---
title: "What is on Japan's banknotes?"
description: "The Japanese yen: who is on each denomination, what was withdrawn and why, what the notes are printed on, and whether the sizes differ."
url: https://atoneplace.net/banknote/japan/
site: "At One Place"
---

# What is on the money in Japan?

**The money in Japan: Japanese yen (JPY, ¥)**

3 denominations in issue · Paper

The 2024 series is the first anywhere to use three-dimensional holographic portraits that appear to turn as the note is tilted. Japan replaces its designs roughly every twenty years specifically to stay ahead of counterfeiting technology, and the choice of subjects is a statement about what the country wants to be seen valuing — a bacteriologist, an educator and an industrialist rather than politicians or soldiers. Japanese notes are made from a paper containing mitsumata fibre, giving a distinctive crispness.

## Who and what is on each note

| Note | Who or what is on it |
| --- | --- |
| ¥1,000 | Kitasato Shibasaburō, bacteriologist |
| ¥5,000 | Tsuda Umeko, educator and women's education pioneer |
| ¥10,000 | Shibusawa Eiichi, industrialist |

## The unusual part

No postwar Japanese banknote has ever been demonetised. A 1950s ¥1,000 note is still legal tender.

## Notes that were withdrawn

| Note | When | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The previous series | 2024 | Replaced, though not demonetised — Japan has never demonetised a postwar note, and notes from the 1950s are still spendable. |

## The practical facts

- **Currency:** Japanese yen — ISO code JPY, symbol ¥
- **Printed on:** Paper
- **Survives a wash?:** Not reliably. Paper notes disintegrate when soaked.
- **Can a blind person tell them apart?:** Yes — the denominations differ in size, which is the simplest and most reliable tactile cue there is.
- **Highest note in issue:** ¥10,000 — Shibusawa Eiichi, industrialist

> This page describes the notes rather than showing them. Reproducing a banknote image is restricted in most jurisdictions, and the restrictions differ between them.

## Common questions

### Who is on the money in Japan?

¥1,000: Kitasato Shibasaburō, bacteriologist. ¥5,000: Tsuda Umeko, educator and women's education pioneer. ¥10,000: Shibusawa Eiichi, industrialist.

### Are Japan's banknotes polymer or paper?

Paper.

### Why was the The previous series withdrawn?

Replaced, though not demonetised — Japan has never demonetised a postwar note, and notes from the 1950s are still spendable. (2024.)

## Related pages

- [Japan](https://atoneplace.net/country/japan/)
- [The flag of Japan](https://atoneplace.net/flag/japan/)
- [The money in United States](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/united-states/)
- [The money in Eurozone](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/eurozone/)
- [The money in United Kingdom](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/united-kingdom/)
- [The money in India](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/india/)
- [The money in Zimbabwe](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/zimbabwe/)
- [The money in Australia](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/australia/)
- [The money in Canada](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/canada/)
- [The money in China](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/china/)
- [The money in Switzerland](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/switzerland/)
- [The money in South Africa](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/south-africa/)

## Sources

- Official vendor product documentation — At One Place (/about/)