There are 4 types of bills in Japan, 1,000 yen, 2,000 yen, 5,000 yen, and 10,000 yen. But 2,000 yen bills are rarely seen. Although I was born and raised up in Japan, I have seen 2,000 yen bills only several times. In this article, you would learn what’s printed on the bills and find some histories related to the designs.
1,000 yen
The man on the front side is Noguchi Hideyo. There are mainly two reasons why he was chosen. One reason was the government wanted to choose a scientist who had not appeared on the bill. The other reason was he was well known scientist in Japan and around the world, and he appears in some textbooks for students. He is best known for discovering the agent of syphilis.
On the other side, Mt. Fuji and cherry blossoms are printed. They were chosen because of its familiarity among Japanese people. The original picture of this Mt. Fuji was taken by Okada Koyo. He took the picture from the mountain near Lake Motosuko, in Yamanashi.
The current type of 1,000 yen bill was issued in 2004.
This is called Nakano-kura tohge view point.
〒409-3104 山梨県南巨摩郡身延町中ノ倉川尻２９２６
https://www.yamanashi-kankou.jp/kankou/spot/p_9653.html
2,000 yen
As I wrote above, you rarely see/ get this bill. It was issued in 2000, and before that, there were no 2,000 yen bills in Japan. It was a memorial year, the start of the new era, 2000s, and Kyusyu- Okinawa summit was held in Japan as well. Therefore, Syurei-mon, a beautiful gate in Okinawa prefecuture, was printed on the front of the bill.
〒903-0826 沖縄県那覇市首里寒川町１丁目
On the back of 2,000 yen bill, Genji- monogatari emaki and Murasaki Shikibu nikki(diary) emaki are designed. Murasaki Shikibu wrote both of them and they are famous and outstanding in Japanese literature. She wrote them 1008-1010.
In Genji-monogatari, Genji was the noble family at the time and monogatari means a story in English, she described the aristocratic society.
Murasaki-shikibu worked for the court, and she wrote the life there in her diary, which is called Murasaki Shikibu nikki ( nikki is a diary in English). The diary is valued not only as a literature but also a historical source.
5,000 yen
5,000 yen bill has been valid since 2004. The lady on the front is Higuchi Ichiyo, who is the author of Takekurabe.
Her novels are highly valued still now because of the beauty of the style and the reality of the life of people, especially women, at that time.
With the background of many women being active in society and business, she was chosen for the bill. She is the second woman drawn on the bill; the first woman was Empress Jingu, who was chosen for a bill in 1883.
As a woman is on the front, flowers are designed on the back of the bill. The original picture of the floweres came from Kakitsubata-zu by Ogata Korin. Kakitsubata is a rabbitear iris. He was a Japanese painter in Edo era, who is best known for byobu folded screens.
10,000 yen
10,000 yen is the most expensive bill in Japan. The current version of it was issued in 2004, at the same time as 1,000 and 5,000 yen bills.
The man on the front is Fukuzawa Yukichi, who has been chosen for 10,000 bill since 1984. It is often said he was one of the leaders who founded modern Japan. He was a kind of social activists such as an educator, author, and the main person who established Keio-Gijuku University.
An auspicious bird called ho-oh is drawn on the back. The design of the bird came from the one in Byodo-in Ho-oh do, which is the same place as 10 yen coin. The ho-oh there is registered as a national treasure.
In conclusion…
If you like Japan and are interested in its history, visiting the places which are designed on the bills is a good way to learn about Japan. I’d be happy it if you make plans for your trip or get interested in Japan!
