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 (aka 5 sen) 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.

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

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

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

1910 Convertible Banknote B (1910) Image Value Dimensions Description Date of Obverse Reverse Obverse Reverse Issue Issue suspension Expiration ¥5 78 X 136 mm Sugawara no Michizane with gold obligation (Kanji) Kitano Tenmangū shrine with gold obligation (English) September 1, 1910 March 31, 1939

Taishō era 1915–1917 Taishō convertible banknotes (1915–17) Image Value Dimensions Description Date of Obverse Reverse Obverse Reverse Issue Issue suspension Expiration ¥1 85 X 145 mm Takenouchi no Sukune Silver obligation(English) August 15, 1916 October 1, 1958 Valid ¥5 73 X 130 mm Takenouchi no Sukune and Ube shrine Gold obligation(English) December 15, 1916 February, 1927 March 31, 1939 ¥10 89 X 139 mm Wake no Kiyomaro and Goō Shrine May 1, 1915 March 31, 1939 ¥20 86 X 149 mm Sugawara no Michizane Kitano Tenmangu shrine with gold obligation (English) November 20, 1917

Shōwa era 1943–1945 First Issue (1943–45) 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 ¥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 1945 ¥100 93 mm x 162 mm Prince Shotoku Hōryū-ji 1945

1946–1948 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

1950–1953 Series B (1950–53) Image Value Dimensions Main Color Description Date of Obverse Reverse Obverse Reverse Issue Issue suspension ¥50 144 × 68 mm Orange Takahashi Korekiyo Bank of Japan (HQ) 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 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 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 Bank of Japan (HQ) November 1, 1963 January 4, 1986 ¥5000 169 × 80 mm Green-brown Prince Shōtoku Bank of Japan (HQ) October 1, 1957 ¥10,000 174 × 84 mm Brown-green Prince Shōtoku A pillar painting of Hōō in Byōdō-in Temple December 1, 1958 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 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

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, and officially suspended on April 2, 2007.一万円券、五千円券および千円券の今後の支払について：日本銀行 According to a news release 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 Series D (2000) 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

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 Obverse Reverse ¥1000 150 × 76 mm Blue Noguchi Hideyo Mount Fuji, Lake Motosu and cherry blossoms November 1, 2004 2026 - 2027 (expected) ¥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

The suspension of issuance of new Series E banknotes will be confirmed later.

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. 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. This is the first series of banknotes that feature English text, with the words "Bank of Japan" in the front.

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

Notes

References

External links

Bank of Japan Notes and Coins Currently Issued - Bank of Japan Banknotes Currently Issued - National Printing Bureau New Bank of Japan Notes Special Website Currency Museum of the Bank of Japan Museum of Bank notes and Coins