Japanese currency, or: Turban Noguchi at home

One week left to go before my departure!  Today, my Japanese currency arrived.

Japan is still a primarily cash-based society; credit cards may be becoming more popular, but most transactions in stores are still done with cash.  So, I wanted to be sure to have yen on me as soon as I arrived.

When I last lived in Japan (2012 - 2013), I remember waiting in line at the grocery store and seeing people open their wallets with the equivalent of hundreds of dollars inside.  It's quite common to walk around with huge amounts of cash on one's person.  This would be unusual in the United States, where getting mugged is a very real fear.  However, Japan is a much safer country, generally speaking.  (Even in big cities like Tokyo, one often hears anecdotes about lost wallets being returned with all the cash still safely inside.)  I believe it is this sense of safety that allows Japan to remain so comfortably cash-based.

There are benefits to carrying cash.  I found that when I paid for everything in cash, I tended to save more money.  This makes sense; one is more aware of what one can and cannot afford when one needs only to look in their wallet to be sure.

I think that Japanese yen is beautiful, too.  The different denominations are in different colors, so one can easily select the right bill at a glance.  I feel this is preferable to our monochromatic American cash.  Also, in the United States, our money tends to feature political figures only, whereas the yen banknotes now show a range of cultural personae.  I prefer the Japanese banknotes.  On the 10,000 yen note is Yukichi Fukuzawa ( 福澤 諭吉 ), a philosophical writer and the founder of Keio University.  The 5,000 yen note features Ichiyo Higuchi ( 樋口 一葉 ), a writer and poet from the Meiji Era.  The 1,000 yen note shows Hideyo Noguchi ( 野口 英世 ), who was a doctor and bacteriologist.

There is another banknote in current usage, but it tends to be a little more rare; the 2,000 yen note was first issued in the year 2000.  I hear that it's still considered kind of a novelty, but I think the 2,000 yen note is the prettiest banknote of all.

The 2,000 Yen Banknote

 Look!  One one side, you can see a chrysanthemum motif and the Shureimon, a castle gate in Okinawa.  On the other side is an illustration and quotation from The Tale of Genji, a very important classical work of literature.  Don't you think it's pretty?  It seems a shame it isn't more popular.  Then again, I suppose all the yen banknotes are nice, in their own way.

Well, after this long post about cash, perhaps you will assume I am a mature and responsible adult who treats money with serious care.  I wish you were right.  The fact is, as soon as I saw my new 1,000 yen bills, I had an uncontrollable urge to fold some origami.

Meet "Turban Noguchi"

"Turban Noguchi" is a form of origami that was popularized in the early 2000s by Hiroyuki Nakajima.  Why did this become popular?  Well, I can't help but think it's quite cute to give Mr Noguchi a little hat.  If you'd like to create one for yourself, I learned by watching this YouTube tutorial.  There is also an adorable website, "Turban Noguchi and His Delightful Companions," that features many more "moneygami" creations.

In any case, it's all just for fun - there are many ways to appreciate currency, don't you think?