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Friday 3 May 2019

992) The Era of "Reiwa", Japan: New Banknotes and Coins will be introduced by the Bank of Japan to bring in the new Era in Japanese Monarchy: Banknote issue scheduled for 2024; Coin issue scheduled for 2021:

992) The Era of "Reiwa", Japan:  New Banknotes and Coins will be introduced by the Bank of Japan to bring in the new  Era in Japanese Monarchy: Banknote issue scheduled for 2024; Coin issue scheduled for 2021:

For a comprehensive post on Evolution of Japanese Currency, please visit the following link:

Coins and Currency/Banknotes of the Japanese Yen

The Japanese Ministry of Finance has announced on 09.04.2019, that the Bank of Japan will shortly begin a programme for issuing new Banknotes which will have new security features and designs and depict new prominent Japanese personalities featured on the Front of the new Banknotes - with a view to usher in the "Era of Reiwa".

The new Banknote Series will include 10,000, 5,000 and 1,000 Yen denominations. The 2,000 Yen Banknote introduced in 2,000 will continue to circulate as such.

In addition, the currently circulating 500 Yen Coin will also undergo a change in design which will correspond to Japan's change in the Imperial Era that began on 01.05.2019, with the abdication of Emperor Akihito and the ascension of former Crown Prince Naruhito, thereby initiating the Reiwa Era.

 Japanese Royalty traditions of Eras - How the new Era name "Reiwa" is breaking traditions:


 Japan's new Imperial Era adheres to the established naming custom in that it comprises two Kanji characters - "rei" and "wa" - and is easy to read and write. The Kanji can be read to mean "fortunate" or "auspicious" and "peace" or "harmony".

Nevertheless, it also represents a break with centuries of tradition - as the first era name to have been inspired by a Japanese, rather than Chinese work of classical literature.

The characters are taken from a stanza in a poem about plum blossoms that appears in "Man'yoshu" - the oldest existing collection of Japanese poetry, compiled some time after 759.

Japan is the only country in the World that uses the Era name system or "Gengo", which has its roots in China, although the Gregorian calendar is also in common use.

The country has adopted almost 250 Eras since the gengo system began in the Seventh Century

In the past, emperors would change Era names mid-reign to foster a spirit of renewal after natural disasters or crises, but more recently, a single Era has been used to mark a monarch's entire reign and can be applied posthumously. For example, Japan's emperor during World War II is now referred to in Japan, not as Hirohito, but as the "Showa" emperor.

The naming of a new Imperial Era for Japan carries enormous significance. Like "Gengo" throughout Japan's modern history, "Reiwa" is supposed to reset the national mood ahead, during the new emperor's reign which began on 01.05.2019.

Like previous Imperial Eras, "Reiwa" will over time become closely associated with significant domestic and international events.

The "Meiji" (enlightened rule) Era of 1868-1912 is remembered as a period of Western-inspired modernisation, the "Showa" Era (enlightened harmony), which began in 1926 is remembered for Japan's rapid economic development, but is also inseparable from the rise of Japanese militarism and the World War II. The "Heisei" evokes ambivalent feelings, which saw the end of the bubble economy and deteriorating relations with China. and the triple disaster of earthquake, tsunami and the Fukushima meltdown on 03/2011.

Although Japanese society is no longer controlled by an emperor, the era system strives to reflect the direction which reflects the government's and people's aspirations.


The New Japanese Banknotes will be issued under the "F Series":

The current Series of Banknotes, classified as the "E Series" and initially introduced in 2000 will stand replaced with the new Series designated as "F Series", which is expected to be released into circulation by 2024.

New Security Features in Yen Banknotes:

As part of the re-design, the "F Series" of Banknotes will also incorporate new 3-D holograms and other anti-forgery technology which is presently under finalisation by the MOF/BOJ.

The images included in the holograms will have the effect of appearing to move as the angle changes. This is the first time that this technology will be incorporated in banknotes anywhere in the world.

As with the current series, the dimensions of the Banknotes will remain the same - with the Western numerals denoting their face value increasing noticeably on the Front face, as well as, the Back. The number of digits in the Banknote serial numbers will increase from 9 to 10 digits.

The new Banknotes being introduced in the "F Series" - A Brief:


On the Front of the new 10,000 Yen Banknote, will be depicted the famous industrialist Eiichi Shibusawa (1840-1931).

He was a prominent figure of Japanese industry from the 19th through 20th Century and is considered to be the "Father of Japanese Capitalism".

Following the Meiji Restoration in 1867, Shibusawa worked with the Finance Ministry before becoming an independent businessman. He is also noted as having established and developed more than 500 businesses. Among them was Japan's first commercial bank, which eventually became MIzuho Bank. He is also credited with having created the predecessors of the Tokyo Stock Exchange and the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce.


On the Back of the new 10000 Yen Banknote will be depicted the Tokyo Railway Station in Chiyoda City (Marunouchi Station Building) designed by Tatsuno Kingo (1854-1919) and completed in 1914.

The Colour of this Banknote is Brown and its Dimensions are - 160 mm x 76 mm.


                   Tokyo  Railway Station - at night

This historical building is popularly nicknamed as the "Red Brick Station Building" and represents one of the finest examples of architecture during the Meiji and Taisho eras. It was partly destroyed in the War, but complete restoration work has been carried out, which was finally completed in 2012.


On the Front of the new 5000 Yen Banknote will be depicted Tsuda Umeko (1864-1929).

In 1871, she was one of the first female students to take part in the Iwakura Mission, a Japanese diplomatic initiative to the United States and Europe conducted between 1871 and 1873,  by leading statesmen and scholars of the Meiji period.

In 1900, she established the Women's College of English (presently Tsuda University) and worked on modern women's higher education.


On the Back of the new 5000 Yen Banknote will be depicted a collection of wisiteria flowers, a species of flowering plant in the pea family "Fabaceae", which is native to Japan. A traditional fabric known as "Fujifu" is made from wisteria stalks and is reputed to be the oldest known fabric in Japan, dating from  the pre-historic Jomon period.

The Colour of this Banknote will be Purple and its Dimensions will be - 156 mm x 76 mm.


On the Front of the  new 1000 Yen Banknote will be depicted Kitasato Shibasaburo (1853-1931).

He was a prominent Japanese physician and bacteriologist and is remembered as the co-discoverer of the infectious agent of the bubonic plague in Hong Kong in 1894.

Kitasato was nominated for the first annual Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1901 and in 1914, he founded the Kitosato Institute, the forerunner of Kitosato University, which he headed for the remainder of his life.


On the Back of the new 1000 Yen Banknote is seen the popular artwork print titled "The Great Wave off Kanagawa".

The depiction is of a woodblock print by the Japanese artist Hokusai and was published sometime between 1829 and 1833 during the late Edo period as the first print in Hokusai's series titled - "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji". This print is Hokusai's most famous work and one of the most recognisable works of Japanese art in the world.

The Colour of this Banknote will be predominantly, Blue-Green and its Dimensions will be - 150 mm x 76 mm.


An image of the original impression of "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" placed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

500 Yen Coin - Reiwa Era - scheduled for release in 2021:

The Ministry of Finance has also proposed a design change for Japan's largest denominated circulation coin - the 500 Yen.

With the enthronement of a new emperor and the introduction of the new Imperial Era of Reiwa, Japanese Coins will also include changes, with the inclusion of traditional characters denoting the new Imperial Era.

The most significant change, aside from the characters denoting the Era of Reiwa, will be the coin's change to that of a bi-metallic composition


Also included in terms of updated security features will be the addition of micro-lettering along the inner edges which will be shown as "JAPAN" and the coin's face value of "500 YEN".

The outer ring will be comprised of an Aluminium-Zinc golden colour with a clad composite inner disc of Cupro-Nickel, with a silver coloured effect. 

The coin's diameter will remain at 26.5 mm and weigh 7.1 grams. The first coins to be released with the new changes will be in 2021 - the coins will reflect the "third year of the Reiwa Era".







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