Japanese Yen · ¥ · Official currency of Japan
The Japanese yen (¥) was introduced through the New Currency Act of 1871 during the Meiji era's modernization. The Bank of Japan, established in 1882, has handled note issuance ever since, periodically redesigning bills to strengthen anti-counterfeiting technology.
Four denominations circulate: ¥1,000, ¥2,000, ¥5,000, and ¥10,000 (the ¥2,000 note is rarely seen due to limited printing). A newly redesigned series with updated portraits began circulating in 2024. Coins (¥1/5/10/50/100/500) are also actively used even for small purchases.
Japan still relies heavily on cash, so in smaller towns, local markets, and at vending machines it's safer to carry plenty of coins and bills rather than count on cards. The newly redesigned notes with updated portraits entered circulation in 2024, but older notes remain valid, so there's no need to swap them out. With six coin denominations in everyday use, wallets fill up fast — the small trays at convenience store registers make sorting change a lot easier.
You can view the real banknote designs on the Bank of Japan's official page.
See Japanese Yen banknotes at today's exchange rate →