日本国 (Nippon / Japan)
日本銀行 (Nippon Ginko / Bank of Japan, est.1882)
Currency - Yen (JPY)
Below are three new banknotes issued on 03.07.2024 by the Bank of Japan. The printing of this new series was first announced in late 2022, when the Bank of Japan invited companies to test the new series of banknotes.
This series of new notes replaced the previous series which was introduced in 2004. Like the previous series, only three notes of 1000, 5000 and 10000 yen are issued. The 2000 yen has been excluded from this new series.
The designs on all three notes are new on both the front and back. Like all those previous banknotes issued, there are not signatures on the notes, but maintain the round seal of the bank. These notes are also not dated either.
As this is a new series, below are the two new features added to the notes; -
Hologram - printed with a 3-D portrait of the person featured on the note and this can be seen rotating from right to left (center), when the note is titled. This is the first time such a feature is used on a paper banknote.
Tactile marks - This is printed with 11 diagonal lines of the same shape and size in different positions, depending on the denomination. For the 1000 yen note, it is printed on the upper right and bottom left corner. For the 5000 yen is printed in the middle of the top and bottom edges and for the 10000 yen, it is printed in the middle of the right and left edges. This feature was not printed on the last series.
It is incredible that on the same day of the official release in Japan, these new notes were already available outside Japan. The Bank of Japan must have distributed these new notes in advance to overseas currency exchange specialists in readiness for the official release date.
The notes that I have posted here are all printed with double letters prefix and suffix. As there are no signatures on Japanese banknotes, any varieties that exist are usually based on the letter prefix/suffix or the colour of the serial numbers. It is seldom that the bank will alter the designs for reprints unless it is necessary for anti counterfeiting purposes.
I am not a big fan of Japanese banknotes. I am only collecting them as only 3 notes are issued and it is not difficult to get in full sets either. Also it is surprising to see that with such a large population of 125 million people, cash payment is still the most popular method, and yet no other denominations are issued, apart from these three notes. Perhaps, the bank should have continued with the 2000 yen note and also reconsider reintroducing the 500 yen paper note too.
Front - Baron Kitasato Shibasaburo (北里 柴三郎 b.1853-1931) was a physician and bacteriologist, who claimed to be co-discoverer of the infectious agent of bubonic plague in Hong Kong in 1894.
Watermarks - Baron Kitasato Shibasaburo and 1 vertical bar
Dimensions - 151mm x 77mm
Back - Kanagawa-oki nami ura (
神奈川沖浪裏 Under the Great Wave off Kanagawa). This is a woodblock print created in 1831. This painting is the most famous artwork in Japanese history and has been reproduced thousands of times in the history of all Japanese art. The print depicts three boats moving through a storm-tossed sea, with a large wave forming a spiral and the snow covering Mount Fuji can be seen in the center. The artist who created this print was Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849). This painting is now housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and it is reported to be worth about US$3.0 million. This painting is measured at 25 cm x 37 cm. It is not a very large painting indeed!
Five One Thousand Yen
Front - Tsuda Umeko (津田 梅子 b.1864-1929) was an educator who founded the Tsuda University in 1900, a private women's university located in Kodaira in Tokyo. The university was initially called Joshi Eigaku Juku, and since then, it has changed three times to it's current name in 1948.
Watermarks - Tsuda Umeko and 2 vertical bars
Dimensions - 157mm x 77mm
Back - Japanese wisteria flowers (a.k.a. Wisteria floribunda) is a native flower to Japan. It can grow up to 9 meters tall and 30 meters wide.
Ten One Thousand Yen
Front - Shibusawa Eiichi (渋沢 栄一 b.1840-1931) was a Japanese industrialist and is considered as the 'Father of Japanese Capitalism'. He was responsible for introducing Western industrialists to Japan after the Meiji Restoration. During his lifetime, he also introduced other economic reforms such as double-entry accounting, joint-stock corporation and banknote issuing banks. It is also interesting to note that his portrait also appeared on banknotes issued by Dai Ichi Ginko (First National Bank) in occupied Korea in 1902. The Dai Ichi Ginko was founded by Shibusawa Eiichi in 1873 in Japan and at that time, it had the power to issue banknotes in Japan until 1883. The Dai Ichi Ginko in Korea went on and issued banknotes from 1902 to 1908, and during these times, the bank was acting as a de facto central bank of Korea. No doubt, Shibusawa Eiichi is not a popular name to the people in Korea and I wonder what the Koreans feel about having Shibusawa Eiichi's portrait printed on this note?
Watermarks - Shibusawa Eiichi and 3 vertical bars
Dimensions - 161mm x 77mm
Back - The motif of Tokyo Station Marunouchi building which was originally built in 1914. The station is also sometimes referred to as Tokyo Central Station. This station is located in the business district of Tokyo close to the Japanese Imperial Palace grounds.
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