Japanese Yen Symbol (¥): Coins, Banknotes and Currency Basics

The Japanese yen symbol is ¥. In Japanese text, amounts are usually written with the kanji 円, while ¥ appears on many price tags and in international finance. The ISO 4217 code is JPY, with numeric code 392.

What the Japanese Yen Symbol Means

The standard yen sign is ¥, Unicode U+00A5. A fullwidth version, ￥, is Unicode U+FFE5 and appears in East Asian typography where characters take full width. The symbol itself is shared with the Chinese yuan, so a price sign alone does not identify the currency. In international documents, JPY provides the clearer identifier; in Japanese text, 円 identifies the amount as yen.

In Japanese, the currency is pronounced “en,” not “yen”; the English spelling comes from older romanization. The name derives from the word 圓 (en), meaning “round,” the older form of 円. Japan historically divided one yen into 100 sen and 1,000 rin, but both subdivisions were abolished on December 31, 1953. Today, amounts are expressed in whole yen.

Japanese Yen Coins: Six Denominations in Circulation

Japanese yen coins circulate in six denominations: ¥1, ¥5, ¥10, ¥50, ¥100, and ¥500. The Japan Mint manufactures the coins and delivers them to the Bank of Japan for distribution.

¥1: This aluminum coin weighs 1.0 gram and measures 20.0 mm. Produced since 1955, it shows a young tree.
¥5: The brass coin weighs 3.75 grams, measures 22.0 mm, and has a distinctive center hole. Its rice plant, gearwheel, and horizontal stripes represent agriculture, industry, and fisheries. It is the only Japanese coin whose denomination is written in kanji rather than Arabic numerals.
¥10: The bronze coin weighs 4.5 grams and measures 23.5 mm. It depicts the Phoenix Hall of Byodo-in Temple in Kyoto.
¥50: This cupronickel coin has a center hole and currently measures 21.0 mm. The current design dates from 1967; the first ¥50 coin of 1955 had no hole.
¥100: The 4.8-gram cupronickel coin measures 22.6 mm and features cherry blossoms. It is commonly used in vending machines, coin lockers, and laundromats.
¥500: The 7.1-gram, 26.5-mm coin has used a bicolor clad construction of nickel-brass, cupronickel, and copper since 2021, which added anti-counterfeit features.

The ¥500 coin was first introduced in 1982 to replace a ¥500 banknote. The ¥5 coin also has a cultural association: “go-en,” or five yen, sounds like ご縁, a word for a fortunate connection or fate, so the coin is a popular offering at Shinto shrines.

Japanese Banknotes: Recognize the 2024 Series

The Bank of Japan issued its Series F banknotes on July 3, 2024. The three notes differ in portrait, reverse design, and width:

¥10,000: SHIBUSAWA Eiichi on the front and the Tokyo Station Marunouchi Building on the back. The note measures 76 by 160 mm.
¥5,000: TSUDA Umeko on the front and Japanese wisteria flowers on the back. The note measures 76 by 156 mm.
¥1,000: KITASATO Shibasaburo on the front and Hokusai’s Under the Great Wave off Kanagawa on the back. The note measures 76 by 150 mm.

These notes replaced the 2004 Series E designs, but both series remain legal tender and circulate together. The ¥2,000 note, issued on July 19, 2000, is also legal tender. It shows Shurei-mon Gate in Okinawa on the front and a scene from The Tale of Genji on the back, although it is rarely seen in circulation.

Who Issues Japan Currency?

The Bank of Japan, also called Nippon Ginko, is Japan’s sole issuer of banknotes under Article 46 of the Bank of Japan Act. The National Printing Bureau manufactures banknotes on paper containing mitsumata fibers and delivers them to the Bank of Japan. The Bank then issues notes into circulation through its Tokyo Head Office and branches.

Coin production follows a separate route. Founded in Osaka on April 4, 1871, the Japan Mint manufactures Japanese coins as an incorporated administrative agency under the supervision of the Ministry of Finance. Notes and coins therefore come from two different production bodies.

Use the Yen Sign Clearly in Prices and Documents

In HTML, the Japanese currency symbol can be displayed with ¥ or ¥. Both produce ¥. On a Windows computer, Alt+0165 on the numeric keypad produces the sign when Num Lock is on; Alt+157 also works in a US locale. On a US Mac layout, use Option+Y. In Microsoft Word, type 00A5 and press Alt+X. Linux and Chromebook users can press Ctrl+Shift+U, type 00a5, and then press Enter.

For a price intended for an international audience, use ¥ before the amount and JPY where the currency might otherwise be unclear. The kanji 円 is the usual Japanese-language notation. For official forms or payment instructions, follow the wording the issuing authority requires.

A Short History of the Japanese Yen

The history of the Japanese yen began on June 27, 1871, when the Meiji government introduced it through the New Currency Act. The law established the decimal structure of yen, sen, and rin. At the time, one yen was defined as 1.5 grams of pure gold, while the silver trade coin contained 24.26 grams of pure silver.

The Bank of Japan was established on October 10, 1882. Its first notes, old ¥10 notes, were issued on May 9, 1885, under the Convertible Banknote Act of 1884. Japan formally adopted the gold standard on October 1, 1897, redefining one yen as 0.75 gram of pure gold.

After World War II, the yen was fixed at ¥360 per U.S. dollar on April 25, 1949. After the United States ended dollar–gold convertibility in August 1971, the Smithsonian Agreement of December 1971 temporarily set ¥308 per U.S. dollar. Since February 1973, the yen has been a floating currency whose value is determined primarily by market forces.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the yen sign different from the yuan sign?

The Japanese yen and Chinese yuan share the basic symbol ¥. Use JPY to identify Japanese yen in international contexts, and look for 円 in Japanese-language text.

Do older Japanese banknotes still work?

Yes. The 2004 banknote series and the Series F notes issued on July 3, 2024, are both legal tender. Older notes do not need to be exchanged because of the newer series.