,000 bank notes as Reiwa Era looms . Japan Times . April 9, 2019 . 9 April 2019 . November 20, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221120172911/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/04/09/national/japan-introduce-new-%C2%A510000-%C2%A55000-%C2%A51000-banknotes/ . dead .