Japan’s New Banknotes to Be Issued July 3, 2024! Old Banknotes Can Still Be Used

New Banknotes to Be Issued on July 3, 2024

Japan is scheduled to issue 10,000 yen, 5,000 yen, and 1,000 yen banknotes with new designs on July 3, 2024.

The new notes will contain anti-counterfeit technology cultivated for over 150 years. It’s also the first banknote in the world to utilize cutting-edge hologram technology with rotating 3D portraits, which is especially a point of interest.

In this article, we introduce the new banknotes’ designs and features.

10,000 Yen

Picture courtesy of National Printing Bureau Website

Tokyo Station is depicted on the back, while Eiichi Shibusawa is printed on the front of the new 10,000 yen note.

Eiichi Shibusawa (1840-1931) is the figure known for founding the first bank in Japan. He advocated the “theory of union between morality and economy” (a philosophy that equally values economy and morality), was involved in 500 corporations, and is called the “father of modern Japanese capitalism.”

5,000 Yen

Picture courtesy of National Printing Bureau Website

Wisteria flowers, which bloom annually from April to May, are depicted on the back, while Umeko Tsuda is printed on the front of the new 5,000 yen note.

Umeko Tsuda (1864-1929) studied abroad in the United States in 1871 as Japan’s first female study-abroad student. After her studies, she placed her efforts into women’s education in Japan and founded the Women’s English School (present-day Tsuda University) in 1900 as a private school aiming to provide higher education for women.

Two women were previously printed on Japanese banknotes: Empress Jingu and Ichiyo Higuchi (writer). Umeko Tsuda will be the third woman to be featured on a banknote.

1,000 Yen

Picture courtesy of National Printing Bureau Website

Under the Wave off Kanagawa from the Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji series painted by ukiyo-e artist Katsushika Hokusai is depicted on the back of the new 1,000 yen note. Hokusai is a world-famous artist from the Edo period.

Printed on the front of the note is Shibasaburo Kitasato. Shibasaburo Kitasato (1853-1931) is known as a bacteriologist who became the first in the world to succeed in growing tetanus bacillus in pure culture, then went on to develop a method to prevent and cure tetanus.

Similarly, the current 1,000 yen note features Hideyo Noguchi who was also a bacteriologist.

A New 500 Yen Coin in 2021! Not Accepted by Some Vending Machines?

Picture courtesy of Ministry of Finance Japan Website

In Japan, a new 500 yen coin has been issued since November 2021. However, please note that these coins may not be accepted by some vending machines and station ticket machines as of 2024.

The new 500 yen coin adopts a new anti-counterfeit technology called bicolor clad (two-color, three-layer structure). It has an additional security feature called helical ridges which will have a diagonally milled pattern that differs slightly around the edge of the coin. This is the first regular currency (mass-produced currency) in the world to have this feature.

Can I Use the Japanese Yen I Currently Have?

Currency notes are stipulated to have legal tender (be used for payments) without limits by Japanese law. The current banknotes will not go out of use unless special legal measures are taken.

Please be especially careful regarding scams and similar fraud that tell you “the current banknotes can no longer be used.”

You may also want to pay attention to whether the banknotes being used are old or new when paying for transactions. If you’re someone who enjoys collecting currency, then it’d also be a great idea to keep a few old and new banknotes as souvenirs!