Currency of Japan

The Japanese currency is called Yen (¥). Banknotes come in denominations of ¥1000, ¥2000, ¥5000 and ¥10,000 (¥2000 notes are very rarely seen). Coins come in denominations of ¥1, ¥5, ¥10, ¥50, ¥100 and ¥500. The ¥1.00 coin is an aluminum lightweight coin, the ¥5.00 and ¥50.00 coins have a punched hole in the middle (the former is colored bronze and the latter silver).

Note that some vending machines do not accept older ¥500 coins.

Before you arrive in Japan, you may consider changing money into yen. Buying yen in other countries than Japan usually costs more, so it is recommended that you buy yen once you are in Japan. You can exchange your currencies into yen at authorized foreign exchange banks for a better exchange rate.