Japan has both coins (1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 500 yen) and bills (1,000, 10,000 yen). Cash is the most common form of payment, but there are some merchants who accept credit cards. Debit cards are not in common use.
The Bank of Japan has issued three new bank notes to combat forgery. The new 1000 yen has Hideyo Noguchi (bacteriologist) on the front and Mt. Fuji on the back. The new 5000 yen has Ichiyo Higuchi (novelist) on the front and a painting of irises on the back. The new 10,000 yen has Yukichi Fukuzawa (educator) on the front and a statue of a phoenix on the back. The new bills contain a number of security features to prevent counterfeiting. Learn more about the new bills on the Bank of Japan website (http://www.boj.or.jp/).
Relevant for: Tourists, Residents
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