Photo: SoraNews24
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Japan has stopped printing its current yen bills; Mt Fuji only element to be retained in new set

31 Comments
By Casey Baseel, SoraNews24

For nearly 40 years, people in Japan have been happy when they see Yukichi Fukuzawa’s face. Not necessarily because of any personal affection for the esteemed educator, linguist, and entrepreneur, but because since 1984, Fukuzawa has appeared on the 10,000-yen bill, the highest-value piece of paper currency in Japan.

Fukuzawa’s stint as the poster/bill boy for monetary gains is going to be coming to a close, though. As of this month the Japanese government has stopped printing new Fukuzawa bills. That fate is also shared by the other current “Series E” banknotes, the 5,000-yen bill with author Ichiyo Higuchi and 1,000-yen bill with scientist Hideyo Noguchi.

The Series E bills (photo at top) went into circulation in 2004, which is also when Noguchi and Higuchi made their on-yen debuts.

The current group’s departure makes way for their replacements on the upcoming Series F bills: economist Eiichi Shibusawa (10,000-yen bill), educator Umeko Tsuda (5,000 yen), and scientist Shibasaburo Kitazato (1,000 yen).

▼ Preview images of the new bills include red “sample” (見本) markings

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The backs of the bills will be changing too. Currently, they feature the phoenix from the roof of Kyoto’s Byodoin Temple, irises, and Mt Fuji with sakura cherry blossoms.

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The new bills will instead bear illustrations of Tokyo Station circa 1914, wisteria, and a reproduction of ukiyo-e woodblock artist Hokusai’s Great Wave off Kanagawa.

▼ Mt. Fuji is still visible in the horizon in Great Wave off Kanagawa, thus keeping its streak of appearing on yen notes, which began all the way back in 1950, going.

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Of course, just because Japan has stopped printing the current-design bills doesn’t mean they’re no longer legal tender, and so we’ll be seeing them for some time to come. They are going to get rarer as time goes by, though, so you might want to set an example of each aside if you’re a collector or history buff. The new notes, meanwhile, are scheduled to begin circulation in the first half of 2024.

Source: Jiji via Yahoo! Japan News via Jin

Series E photos ©SoraNews24

Series F images: Ministry of Finance

Read more stories from SoraNews24.

-- The Bank of Japan is really jazzed up about the new 10,000 yen bill

-- Japan’s awesomely adorable cat pseudo-currency is actually usable at one very special place【Pics】

-- Facial correction app makes the world’s money funny

© SoraNews24

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

31 Comments
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In the UK we have got new notes a few years ago, these are not topopular as they are not made from paper, but more of a plastic polymer, the idea is so that they can stop in circulation longer as they dont ware out, go through a wahing machine with out falling to bits, are these new notes made of paper or this plistic polymer style? also there is no hologram built into the J notes thus making it harder to counter fit.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Please bring back the ¥500 note. Having to break a note and have a wad of change for small purchases is very annoying.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

It costs 3 yen to mint 1 yen coin.

Interesting, are you sure about that?

A completely worthless coin.

If you get rid of it then they will round up stuff to the higher 5 yen price. They make handy pocket screwdrivers too.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I remember being behind an elderly man at a Lawson about 10 years ago. He paid for something using a crisp 10,000 note with Shotoku Taishi's portrait on it. I asked the clerk after if I could trade a newer note for it and he exchanged it. I saw the elder man get into a Toyota Century and drive away. He probably had hundreds of those locked away in some safe somewhere. It was really cool to have, but I ended up giving it away eventually. Wish I had held onto it.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

It costs 3 yen to mint 1 yen coin.

A completely worthless coin.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

The new 1000¥ note from the upcoming 'Series F bills' has to be my favourite bank note design of all time!

I am a huge fan of Hokusai, and in particular, his work 'The Great Wave off Kanagawa'.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Garypen

It would be a lot more annoying to accidentally pay 30,000円 for something that cost 3000円, which is the point of the two different fonts.

I thought the same but I then I don't think that's a problem. The current notes both use "1". And I never saw this on any other bills either. Bad design or not, till 2024 we'll be even more cashless so...

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Freshmeat

The new one looks like monopoly money

As opposed to the previous bills, which also had different colors for each denomination, or Canadian money which is much more brightly colored by denomination?

Most countries' paper money have different colors for each denomination, and sometimes different sizes, too. And, their citizens tend to make fun of US currency for all being the same color and size, which makes it more difficult to differentiate at a glance.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

h0nz4

I can get over the fact they use I000 and 10000 at the same time. I reckon in must be on purpose but still a bit annoying when they are next to each other.

It would be a lot more annoying to accidentally pay 30,000円 for something that cost 3000円, which is the point of the two different fonts.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Maybe I’m shallow and sexist but the lady on the current 5,000 yen bill is much more esthetically pleasing to the eye.

Maybe I’m shallow and sexist but the men on the current and new 5,000 and 10,000 yen notes do nothing at all for me aesthetically. The reverse of the new 5000 and 1000 yen notes are very aesthetically pleasing.

Whatever happened to the ¥2000 bill?

I think they must have sent most of them to overseas banks. when my brother came to visit a couple of years ago, just before we were all introduced to covid, almost all the paper money he brought with him, issued by his home bank, was in 2,000 yen notes. Every time he paid for anything in cash the shopkeeper would comment.

Exterminate with extreme prejudice the 1 and 5 yen coins

So that everything that now costs an amount not divisible by 10 will go up in price? No thanks.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

The new one looks like monopoly money

2 ( +3 / -1 )

I can get over the fact they use I000 and 10000 at the same time. I reckon in must be on purpose but still a bit annoying when they are next to each other.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Exterminate with extreme prejudice the 1 and 5 yen coins

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

I like the Hokusai wave on the new 1000 bill but I agree that the font, especially for the numbers, look pretty bad and make the bills look old fashioned.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Why do people in Japanese photos always look so morbidly unhappy?

-3 ( +10 / -13 )

sakurasuki

Does that new Japanese bill can get me more dollar or euro, or just the same amount like current one? If so it's useless.

Conversely, as long as I keep getting more of these for my dollars, they are very useful.

Although, it's getting smaller by the day, these last few days. :-(

2 ( +2 / -0 )

If the BOJ keeps devaluing the currency at the rate they have been then soon toilet paper will be worth more than yen notes regardless of how new and pretty they look.

-5 ( +4 / -9 )

Whatever happened to the ¥2000 bill?

It's still around down here. You can get them at just about any ATM, if you push the button that will mix them in the amount you are withdrawing. If you take out 10,000 yen, and hit the button, it will give you 5 of the 2,000 notes.

I believe that is just down here in Okinawa, because it features Shuri Castle.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

The old ones look much better. The new ones look... really childish? The choice of font alone is baffling.

1 ( +7 / -6 )

Just think what you could buy 40 years ago with ¥10,000. Now look at it! That what's called fractional reserve banking.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

go Japan go! Do not go the wayward way of the pro 1 world govt countries going digital. Digital means poverty, tyranny, oppression, and bondage.

-6 ( +5 / -11 )

Get rid of ¥1 coins first!

and feature Abe on the new one thousand yen note.

-21 ( +5 / -26 )

Maybe I’m shallow and sexist but the lady on the current 5,000 yen bill is much more esthetically pleasing to the eye.

-8 ( +6 / -14 )

Whatever happened to the ¥2000 bill?

15 ( +16 / -1 )

A 20000 yen bill is in order with the recent depreciation of JPY and high inflation.

-7 ( +11 / -18 )

Does that new Japanese bill can get me more dollar or euro, or just the same amount like current one? If so it's useless.

-20 ( +7 / -27 )

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