1,000-Yen Note Day

What Is 1,000-Yen Note Day?

January 7th is "1,000-Yen Note Day" (Sen-en Satsu Kinenbi) in Japan. On January 7, 1950, the Bank of Japan issued the first 1,000-yen note since the 1946 currency conversion. It bore a portrait of Prince Shotoku (Shotoku Taishi) on the front and the Yumedono (Hall of Dreams) of Horyu-ji Temple on the back. Severe inflation was continuing at the time, and so many 100-yen notes -- then the highest denomination -- were being issued that handling cash had become a problem, so the 1,000-yen note was introduced as a higher denomination.

The Prince Shotoku Note Was Actually the Second

The 1950 note is known as the "Series B" 1,000-yen note, but it was not Japan's first 1,000-yen note.

• The first 1,000-yen note: Japan's first 1,000-yen note, featuring Yamato Takeru, went into circulation on August 17, 1945, just after the end of the war. With the 1946 currency conversion, however, it lost its legal-tender status in March 1946, less than a year after issue.
• The "phantom" Series A note: A new 1,000-yen note (Series A) was also planned for the currency conversion, and designs were even drawn up, but it was never issued.
• The Prince Shotoku era: The Prince Shotoku 1,000-yen note remained in use until the Ito Hirobumi note appeared in 1963. During this period, the 1,000-, 5,000- and 10,000-yen notes all bore Prince Shotoku's portrait.

The Changing Faces of the 1,000-Yen Note

After Prince Shotoku, the portrait on the 1,000-yen note changed as follows.

• From 1963: Ito Hirobumi (Japan's first Prime Minister)
• From 1984: Natsume Soseki (novelist); red-crowned cranes on the back
• From 2004: Noguchi Hideyo (bacteriologist); the "upside-down Fuji" reflected in Lake Motosu and cherry blossoms on the back
• From 2024: Kitasato Shibasaburo (bacteriologist); Katsushika Hokusai's "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" from Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji on the back

Fun Facts About the 1,000-Yen Note

• The model for the upside-down Fuji: The reflected Mt. Fuji on the back of the Noguchi Hideyo note is based on "Spring at the Lakeside" by photographer Okada Koyo. The shooting spot on the shore of Lake Motosu has become a sightseeing destination.
• A short life: Because it is used so often, the 1,000-yen note wears out quickly; according to the Bank of Japan its lifespan is around one to two years. The 10,000-yen note lasts longer.
• Features you can feel: Japanese banknotes carry tactile identification marks so that people with visual impairments can tell the denominations apart.
• Old-style characters: The first 1,000-yen note with Yamato Takeru was printed with the old-style characters for "1,000 yen."

Ways to Spend 1,000-Yen Note Day

• Take a 1,000-yen note out of your wallet and look closely at the designs on both sides, as well as anti-counterfeiting features like the watermark and hologram
• Look up the people who have appeared on the 1,000-yen note and chat about their achievements
• Think about what you can enjoy for 1,000 yen and pick a small treat, like a book or some sweets
• As part of a New Year budget review, sort out when you use cashless payments and when you use cash

Even the 1,000-yen note we use without a second thought carries the history of postwar inflation and currency reform. On January 7th, why not take a good look at the note in your wallet?