Japanese banknotes are renewed

In 2019 it was announced that the Japanese banknotes will change their design . The new banknotes are expected to enter circulation around 2024 , the first change since 2004. If you have planned your trip to Japan for those dates, you should know what the new banknotes will look like and make it easier for you to identify them.

Three historical figures have been chosen for the new designs, selected based on various standards which include:

• That they are known in Japan by the vast majority of citizens.
• May your achievements be such that the Japanese people will be proud of them
• That there are precise images of them to avoid counterfeiting.

The 2,000 yen note will remain unchanged as there aren’t many in circulation, while the 500 yen coin will be redesigned around 2021.

 

10,000 yen bill

On the new 10,000 yen note will be Eiichi Shibusawa who was the driving force behind Japanese industry from the 19th century to the early 20th century, and is considered the ” father of Japanese capitalism “.

After the Meiji Restoration (1868), Shibusawa worked with the Ministry of Finance before becoming a businessman. He helped establish and develop more than 500 companies. Among them was Japan’s First Bank , which eventually became Mizuho Bank . It also created the predecessors of the Tokyo Stock Exchange and the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce.

On the back of the ticket will be the Tokyo train station building.

5,000 yen bill

On the 5,000 yen note will be Umeko Tsuda , a pioneer in the education of Japanese women. She became one of the first Japanese women to study in the United States at 6 years old , and later founded Tsuda University in Tokyo .

The reverse will feature wisteria/wisteria flowers, a flower that appears in mid-spring in Japan.

1,000 yen bill

On the 1,000 yen note will be bacteriologist Shibasaburo Kitasato . His achievements in the field of infectious disease prevention include the development of a treatment for tetanus .

On the reverse will be ” The Great Wave off Kanagawa ” by Japanese ukiyoe master Katsushika Hokusai . It is one of the most famous wood engravings in the world.

The new banknotes will be the same size as the current ones, although the Arabic numerals will be written in larger letters.

 

The new banknotes will also incorporate new 3D holograms and other anti-counterfeiting technology . Images will appear to move as the angle changes. This is believed to be the first time this technology has been incorporated into banknotes anywhere in the world.

Banknote designs must be changed approximately every 20 years to prevent counterfeiting. The changes were announced earlier as it takes about five years to prepare the new bills.

These three important figures on banknotes made enormous contributions to issues that remain relevant today and are appropriate for the coming Reiwa Era.

Now you are ready for when you come to Japan from 2024!