Currency of Japan: Japanese yen ¥

The Japanese Yen is the currency of Japan. The code of Japanese yen is JPY. We use ¥ as symbol of Japanese yen. The Japanese Yen is divided in 100 sen. JPY is regulated by Bank of Japan.

Did you know:

• The most popular conversions of Japanese yen are JPY/Malaysian ringgit JPY/Indian rupee JPY/US dollar JPY/Philippine peso
• the Japanese yen was introduced in 1 Jun 1871 (148 years ago).
• There are 6 coins for the Japanese yen ( ¥1 , ¥5 , ¥10 , ¥50 , ¥100 and ¥500 ),
• the Japanese yen has 4 banknotes ( ¥1000 , ¥2000 , ¥5000 and ¥10000 )

The yen, the Japanese currency

The yen, just like the yuan in China and the won in Korea, simply means «circle». Coins in Japan, when they were created at the end of the 19th century, were already round, hence the name. The Japanese went even further with this meaning and punched a hole in the middle of some coins: the 5 and 50-yen coins.

Japanese coins are particular in that they never feature faces.

As for banknotes, they look old-fashioned. You get the impression that the colors have faded and that the people represented sometimes within medallions are all very old. Japan has reserved a special place for its illustrious ancestors and for a country that places special importance on traditions, this is hardly surprising.

On the back of the banknote you’ll find 2 images of Mount Fuji, which rises to 3776m and is one of the strongest symbols of Japan. You’ll also find a phoenix on the 10,000-yen note, a mythical bird from ancient China and a symbol of justice and grace.